when "it" means "that"
"His mother said to Him: 'Son, why have You done this to us? You see that Your father and I have been searching for You in sorrow.' " —Luke 2:48
When Mary was a teenager, she said to the Lord: "Let it be done unto me" (Lk 1:38). At this, she became the mother of God and seemingly an adulteress expecting execution. Mary's "it" meant "that." Next, her "it" meant having her Baby in a stable (see Lk 2:7). Soon her "it" meant traveling with Joseph and the baby Jesus in the middle of the night to Egypt (see Mt 2:14). Twelve years later, Mary's "it" meant losing Jesus for three days at the Passover in Jerusalem (see Lk 2:44-46). This prefigured a Passover about twenty years later when Jesus would become the slain Passover Lamb. At the foot of the cross, Mary would witness her Son Jesus being slain. Mary's "it" also meant the first Christian Pentecost, her assumption into heaven, and her crowning as the queen of heaven and earth.
The purpose of each human being's life is to say with Mary: "I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done unto me according to God's word" (see Lk 1:38). Then when we find out the details of this total commitment, we must accept God's grace to be like Mary and to be faithful to our unconditional commitment to the Lord. Consecrate your life to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Then never turn back (see Lk 9:62).
Prayer: Father, may my commitment to You be total and permanent, as is Your commitment to me.
Promise: "All who heard [Jesus] were amazed at His intelligence and His answers." —Lk 2:47
Praise: Mary, Jesus' mother, was "filled with the Holy Spirit" and "began to express [herself] in foreign tongues" (Acts 1:14; 2:4).
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our tape Redemptive Suffering on audio AV 75-1 or video V-75.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 18, 2014
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