At Mass today we heard the beautiful story of the Annunciation. And, we - with many young people throughout the month of December - have meditated on the power and beauty of that moment. Virtues the young people found in Mary included peace, awe, and humility. But, perhaps the one that was most often cited, and most often sought, is the virtue of courage.
Just as gentility makes a man more a man, courage makes a woman more a woman. This is not a virtue of physical strength and mental audacity. It is a virtue that is not afraid to submit to the Power of God. The courage of Our Lady flies in the face of modern renditions of this virtue, as it stares impossiblity in the face and finds the possible in the God.
It is human to fear; it is grace to go forward anyway. It is a great grace to stare at your own insecurities, feel the weight of your own weaknesses, sense the dread of a grueling work ahead of you, and to nonetheless open yourself to the Power of the Spirit - overshadowing you in the sacraments of the Church - and to utter with Mary: Be it done unto me, according to your Word!
This is courage. This is the gift of Christmas... our weakness, insecurity, and anxiety overpowered by our Great and Glorious God. Our bodies still ache, our hearts still throb, and our minds still wander, but the Power of God is upon us and the Christ is in our midst.
Be not afraid. Go to do His Will.
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