Yes, I Will Answer the Call - More Seeds of Hope for Lent

From the Gospel of Luke chapter 1, verse 38 Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” There was a young woman who was called into the boss’ office. She was startled by this and a bit intimidated. She recalled that since she was hired at her job a year ago, the only time she was in the boss’ office was for her six-month review. That had worked out well, but there was no review planned for today. As she went toward the office, she felt the eyes of her co-workers upon her. Her hand shook just a bit as she knocked on the door. Her boss opened the door, and there they were, the two of them face to face with each other. She felt like melting into the floor as his gaze looked deep into her eyes. “Relax,” he said. “I have good news for you. Have a seat.” She tried to relax, but her breathing was off. She sat down and looked across the desk. Her boss smiled, and said, “I’ve been watching you—the way you interact with your coworkers, the example you set by always showing up on time, the way you file your summary reports, and the quality of your writing.” “Thank you,” she said. “We are starting a new department, and I want you to manage it. You will be at the helm. You are my top choice for this position.” She was stunned. She never expected this. “But, how could that be? I’m too young. You have 50 people that work for you. I’m one of your newest employees. How could you want me to be a manager? I’ve never managed anything in my life.” “When you have been at this as long as I have, you get a sense for people. I’ll work with you, and some of the other senior staff as well. You’re the person we want. What do you say? Will you accept?” On this feast day of the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, we can remind ourselves that we all face this question that the young woman in our story is facing. Do we say yes to the opportunity at hand? We are talking about the chance to bring something good into the world. The right manager of a business can do a world of good. Any one who has had a good manager in their life knows this to be true. But this isn’t just about being a manager. This is about answering the call of what God is asking of us. Of course, it’s highly unlikely God is going to appear to you and ask you the question. The angel Gabriel came to Mary. In our story today, the boss came to our talented young woman. How about for you? Who has come and given you a request? or showed up and you saw an opportunity to help? Many times, when a request comes, an opportunity arises, or a yearning in our heart surfaces, we think we are not qualified, that we are not the right people for the job. We come up with logical reasons why this won’t work. Maybe that is why the story of the Savior of the World starts this way. It reminds us that with God all things are possible, but we have to say “yes.” What a beautiful reminder tucked in the midst of our Lenten experience—to answer the call of the Lord with a heart-felt yes. Answering the call for you might mean that you bend over and pick up some trash off the sidewalk, or that you smile tenderly at a stranger that looks troubled, or spend a day with your kids, or take an extra 15 minutes in prayer, or perhaps…accept a new position as the youngest manager in your company’s history, or maybe the oldest. In all these cases, during this Lent, may we mirror the words of Mother Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Now let’s take 30 seconds to water the seed… What “Yes” am I willing to give today?