On this Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, today’s Gospel shows the significance of trusting the will of God even when what He calls us to is seemingly put on us suddenly.
When the Angel Gabriel appears to Mary, she becomes troubled. Gabriel then responds by telling her to not be afraid, and when he explains that she is going to be the one divinely chosen to bear the Son of God, Mary says yes to God’s plan. The significance of this moment lies in the fact that Mary was not, absolutely speaking, necessary for God’s salvific plan to be accomplished. God is all-powerful; He can carry out his plan in whichever way He wants. That being said, there was nothing and no one forcing God to choose Mary specifically as the path through which He would bring His Son into this world. He didn’t absolutely need her, but He chose her. As followers of God, we are called to honor His divine ways. The fact that God specifically chose Mary to cooperate with Him in His salvific plan shows us that He wants us to honor her and look to her as a model for how to perfectly follow His will. Again - He didn’t need her, but He chose her. The specific way in which God chooses to carry out His plan is surely something to pay attention to.
Mary was a teenager when she was told by Gabriel that she would be the Mother of God. Though troubled when initially greeted, she ultimately accepts God’s will. Mary is literally the perfect example of childlike trust in God. Though God’s plan for her life was revealed to her suddenly, she perfectly cooperated and influenced the salvation of the world. We can look to Mary to know what it means to truly blindly trust God; when we do, we can change both our lives and the lives of those around us for the better.
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is when we remember how Mary told St. Juan Diego to ask the Bishop to build a church where she could exercise her love and protection for the people. Juan Diego himself modeled perfect faithful obedience as he followed through with carrying out this task. When we see Mary come into our lives, we can know that she is guiding us closer to communion with her Son in whatever words she speaks to us. She fully surrendered to God’s plan so that she could bring her Son to all the world; through her intercession, she will guide us to him again and again.
Make sure to check out the Missio Dei YouTube interview on Guadalupe & the Flower World Prophecy with authors Joseph Julian & Monique Gonzalez.
Perfect trust perfectly illustrated. Thank you, Grace.