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By Br F Regis Hickey
Our lives are shaped by our interaction with other people. Today I would like to begin a short series about interactions I have had
with holy people. I would like to talk about the saints who have influenced my life. I am sure that you can do the same, though the people who have influenced you may be different from those who had an effect on me.
I will begin with a woman, Mary of Nazareth. Put aside many of the things that have overloaded her memory and her personality and try to get to the real person, for the reality of the person is where that
person’s influence is.
Mary’s life hinged on her meeting with the Angel Gabriel. In God’s name, he asked her to become the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. Various paintings have depicted the angel in human
form, with Mary prayerfully attentive. I prefer the modern painting of the Annunciation in the Vatican Art Gallery which shows Mary seated and the angel as a blinding light, a symbol of spiritual presence. We do not
have to be on our knees when God comes to us. Whatever we are doing, God’s coming rivets our attention. So it was with Mary. “Be it done unto me according to thy word” sums up her total commitment to what God asked
of her.
Mary’s commitment so early in her life set the tone for all the years that followed. I marvel at the trust she showed and her belief that in following God’s will, all would be well. It was a gigantic
step to take into the unknown. This surrender of herself to God’s action has always seemed to me to be not only heroic and unselfish but also wise. Mary’s wholehearted acceptance of her vocation began a life of
total dedication to God. It is Mary’s singleheartedness which so impressed me.
I know I owe many things to Mary, not just my belief in commitment. Many times in my life I have experienced Mary’s motherly
care, helping me over the rough passages. In particular I am grateful for her help in the inevitable struggles that are part of trying to live a life of faith. When the way of faith turns into a rocky road, as it
sometimes can, then a simple prayer to Mary, or a quiet reflection on some of the mysteries of the Rosary has an effect which all the thinking and arguing in the world will never achieve. I am grateful for Mary’s
continued presence in my life.
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