“…for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.” – Luke 1:37-38
Reflection
Today’s verse, “Nothing will be impossible for God,” has long been one of my favorites in the whole Bible. It’s so encouraging and inspires one to greatness, confident in God’s unfailing aid.
When I first read it as a teenager, I envisioned God almost like a superhero, someone who could accomplish mind-blowing feats beyond the realm of human possibility. Yet over the years, I’ve realized that this verse is not as simple as I once thought: It doesn’t make total sense without Our Lady’s response right after it. You see, most of us, when told that our God can do anything, would ask God to “Do this, give that,” and generally remake the world according to our desires.
But Mary, presented with the news that she would mother the Almighty, simply said, “May it be done to me according to your word.” That is, “Let me want what you want. I will do what you want me to do.”
While the world tells us to control everything and bend reality to our wishes, God tells us to surrender control to the better plan he has in store. Mary responds here in the spirit of her Son’s words, when years later he prayed, “Not my will but yours be done.”
Remember that God’s will is not harsh and stern but lovable, gentle and fatherly: He wants what’s best for us, if only we can put our total trust in Him. Let’s not be afraid to surrender every area of our lives to God’s will, especially those areas where it’s hardest to let go of our tightly gripped control.
Prayer
O God, who by the Immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin
prepared a worthy dwelling for your Son,
grant, we pray,
that, as you preserved her from every stain
by virtue of the Death of your Son, which you foresaw,
so, through her intercession,
we, too, may be cleansed and admitted to your presence.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
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