EMERGENCE

Mary’s Fiat: A Moment of Insight

“And Mary said yes when she knew that it was the will of God.”

Dear fathers and friends,

The ‘yes’ of Mary stands as the greatest act of obedience to the will of God, next only to the self-offering of Jesus on the cross. Her ‘yes’ was total, free and was imbued with complete awareness. Emphasizing that, Mary had reached the maturity of her ‘yes’ at the annunciation, I would like to title my talk as “Mary’s Fiat: A Moment of Insight.” Now, that is an insight happened to me two months ago, when suddenly this picture above that I found in Don Bosco Parish, Nashik, gripped my attention and led me to certain reflections, which I thought would be nice to share with you during this novena to the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

I recognize the three different levels of the salvific plan of God in that picture. The bottom level depicts the disobedience and the neglect of God by the chosen people by running behind false gods. The central level narrates the significant events in the life of Jesus and Mary from annunciation to passion and death; in other words, the redemption. The top most level of the painting depicts the glorious life after completing the earthly sojourn.

Moving on, in each of these levels, I would like to present to you the specific role of Mary in the plan of salvation, and how our call can and should correspond with Mary.

1. Call is Specific

Hear O heavens, and listen O earth, for the Lord has spoken”

I reared children and brought them up,

But they have rebelled against me.

The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib;

But Israel does no know,

My people do not understand. (Is 1:2-30)

God was grieved by the disobedience of Israel, yet out of His predilected love desired that His people should be redeemed of their fallenness, and hence he decided to be born of a woman, so that the people of Israel might understand His everlasting love.

Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel (Is 7:14).

When the appointed time came God sent his son born of a woman (Gal 4:4).

Mary’s call was to be Theotokos – God-bearer. Therefore, it was fittig that the Mother of God be Immculately conceived. Her specific vocation was to be the first tabernacle, so that she might bring the God-man for the salvation of the humankind. This insight is gained by Our Lady at the annunciation.

Each of us here has a specific vocation. Therefore, it is our bounden duty to seek for an insight into the specificity of our call and discover what God wants from each one of us.

2. Call demands Fidelity

No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62).

If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily to follow me (Luke 9:23).

Meanwhile standing near the cross of Jesus was his mother… (John 19:25).

Right from her yes up to the end of her life, Mary remained faithful to her call. This is beautifully explicated in the central part of the picture. The demand of her call was to give Christ away to die on the cross for our redemption. Mary gained an insight into this demand of her call at the annunciation, and unhesitatingly submitted to the will of God: “Let it be done to me according to your word.”

We as persons called and consecrated by God, need to understand the demands of our vocation. Are we ready to give away the things that hinder us from following Christ radically.

3. Call is Rewarding

“It was fitting that the most holy body of Mary, the God-bearing body, the receptacle of God, which was divinized, incorruptible, illumined by divine grace and full of Glory should be entrusted to the earth for a short while and be raised up in glory to heaven, with her soul pleading to God.” (Munificentissimus Deus).

Mary’s self offering and unquestioned obedience was richly rewarded by God. God did not allow her incorrupt body to decay in the abyss of the earth. The top most level of the picture depicts her glory and reaffirms Mary’s insight into that glorious life.

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my name’s sake will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” (Mathew 19:29).

We need to remember that God who calls us will never abandon us. Moreover, He promises eternal reward for all those who do His will and follow Christ whole-heartedly.

The three moments in Mary’s call and her yes to that call brings home the point that, they were privileges bestowed on her. At the same time these privileges were tied up with great responsibility.

First, Mary was preserved form original sin; she was conceived immaculate. This privilege endowed on her the responsibility of remaining sinless till the end and be model of purity.

Second, she was the only woman on earth, who was called Blessed. Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you (Luke 11-27). Her blessedness also consisted in being a responsible and faithful disciple of Jesus.

Third, she was given the privilege of entering the glorious life, body and soul. From this privilege she assumed the responsibility of interceding for us, her children, and she continues to remain in that office.

This great example of Mary turning her privileges into responsibilities reminds us that our call and consecration is a privilege – a gratuitous gift. Now, what is required of us is to convert this privilege into responsibility.

Before I conclude, I would like to bring your attention to the centre of the picture, where Mary is found with Jesus and the angels, and she seems to be busy writing something. Mary’s action seems as if she is signing a contract. I would say yes. After gaining the insight into the whole of the salvific plan of God, Mary signs the covenant with her fiat: Let it be… It is interesting to reflect on how she does it: Mary holds Jesus in her hands and contemplates the entire story. It is as if she is sitting with Jesus in a time machine and travelling through time and space.

It is apt for us to take her example as a model to gain insight into our own vocation, so that, like her, we may sign the covenant, and enter into a covenantal relationship with God with an undivided heart. We can make such an insight probable by praying for the same, so that we may like the ox, know its owner; and like the donkey, know its master’s crib. May Mary, the tota pulchra, the all-beautiful, help us in this task.