But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be?

But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be?” 

Imagine you are a child, and it’s Christmas morning.   You are opening presents in front of the tree, and you spot a large package with your name on it.   You open the package, and it’s a model airplane—but the instructions for assembling it are missing.   You’re perplexed, and you ask your parents, “How am I supposed to put this together?”   But then your parents offer to help you, and with their help, the model gets built.

In some ways, Mary’s initial response to the angel is like this child’s first reaction to his gift.   Even as the sinless Mother of God, she still reacts in a human way.   She doesn’t deny that her calling is real, but she wonders just how it’s supposed to come about.   And so she asks a question—as any of us would.   Then, after she hears the angel’s explanation, Mary is ready to take the first step of obedience—even if she doesn’t completely understand God’s plan.

Certainly, Mary’s calling was unique, and we can’t equate our walk with hers.   But we can still draw an important lesson here: God’s biggest plans for us don’t always come with detailed instructions.   In fact, sometimes they might seem more like problems than blessings!   But as he did for Mary, God will unveil his plan for you a little at a time, as you take the next step of faith, and the next one, and the next one.   Mary learned more about her calling when she visited her cousin Elizabeth, who greeted her as “the mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:43).

According to Pope Francis, “The Holy Spirit doesn’t come with a full package of certainty.”   But if we ask the Spirit, he will guide us one step at a time, and give us “the certainty for that moment, the answer for that moment” (Homily, April 30, 2018).

So don’t be afraid to ask the Holy Spirit about your life or your future.   He may not give you a complete blueprint.   But he will give you the wisdom to know what to do today, the strength to carry it out, and the trust that tomorrow will work out.   Your biggest Christmas presents will get unwrapped—but often that process happens one day at a time!

Word Among Us