And the angel departed from her

Then Mary said, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1: 38

I have often wondered, “Where did the angel go, after Mary gave him her affirmative reply?” He didn’t have to wait long for her to say, “Yes, let it be as God has decided.” What did he do next? Did you hurry, fly, speed his way to Almighty God to give God the news himself? Did God immediately know? Did the heavens rejoice that this woman, who proves herself to be an extraordinary disciple, the first disciple, had said yes? We often reflect on the Blessed Virgin Mary during this time of year but she cannot be overstated as a wondrous symbol of loving discipleship. She took on the weight of being the mother of the Incarnate One, the fleshy love of God that is Jesus Christ.

Mary has said yes to the angel and now is pregnant with Jesus. She is carrying not only a baby, but the hope and salvation of the world. She has said yes to God, out of obedience and love, not because it would be an easy path. What happens when we say yes to God’s call on our lives? Sometimes we say no to a pull in our lives that is of God, because we aren’t sure or the call is a bit challenging. God’s promise of grace could be a new ministry, a different spiritual path, a new job, a new relationship, etc. And, whatever it is, it may not seem like an easy promise to take on. Any of us who have children know that saying yes to parenthood, for instance, is not always an easy journey. Mary would live to see her son, the boy she had raised, beaten and crucified. But she would go on to experience His Resurrection and would follow His guidance into the early life of the Church. Our yeses to God don’t typically lead us in a straight line. Struggles and pain can often follow. But God promises us that when we follow Her call to discipleship, we will always have the reward of knowing God more fully and becoming even more aware of the reality that in Christ we are saved. Thanks be to God for Mary’s yes and for all our yeses, past and yet to come.