Mary, Full of Grace
It has been said that the Annunciation is Mary’s call to discipleship in Christ. When she said yes to God’s will that she be the mother of His Son, she accepted the call to become her Son’s disciple. Therefore, the Gospel of Luke presents Mary as the first disciple of Jesus Christ. Mary was the first to hear the call and to accept it. Jesus said: “Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother (Mk 3:35).” Definitely, Jesus was talking about His own mother, who did the will of God by saying: “Let it be done to me according to your word.” As she lived on earth, she continued to do the will of God through her faithfulness to her Son, and she continues to do the will of God today through her role as our intercessor to her Son, Jesus Christ.
Mary shows us the way to respond to God’s various invitations in our lives. Like Mary, we must be humble and trusting of God. Even after the angel left her, Mary still did not fully understand how everything will work out, but despite not having all the answers, she trusted God and consented to God’s will. In contrast, we sometimes feel that we need to know every detail before we say “Yes!” to God. In some cases, we even negotiate with God; but faith is not about making business deals. When we ask something from God, we must not expect that what we ask for will be immediately fulfilled according to our will. Instead, we must entrust ourselves to God’s will, looking at each event within the perspective of His glory and His design of love.
How do we know that we’re not trusting God’s will? There are certain signs that we can look out for in everyday life: when we complain about small things, when we become unreasonably impatient, or when we constantly worry about things which we have no control over. On the other hand, when we don’t fuss over trivial things, or when we pray in patience, do everything we can and leave the rest to God, then perhaps we can see how God works in our lives. Come, let us follow God’s lead.
The Chinese Liturgical Calendars have arrived! Each year, these calendars are published by Our Lady of China Pastoral Mission in Rockville, Maryland. Each month is dedicated to a Chinese parish or mission in the United States and Canada. This year, the Holy Name of Jesus Chinese Mission is featured in the month of June, 2021. Come and get your copy now.
Prayer List：Tina Yang，Agnes Lam，Shuang-san Wang，Bo Hao Pan，Ann Hsu，Cao é Shen，Braden Leung，Lucky Lee。