December 2002

These words mark the beginning of Mary’s divine adventure. The angel had just revealed God’s plans for her: to be the mother of the Messiah. Before consenting she wanted to make sure that this was truly the will of God, and once she understood that this is what he wanted she did not hesitate a moment to adhere to it wholeheartedly. From then on, Mary abandoned herself completely to God’s will, even during the most painful and tragic moments.
Because she carried out not her own will but the will of God, because she trusted unconditionally in what God was asking of her, all generations call her blessed (see Lk 1:48). She fulfilled herself completely, to the point of becoming the Woman par excellence.
This is the fruit of doing God’s will: we attain self-fulfillment, we acquire total freedom, and we reach our true being. God has always thought of us, he has loved us from all eternity; we have always had a place in his heart. God wants to reveal to each one of us, as he did to Mary, our true identity. “Would you like me to make a masterpiece of you and your life?”, he seems to ask us. “Then follow the way I indicate and you will become who you always are in my heart. I have thought of you and loved you from all eternity; I called you by name. By telling you my will I am revealing your true self.”
So then his will is not an imposition forced on us, but the expression of his love for us, of his project for us; and it is sublime as God himself, deeply fascinating and beautiful as is his face: it is God giving himself to us. The will of God is like a golden thread, a divine theme that runs through the whole of our earthly life and beyond; it goes from eternity to eternity: first in the mind of God, then on this earth, and finally, in heaven.
But for God’s design to be fulfilled completely, he asks for my consent, for your consent, as he asked it of Mary. This is the only way that the word he pronounced for me and for you can be fulfilled. So then we too, like Mary, are called to say:

«Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word»

Of course God’s will is not always clear to us. Like Mary we too will have to ask for the light to understand what he wants. We need to listen attentively and sincerely to his voice within us, seeking advice if needed from someone who can help us. But once we have understood his will, we want to say “yes” at once. Actually, if we have understood that his will is the greatest, most beautiful reality in our life, we won’t be resigned to “having” to do the will of God, but we will be happy to “be able” to do the will of God, to be able to follow his plans, so that what he wants for us will be fulfilled. It’s the best thing we can do, the most intelligent thing we can do.
The words of Mary, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord”, are therefore our response of love to the love of God. They keep us turned toward him, always listening and obeying, with only one desire in our heart, that of carrying out his will in order to be as he wants us to be.
Nevertheless, at times what he asks of us can seem to be absurd. We would do things differently, we would like to decide for ourselves. We would almost want to give advice to God, to tell him what to do and what not to do. But if I believe that God is Love and I trust him, I know that whatever he plans for me and for those close to me is for my good, for their good. So I entrust myself to him, I abandon myself with total trust in his will and I want it with all my heart, to the point of being one with it, knowing that accepting his will is accepting him, embracing him, nourishing myself with him.
We must believe that nothing happens by chance. No event, whether it be joyful, indifferent or painful, no encounter, no situation in the family, at work, or at school, no condition of physical or moral health is without meaning. On the contrary, every event, situation and person bears a message from God, everything contributes towards the fulfillment of God’s design which we will discover little by little, day by day, doing the will of God as Mary did.

«Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word»

How should we live this Word of Life? Practically speaking, our “yes” to the word of God means doing well and completely all that he asks us to do in every present moment. We should devote ourselves wholeheartedly to whatever we are doing, putting aside everything else, letting go of any other thought, desire, memory or action.
As we carry out each will of God, whether it be painful, joyful or indifferent, we can repeat: “May it be done to me according to your word”, or, as Jesus taught us in the “Our Father”, “Your will be done”. Let’s say it before every action: “May it be done” “Your will be done”. By doing so, we will accomplish one moment at a time, one piece at a time the wonderful, unique and unrepeatable mosaic of our life which the Lord has always had in mind for each one of us.

Chiara Lubich