Nothing Will Be Impossible

Do not be troubled or weighed down with grief.

Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain.

Am I not here who am your Mother?

Are you not under my shadow and my protection?

Am I not your fountain of life?

Are you not in the fold of my mantle?

- Words spoken from Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego

Do not be afraid. You are not alone. Nothing will be impossible.

When facing a challenging decision, a difficult relationship, or any situation or circumstance that is beyond my control, it can get overwhelming. Fear and doubt start to creep in. Worry and uncertainty intensifies. My mind races and my heart is restless.

So it brings me great comfort and consolation to see Mary in today’s Gospel in a scene so familiar that its significance is easily overlooked. The angel announces to Mary that by the power of the Holy Spirit she will bear the Son of God. Mary was given a very difficult choice. She was afraid. She was alone. And what was being asked of her was impossible.

Do not be afraid. You are not alone. Nothing will be impossible.

Mary, full of grace, responds “yes” with an unwavering faith in God. She is a servant, giving up all control of her body, her future, and her understanding, all for the service of God’s mission in the world. She is courageous and strong, willing to bear the unbearable. She trusts God, embracing the possibilities that are beyond our limited comprehension and imagination. She teaches us how to wait and how to surrender of our lives with humility and trust in God’s plan for us.

Do not be afraid. You are not alone. Nothing will be impossible.

Mary responded “yes” and changed the world. St. Juan Diego responded “yes” and transformed the Americas. We are called to respond to God with that same “yes”. With every yes to a will greater than our own and a plan that beyond our imagination, we are transformed and so are the lives of those around us.

Mary is the Mother of Jesus. We are members of the Body of Christ. Therefore, Mary is our Mother too. Mary acts in the service of God’s mission in the world, so therefore, she is at our service too. So what do we need from her today? Is there anything beyond my imagination, beyond my wildest dreams, that I am afraid to ask of her?

Do not be afraid. You are not alone. Nothing will be impossible.

Author: Joe Nava, Mathematics Department Chair