Mary's disposition at the annunciation is one of discernment followed by a firm commitment. Her participation in God's plan of salvation is a joyful "Yes!" This disposition of Mary is the basis for Blessed William Joseph Chaminade's spiritual method. "Blessed Chaminade taught his disciples the importance of silence: Silence of words, of signs, of the imagination, of the mind and of the passions."It is so hard to find time for silence in our lives, with so much noise surrounding us. Television, music, IPods, Cell phones, Blackberries, etc. Silence can even make some of us uncomfortable. And we are uncomfortable with it because we never experience it. But it is in the silence where God speaks to us. After we sit in silence and hear the call of God, then we need to take action. This, is the hard part. God is calling us. Yes, we can listen and hear what He wants us to do. But are we willing to actually do it? We are like the rich man from the Gospel of Matthew:
Jesus said to him "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
We are unwilling to give up our possessions. We are unwilling to give up our dreams. Wevare unwilling to give up our hopes and desires. This is why so many people have a hard time understanding their role in the Church. They want it all. They want to live their lives the way they want to and they want to have a role in the Church. Unless you are willing to sacrifice everything to follow Christ you will never understand our role in the Church. Can you do this?
