March 2021 is full of wonderful Feasts and Solemnities during Lent that orient us best to this liturgical season while pointing ahead to the Resurrection Joys of Easter. On March 17th we recall the Saint of the Emerald Isle, Saint Patrick, and the bloodless conversion of the Irish that followed in his wake. Just two days later, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph in the Year of Saint Joseph, gives us the template of the righteous man dedicated to God who aids us to live our lives our best in union with Jesus and Mary. Spring comes on the 20th as if to serve as a cue for the Incarnation begun in the flesh at the Annunciation on March 25th and quickly moves to the coming of the Passion.
She said, “Yes!” Have you ever wondered what would have happened if the Blessed Mother had said “No?” Unimaginable? Perhaps not. Whenever we want to say, “No” to God’s will, we experience an inkling of what it might have been like. That colder, sadder, joyless feeling when we refuse to serve God is a common experience no matter the temporary satisfactions the “No” brought so ephemerally. So we ought to continue to thrill and rejoice not just when we are able to say “Yes!” to his most holy will but also when others do as well. Surely, the Solemnity of the Annunciation is one such occasion to thank Our Lady for her “Fiat!” and it’s a day in many a religious house to mark a milestone in vocation journeys.
This year, after much adjustment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will welcome Postulant Maria on her arrival day, March 25th, after she patiently and steadfastly completed her Aspirancy program via correspondence. We hope, viruses notwithstanding, to welcome future in-person vocations in the near term. Please join us as we thank our Mother and Model, the Blessed Virgin Mary, for her “Fiat!” and the aid she has already given Postulant Maria on her long journey of discernment. May God grant her the gift of discernment and perseverance in his service as she begins this life in earnest. Continue praying for those women arranging for their future entrance and those others interested in Come and See visits.
A cartoon aspirant asks a good question and gets a great answer.
Of the many necessities in a good religious vocation is a sense of humor. Our cartoons try to place many of the truths of this life in a humorous and accessible context. It seems fitting now to reshare a cartoon on the meaning of “Fiat!”
Remember Our Lady’s “Fiat!” especially when tempted to say, “No.”
“Behold, I am the Handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to your word.”