Luke 1:26-38

Announcement of the Birth of Jesus

Luke shares with us a story that “Mary is greatly troubled at what was said” (Lk 1:39).  I think that this worry comes from the questions that must be going through her mind for up to this point she has had “no relations with a man” (Lk. 1:34).  Even with this worry Mary is able to shake off the worries that surely were coming to her in this instance and doing so with the understanding that God surely had a plan for her, and for this situation.   Mary is able to take God at His word, and with that trust the Word made flesh is dwelling within Mary—and is soon to be the Savior of the world.

As Catholics we refer to Mary’s answer to God as her “yes” or “fiat,” which is derived from the verb in Latin—from the phrase “Fiat mihi secundum verbuum tuum” (Lk 1:38).  The translation that is most common, and a good understanding of fiat in English is “Let it be.” Being that the ancient language of the Church is Hebrew, you might consider the Hebrew equivalent of fiat to be Amen.

Armed with this knowledge it is easy to understand that when we find ourselves in the line for communion, and before we receive the Body and Blood of Christ, we find ourselves in that same mysterious invitation that Mary received in Nazareth.   She gave her fiat and the Word is made flesh and she bears in her body the Body of her Savior.  We accept the reception of the Eucharist with an Amen before we are to individually bear in our body the Body of our Savior.  This is why we are always greeted by the Priest with the words from the angel—“The Lord be with you” (cf. Lk. 1:28)—because it is at this sacrifice that we are also offered the opportunity to choose to carry Christ in our bodies, if we all could only understand this concept fully and would allow it to become our fiat.

God has a plan for each one of us.  If we are able to trust in Him and accept the role and plan He has for us we thus take Him at His word ad we give Him our word—of fiat our Amen, our Let it Be—then we shall dwell in him, and He shall dwell in us.

©Dr. Lawrence V. McCrobie, Ed.D.-KHS.  www.LawrenceMcCrobie.com

Author: Lawrence McCrobie

Lawrence McCrobie is a member of the Equesrtrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. He also serves as a Catholic Liturgist and Educator in the Midwest. Founder the Catholic Evanglization Ministry of "One Step Closer Catholic" in April of 2018. www.LawrenceMcCrobie.com www.OneStepCloserCatholic.org View all posts by Lawrence McCrobie