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As you know, Lent is a time set aside for deep reflection, repentance, and preparation. As we journey toward the Good Friday cross and the glorious resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday, we seek to align our hearts with God’s will, stripping away the distractions of the world to make room for His presence. Since Lent is a season of surrender, we can learn a great deal by reflecting on Mary’s surrender to God’s will. Learn more about this in today’s message.

Ever since I was a small child, it has been easy to remember the date of the Feast of the Annunciation, because it falls on my birthday. It has been a blessing to share this day with the celebration of Mary’s great yes to God. This feast, typically observed on March 25th, offers a profound moment to pause and reflect on Mary’s response to God’s call. Though this feast is traditionally observed in the Catholic Church, its message speaks powerfully to all followers of Christ, reminding us of the importance of trust, obedience, and humility before God.

The Annunciation marks a moment when everything changed. It marks the moment when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, declaring that she had been chosen to bear the Son of God. Luke 1:26-38 captures this breathtaking encounter, culminating in Mary’s simple yet world-changing response: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

Imagine Mary’s position—young, unassuming, and facing a future that suddenly seemed uncertain. Yet, despite any fear or confusion she may have felt, she chose surrender over resistance, trust over doubt. Her response was not passive resignation, but an active embrace of God’s plan, even when she could not fully see what lay ahead.

Lent is a season of surrender. Mary’s fiat—her “yes” to God—provides a model for all of us as we walk through Lent. The Lenten season invites us to echo her trust in the Lord, to say, “Let it be done to me according to Your word.” It is easy to hold onto our own plans, our own expectations, and even our own sins, fearing what it might cost to fully surrender to God. But Lent challenges us to let go.

Lent is a time of purification, a time to release the things that hold us back from fully embracing God’s call. It may be a sin we struggle with, a wound we have not yet surrendered, or a reluctance to step into what God is asking of us. The Annunciation reminds us that God’s plans are far greater than our own, and that true joy is found in obedience to His will, even when it is difficult.

The Annunciation serves as a call to all Christians. As I said above, the Annunciation is often recognized as a Catholic feast, yet, its significance is for all Christians. It is the moment that set into motion God’s redemptive plan through Christ. Without Mary’s yes, the Incarnation would not have taken place. Her willingness to be used by God should inspire every Christian—regardless of tradition—to embrace God’s purpose with the same faith and humility.

During Lent, we focus on Jesus’ suffering, but the Annunciation reminds us that before the Passion came the promise. Before the cross, there was the calling. And before the resurrection, there was a choice to trust. Just as Jesus later prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42), Mary, too, surrendered her will to the Father’s. This act of trust echoes throughout salvation history and serves as a powerful Lenten meditation.

As we continue our Lenten journey, let us reflect on Mary’s response and consider how we, too, can offer our own fiat to God:

• Where is God calling us to surrender? Is there an area of our life that we are holding back from Him?
• What fears keep us from trusting God’s plan? Like Mary, are we willing to embrace God’s will even when the future is unclear?
• How can we make room for Christ? Mary quite literally made space in her body for Jesus. During Lent, we are invited to make space in our hearts and lives for Him through prayer, fasting, and acts of charity.

The Annunciation gives us a message of hope. It is a reminder that God is always at work, even in the unexpected. It assures us that His grace is sufficient, even when we feel unworthy. And it encourages us that when we say yes to Him, He will do far more through us than we could ever imagine.

As we draw closer to Holy Week, my hope is that the example of Mary’s faith will inspire us to surrender fully to God. My hope is that we can trust, as she did, that His plans are always for our good. And may we prepare our hearts not only to journey with Christ to the cross, but to rise with Him in the glory of the resurrection. I am blessed to have this special Feast Day fall on my birthday. It is a wonderful gift, not just for me, but for all of us.

Heaven Father, as I journey through the remainder of Lent, help me to embrace Mary’s words as my own. Give me the courage to say, “Let it be to me according to your word.” Amen.

AMDG 

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Brian Pusateri

Brian is a Christian author and speaker. Brian, a lifelong Catholic, felt his life was forever changed when God spoke to his heart while attending an eight day silent Christian retreat in November of 2011. Soon after that retreat Brian founded 4th Day Letters and Broken Door Ministries. With the God inspired message of mercy and unconditional love that was placed on his heart during that retreat, Brian has been impacting others all over the country and around the world with his weekly letters, his talks, and his all day Christian retreats. In June of 2014, Brian’s life was again impacted in a very dramatic way when his eyesight suddenly became permanently impaired. The initial diagnosis was Multiple Scleroses (MS) but in December of 2019 the diagnosis was corrected to MOG antibody disease, a rare neurological disease. This health challenge has only served to draw Brian closer to God and bolster the importance of this timely yet ageless message.

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