“…The love of God, who surrendered himself into our hands for our salvation, gives us the inner freedom to let go of our own lives, in order to find true life. Mary’s participation in this love gave her the strength to say “yes” unconditionally. In her encounter with the gentle, respectful love of God, who awaits the free cooperation of his creature in order to bring about his saving plan, the Blessed Virgin was able to overcome all hesitation and, in view of this great and unprecedented plan, to entrust herself into his hands. With complete availability, interior openness and freedom, she allowed God to fill her with love, with his Holy Spirit. Mary, the simple woman, could thus receive within herself the Son of God, and give to the world the Saviour who had first given himself to her.
In [the] celebration of the Eucharist, the Son of God has also been given to us. Those who have received Holy Communion, in a special way, carry the Risen Lord within themselves. Just as Mary bore him in her womb – a defenseless little child, totally dependent on the love of his Mother – so Jesus Christ, under the species of bread, has entrusted himself to us, dear brothers and sisters. Let us love this Jesus who gives himself so completely into our hands! Let us love him as Mary loved him! And let us bring him to others, just as Mary brought him to Elizabeth
Let us ask Mary to teach us how to become, like her, inwardly free, so that in openness to God we may find true freedom, true life, genuine and lasting joy.”
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
Angelus, 9 September 2007
The entire text may be read at:
Of what do we need to let go so that we may find true life? Can we give our bodies to the Lord as temples of the Holy Spirit? Are we able to overcome all hesitation and place ourselves in God’s hands?
We must show the world that the way to true and lasting joy is by saying “yes” to God. We have the tools to inform and form ourselves, and subsequently others, in Sacred Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, and a wealth of Encyclicals, Apostolic Letters and other Church documents.
We have the right to exercise freedom especially in moral and religious matters. However, moral law is being cast aside by society and governments under the guise of freedom of choice. Persons claim the right to refuse God’s plan of love for their lives. Demands are made to choose abortion and contraception, euthanasia, or other willful destruction of human life. Children and adolescents as well as adults demand immoral choice(s) relating to sexuality, reproductive rights, sexual identity or gender.
While serving on the Holy See Delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women I met another country delegate (in the ladies room!) shortly after she made an intervention expounding on “my body, my right”. I asked how she rationalized quoting Mother Teresa, one of the world’s foremost pro-life supporters, in order to advance a pro-abortion agenda. Her highly-agitated response relayed that she “was just attacked (verbally) by someone else.” She defensively indicated that she is a “spiritual” person and can easily take from Mother Teresa whatever she wants to advance her cause for abortion for women and girls who have been raped. I agreed that we need to care for rape victims though not at the expense of the life of a child. During our ensuing dialogue she calmed down. More than twenty years of pastoral care experience gave me indications that the delegate was herself a victim of violence. I hope and pray that my taking on an assertive, pastoral role—rather than an angry, aggressive role as assumed by another--may have planted a seed for the delegate’s future reconciliation and conversion, please God.
Nourished by the Holy Eucharist, may we find opportunities to more fully experience God’s love and will for our lives. May the Holy Spirit strengthen us to freely share with others what has been entrusted to us by our Risen Lord.
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