The Daily Fiat: Learning from Our Lady
By Mary Grace Dostalik
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. (Luke 1:26-28)
When people see my name, Mary Grace, they can tell right away that I’m Catholic. “Add a few more words and your name is a prayer,” they tell me, referring to the Hail Mary. When I was a little girl, I loved the fact that I shared my name with Our Lady. I remember annoying my siblings as I tried to claim each Marian feast day as my own.
As I got older, though, something changed. While I did several Marian consecrations, prayed the Rosary fairly regularly, and read books about Mary in an attempt to grow closer to her, my heart felt disconnected from her. Inwardly, my relationship with Mary had grown weak.
I struggled to understand Mary’s fiat, that is, her unconditional yes to God at the Annunciation. During my college years, I truly wrestled with God, not wanting to say yes to His plan when it did not line up with my own. I spent a lot of time struggling to understand and accept God’s plan for my life.
We’re taught to plan, to dream, and to have high standards. We’re measured by our grades, our degree, our job, our relationship status, and our wealth. Even if we are well-intended, knowing it is good to work hard, we can become caught up in hustling, caught up in the world’s expectations.
A few months ago, I came to my spiritual director, asking her for advice. I told her how I was struggling with anxiety from trying to be perfect at work. She looked at me and told me, “Who you are before God is who you are.” I am not defined by what I do, by my work, or the expectations I set for myself. I am defined by the fact that I am beloved by God.
Oh how Our Lady understood this. She defied convention, she willingly gave up the expectations she had for her life. How was she able to do this? She believed in the truth that her identity and happiness was found in God.
When the Angel Gabriel explained God’s plan for her, she did not falter to surrender her life. “Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38)
Mary’s yes was a decision she made every day, continually renewed every time she chose the Lord’s will over her own. She faced pain and suffering, but she knew that her identity was in the Lord and she trusted him. She trusted that his plan for her was enough.
In this same way, all our lives are in His hands.
As I stopped by the chapel in the midst of a workday last week (perk of working for a church!), a phrase came to me in prayer: “Trust me with your happiness.”
I immediately thought of Mary. Can I follow her lead? Can I trust that God will sustain me, even when life is hard and uncomfortable? Can I have peace in the Lord’s plan for me as Mary did?
My answer is yes, I hope yours is too. But this response requires a re-commitment to that answer every single day for the rest of our lives. Some days will be harder than others, but I am committing to rebuilding my relationship with Mary and seeking her counsel––asking her to pray that I have the strength to say yes each day. With Mary’s help, you can commit to your own daily fiat too.
