The First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation

The following is the fourteenth of twenty monthly reflections about the Mysteries of the Rosary as they relate to family life.  The mysteries will not be necessarily chronological but presented as they interact with the liturgical year.

          I remember well where I was when I heard the news: we are going to build a new church. Being a member of the parish and on staff at the time, I knew the challenges we faced with space. However, an entirely new church was still a sobering proposition, one that came with many questions. Before I considered the architectural plans, the timing of such a project, or the status of our current church, one central question loomed the largest in my mind. While you may think it was where the choir would be sitting, it was actually more financial in nature, namely, how much is this going to cost?
          Since we are soon to celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation, I thought it was a perfect fit for our rosary mystery this month, and it holds a great deal of meaning for the building of our new church at St. Pius X. So much of this story is instructive. The angel Gabriel comes to Mary, a young, betrothed virgin, and proclaims that she is to have a child. Bewildered, her first question is, “How can this be?” Gabriel gives the explanation of the Holy Spirit’s involvement, which, quite frankly, would have produced some follow-up questions for me! But Mary, model of faith in God, does not ask more questions. Instead, she gives one of the most profound statements in all of Scripture and even human history, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
          Notice that she does not ask, “How much will this cost me?” In truth, it was going to cost her a great deal, probably more than she could have ever imagined as a young maiden. Her heart would be pierced with sorrows throughout her days, and yet she always trusted that God’s grace was working through her to produce something greater than she could have ever done alone.
          We have such moments in life where we have a decision of great significance before us. I think of my wedding day where my wife and I made vows to each other and to God without knowing at all what those promises would truly ask of us as it came to living our married life. It may have scared us away to know everything all at once! Or each time that we have been open to life and accepted children into our family, we had no idea the total cost or what the future would hold. Finally, I think of our parish family, as we stand upon the precipice of opening a new church building that is an answer to the Holy Spirit’s movement in our community. While we can put a dollar amount on the project, behind that are tremendous examples of generosity and sacrifice, even beyond the financial, that were put forth without knowing exactly how this would turn out.
          Like Mary, we strive to get the point of praying that God’s will be done. This does not, of course, mean that we do not exercise prudence in taking vows, having children, or building churches. It is indeed very biblical to plan to ensure that enough resources exist to accomplish any of these undertakings. But if we get hung up on the cost, we would never have the courage and conviction to do anything worthwhile.
          Here is the amazing thing. It is our “yes,” mingled with God’s transformative grace, that produces things exceeding our wildest dreams. Marriages that last 50 years or more, children bringing tremendous joy despite their many needs, and churches rising from the ground in the face of significant secular headwinds do not simply happen by chance. These are labors of love that have cooperated with and placed complete reliance on God’s most holy will. They are examples of great witness that will last for many, many years to come. They boldly proclaim that this was a group of people who served God and neighbor, who trusted that their sacrifices placed at God’s altar could grow to unimaginable heights. This a was family, who, when faced with a substantial challenge and stood at a crossroads, followed the example of the Blessed Virgin and said, “Let your will be done!”