The Challenge and Peace of Commitment

The Annunciation by Henry Tanner

In his homily today on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Fr. Meinrad Miller pointed out that perhaps the most important line in the story about the Angel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary is the last one: “Then the angel departed from her.”

Often it is easy to say “yes” to a life-changing request when an angel is standing before you, or your beloved proposes marriage, or you receive a job offer, or you think you’ve found the perfect monastic community. Mary’s joy overflowed when she visited her cousin Elizabeth, and she praised God with a full heart. However, after the joyful “yes” came a life of hardship — judgment by neighbors, fear of being rejected by the man to whom she was betrothed, living for a time as a refugee, having her adolescent son go missing, worrying about his safety during his years of ministry, and suffering at the foot of his cross. Saying “yes” to a commitment, admirable as it is, does not guarantee that the road ahead will be smooth.

And yet. There is a peace that comes with identifying and living out our calling, our vocation, despite the hardships that inevitably accompany it. We all know people who never seem to find their calling (or resist it). Although their freedom from the demands of commitment may seem enviable at times, their restlessness is not something we would ever wish for.

Just as God prepared the way for Mary to be the mother of his Son, God prepares the way for us to recognize and respond to our call to serve others through our own unique aptitude and capabilities. When we listen, the spirit of discernment will be with us, and we will find the companionship we need to help us live out our commitments. May God’s grace be with us all!