Every Thanksgiving, our family tradition is to vote on which movie we will all watch together. My preference is Miracle on 34th Street, but this year, the “youngins” preferred The Wizard of Oz, a film I must have seen at least a hundred times! But this time, I was struck by that scene where the witch writes “Surrender Dorothy” across the sky, and I wondered: suppose instead of Dorothy, it had been my name or yours? What if we were being asked to surrender, not to the witch, but to God?
The Blessed Virgin Mary, with her “Fiat,” did exactly this: she totally surrendered to God! She found herself in a most delicate situation: If Joseph had not been an honorable man, she could have been stoned to death! What humility and confidence she had in not disclosing the circumstance of her pregnancy! What patience and trust in God that He would make all things right!
Consider for a moment the extraordinary circumstances of Mary’s life: the years she spent in the temple as a young girl in silent prayer; her time in Nazareth raising the Word Incarnate; her sharing in His apostolic life; her union with Him in His passion, and afterward her years with Saint John praying for the infant Church. Her “Yes” encompassed ALL that!
All these events did not hinder her from persevering in prayer. Her humility and docility provided the basis for all her virtues. Saint Luke tells us, “She kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). And if you think about it—Mary so loved the world that she gave her only Son—at such a great price she became our Mother and we became her children!
Whether you are a mother or not, everyone knows that children always have their mother’s name on their lips. They call to her whenever they are frustrated or frightened. So should it be with us: we should call on Mary, our Mother when we are weary or discouraged. With her, everything can become easier—in her example; we will find new hope and strength.
God has given each of us the gift of free will. At the Annunciation, God asked a humble Virgin’s consent, and she gave up her own will for God’s, conforming her human will to his Divine will. Mary was completely aligned with God, just as we pray in the Our Father: “Thy will be done.” She did not depend on her own resources, abilities, or merits but put all her confidence in God alone.
Mary remained silent and did not try to justify herself in Joseph’s eyes. She was silent because she was filled with hope in God and absolutely certain of His help. Silence and hope permitted her to rely entirely on God—strong with his strength, and she remained serene and tranquil through a life fraught with many challenges. By her silent hope, Mary shows us the way to real security, serenity, and inner peace even in the most difficult circumstances: the way of total trust in God.
God is faithful—He will finish the work He called each of us to do, provided we put our trust in Him. He will never disappoint us if we hope in Him. Just as it was foretold: “A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse” (Isaiah 11:1). Even in the face of insurmountable odds, God will always find a way to help and sustain a soul who entrusts itself totally to Him.
Let us pray: O Mother of holy LOVE, our life, our refuge, and our hope, we turn to you with great confidence and trust in your motherly protection. Amen.
Linda Romagnoli is a seasoned RC member and team leader. She and her team organize the NY Tri-State annual Advent and Lenten morning retreats for women.