Thy Will be Done
“Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38)
“Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38)
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. I find it appropriate to do so three months after the Nativity of the Lord and during Lent.
The Angel Gabriel visits Mary to tell her about the plan that God has for her. Mary, after what I would call a quick discernment, responds with a solid YES to Gabriel. Mary was engaged to Joseph and had no relations with a man. Getting pregnant before marriage would mean trouble for her with Joseph, her family and community. Mary heard God’s call and accepted to be an integral part of God’s saving plan to humanity by saying “May it be done to me according to your word.”
Our Lord Jesus is the ultimate example of doing God’s Will. On the second reading, St. Paul reminds us that Jesus, after reading a scripture about sacrifices and offerings to God, tells to everyone “As is written of me in the scroll, behold, I come to do your will, O God”. And He sacrificed his live for all of us.
Sometimes to do God’s Will we have to be willing to sacrifice some part of us.
Next time you pray the Our Father, I invite you to pray it slowly and pause to reflect on “Thy Will Be Done”.
Is it God’s Will or my will that is being done in my life?
Holy Mother Mary, pray that we can see and do the Will of God just like your Son, your spouse Joseph and you did. That we can genuinely say “Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will”. We ask this through your Son and our Lord. Amen.
José Orlando (Landy) Colón was born and raised in Puerto Rico. His journey to faith started as a teenager after accepting Christ during a Juan XXIII weekend retreat. He has been a resident of the Tampa Bay area since November 2000. Landy is fully bilingual in English and Spanish. He is serving as Liturgy Committee chair and Eucharistic Minister at Resurrection Catholic Church in Riverview. He is also blessed to serve as chair of the Diocesan Hispanic Commission under the Intercultural Ministries of our diocese. His wife Judi and Landy completed the Lay Pastoral Ministry Institute program (dosp.org/lpmi) in June of 2023. They have two married daughters, and are the caregivers of Judi’s mother. Landy is a firm believer of second chances, that compassion and mercy are vital to evangelize, and that we should trust God under all circumstances.
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