What does it mean to say “yes” to God’s will, and what has that looked like among the saints of heaven, as well as the faithful – we “saints in waiting” here on earth?
One can see this kind of extraordinary “yes” in the Virgin Mary, when the humility and faith of a young girl cooperated with divine grace to allow for the Incarnation of Christ the Son.
The Blessed Mother’s response leads the way for St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus and patron of the Universal Church, to respond with his own “yes” – willing to accompany and protect both Mary and the Son of God.
As the Blessed Mother is honored during May, the month of Mary, many may ask, “Had Mary not put aside her own desires and fears, could she have carried out the mission that God intended for her?”
Every canonized saint – and those of us still striving for eternal life – must also answer: “How will we say our extraordinary ‘yes’ to God?”
In this month’s IN FOCUS,The Monitor Magazine shares the stories ofCatholics across the Diocese who have said “yes” to God’s will in challenging ways – and what that has meant both in their own lives and the lives of those they serve.