Written by Tita Christoffel, East Lake Mom
Finding it rather appropriate to write a piece on Mary’s Fiat, often called her “yes”, I noticed myself coming up with the many different excuses I could have used to say no. “No, this is so inconvenient right now”. “No, I don’t have time”. “No, I have other things I need to do”. “No, it’s right before Christmas when so many other things are taking so much of my attention and priority of time”. And then as I thought of Mary, and this topic, I noticed how different her attitude was. So, uncomplicated. So docile, so humble, so full of God’s grace that she was always attentive to God first, and herself second. How many times a day are we asked to do something, and we find it incredibly inconvenient? I have found, as time goes on, how much more complicated my life has become. Each year it feels like I have tacked more and more things that take up my time, energy and thoughts. And, I notice, how it gets easier and easier to excuse myself with the familiar cry “I don’t have time”, or the feeling that I would rather be doing something else.
And then I think of Mary. I think about where she was at the moment of the incarnation. She was in prayer. She made time for God. She was in quiet contemplation when the angel suddenly appeared to her. She was first and foremost giving time to God, and in that moment and with her demure was able to withstand the surprise meeting. Although the gospels mention she was troubled and the angel told her to fear not, Mary simply was in shock at being called by such a magnificent title: “highly favored”. She is not filled with fear at the sight of the angel. She is startled by her new name: highly favored daughter. In Fr Donald Calloway’s book entitled Consecration to St. Joseph, he assures us that Mary was so united to God, and so full of grace, that she has no anxiety or fright over what was being asked. She wasn’t scared the way we would imagine, rather she was perplexed because it was so mysterious. It was different than disbelief, which we can contrast with Zechariah, who was unable to believe and subsequently made speechless, Mary in that moment, between the message of the angel Gabriel, and her answer, was in a mode of receptivity, not disbelief, but docility/humility and receptivity. Knowing full well that she would not have all the understanding needed to accept this marvel, she proclaims “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me according to your word.” She lays herself at the service of God and His will, and to use her as His handmaid. While fiat translates to “let it be done” in Latin, it embodies a deep acceptance of God’s plan, even when difficult or unclear. Mary’s Fiat represents a complete surrender to God’s will, signifying a continuous act of trust and obedience throughout her life, and not just a one-time decision of an act. She was constant in her yes, throughout her life. This is perhaps the biggest take away for us, that in order for all things to be accomplished in us, we too are to be docile and trusting of God’s will for our lives, in every circumstance. In the most inconvenient circumstances, in the most difficult situations, be it problems in our lives, our children’s lives, our extended families, all of those heavy burdens that we are asked to carry or accept, we do so with complete abandonment and acceptance that this is God’s will for us. And, often it is in the particularly difficult moments of our lives when God is most present and using us. Mary was not able to understand everything in that moment, nor was she asked to do anything above what she could bear. “All she was asked to do, was to say yes”. Let us remember that as well.
Theologians have explained, that “Fiat” is different than” Yes”. “Yes” is something that one initiates from oneself. It comes from us. Mary’s fiat directly translates from the word “facere” which means to “be made”. When she says “fiat” she says, “Let it be made in me”. She is allowing herself to be acted upon. Fr. Mike Schmitz says Mary’s special grace is the “grace of her receptivity”. How can we follow this example, as Christian disciples? “The heart of Christian discipleship is not me making myself. I am not the Creator. Instead of recognizing and receiving God’s gifts, the core conversion after baptism is moving away from the idea that “I create” to “I am being created”. When we look towards the saints, we see time and again how God uses relatively insignificant characters, and often flawed, like St. Teresa of Avila and St. Teresa of Calcutta, who use the analogy that they are pencils in the hands of God. They saw themselves as broken pencils, as a quote often attributed to St Teresa of Avila says that “God writes straight with crooked lines.” The saints saw themselves only as instruments, (defective ones at that). But that is exactly what God needs, as long as we allow ourselves to be placed in His hands so he can do the writing. The second Vatican council charges us with the universal call to holiness. Each of us is called to sanctity. We have the examples of the saints particularly to show us that it can be done, and as the Virgin Mary shows us, how it is to be done. It is certainly not by our accomplishments and merits, but by emptying ourselves, so that it is no longer “I that live, but Christ that lives in me” (Gal:2:16). It is through God’s ability to work in and through us, that then we can achieve that union with Christ, which is what sanctity is. The Pope has just declared the Jubilee Year of Hope. Asking that we be pilgrims of the Hope that carries us to our desire for Heaven, which is union with God. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to grant us the humility and simplicity needed to be able to answer with Mary in each moment needed “Let it be done to me according to thy word”. If we are to do God’s will, we should subscribe to a routine including daily prayer in order to discern God’s and will. Reading of the Word of God to know Him, and frequent reception of the sacraments, so we can filled with his grace to do His will, and be sustained by it when we are asked to do particularly difficult things.
During this season of Advent, we are invited to prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Let us use this time as an opportunity to look closely at our own life and how we welcome God’s gifts.