THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH:
This Saturday perhaps we can consider our Lady’s great faith, a virtue in which she excels every other creature. Even before the angel announced to her that she was to be the Mother of God, Mary would meditate on the Scriptures; she would discover their deepest meaning as no one had ever done before. Her understanding, free from the effects of sin, was enlightened by faith and by the fullness of God’s grace. In this light, and with the help of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, our Lady was able to fathom the depths of the Messianic prophecies. She longed for the Savior’s coming, and her insistent prayer was an echo of the constant petition of all the Patriarchs and the people of Israel throughout its history. But her prayer was more pleasing to God than theirs, for it came from a heart free from sin and full of faith and hope. With her earnest petition Mary gave glory to God more fully than did all the rest of creation.
The Blessed Trinity looked upon Mary with a special fondness. When the fullness of time came, with the angels of heaven looking on, God’s messenger salutes her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Saint Luke recounts that Mary, when she heard the angelic greeting, was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. Mary did not resist or place any limitations on the fulfillment of God’s Will. She left herself totally open to whatever God might want from her. God had prepared the Blessed Virgin for her special mission, filling her with his grace. Now, with the revelation of her special calling, the seed sown by God on such good ground began to bear fruit through Mary’s acquiescence.
Indeed, at the Annunciation Mary entrusted herself to God completely, with ‘full submission of intellect and will’ (Dei Verbum, 5) manifesting ‘the obedience of faith’ to him who spoke to her through his messenger. She responded, therefore, with all her human and feminine “I” and this response of faith included both perfect cooperation with the grace of God that precedes and assists and perfect openness to the action of the Holy Spirit, who constantly brings faith to completion by his gifts. The Annunciation brought with it the fulfillment of all that had been in our Lady’s heart. But it is also the point of departure from which her whole journey towards God begins, her whole pilgrimage of faith.
The most immediate consequence of our Lady’s faith is her full obedience to God’s plan. And this consideration can help us to examine ourselves, to see whether our faith leads us to imitate her obedience – whether we are truly willing to fulfill God’s Will in everything, unconditionally … desiring whatever God wills, whenever He wills it, and in whatever way He wills it.
We can especially ask ourselves how we accept the ordinary difficulties of our day – sickness, which we should love if it comes; suffering and sorrow; an unforeseen change in our plans; the failure of some project; in a word, anything that interferes with our own desires. Let us consider whether both success and failure, enjoyment as well as suffering, lead us to grow in holiness, instead of putting a distance between ourselves and our Lord.
