La Naval de Manila 2014 : Reflections

Mary said to the angel, "How can this be..." 
"For nothing will be impossible with God," the archangel Gabriel said.
Mother Mary replied, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

I have read and heard this part of the account of the Annunciation by Saint Luke countless times, and yet today when it was read during the Mass celebrating the feast of Our Lady of La Naval de Manila, my eyes swelled with tears. God, through Mother Mary, never stops reassuring me that He causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him. 

The La Naval Grand Procession earlier. 
Photo © http://www.mb.com.ph/

How can this be? Many times in my life, I would ask God this question. And it is often followed by "Why" and "How much longer, Lord?" 

Knowing God's will in our lives does not come easy; it had not been with me. I had to rethink my priorities. I had to leave my comfort zone and do my best not to look back with regret. I had to relearn a day at a time to be trusting and to be thankful. It is easier to say we trust God, but do we really? I say that all the time, too. To have deep faith and total trust in Him is all grace. I still falter every now and then, but I am thankful God has taken my hand and He walks with me every step of the way. In all honesty, it has taken almost my entire lifetime before I understood what God has called me to do. And I am grateful that God gave me an abundance of courage, strength and the grace of obedience to be able to give Him my yes.

The grand procession
Photo credits: Marc Henrich Go

But it had been very simple with the Blessed Virgin Mary. When she asked, "How can this be?", she was not even for an ounce doubting Saint Gabriel's astonishing news. She looked at her situation: a virgin betrothed to Saint Joseph who had to stay chaste until her marriage, but was told that she would conceive and give birth to the Son of God. When told of God's wonderful plans, her response was one of unwavering faith and total abandonment to the will of the Almighty Father. Reflecting on her words now, I realized she was merely revealing the plight of humankind: that without God, the impossible shall remain just that, impossible.  

Often I would feel constricted and can only do so much in this world where I live. Many times I'd feel so discouraged and unworthy, and the feeling worsens when the very people I expect would support me are the very ones who push me down. Oh my hope that is in Christ alone! Without God, I am definitely going to lose my sanity and won't stand a chance of surviving in this valley of tears.

But today Saint Gabriel reminded me, "For nothing will be impossible with God!" I prayed as I took in every single word, as if the archangel were actually telling them to me, and asked for the grace to believe him with the same faith as Mother Mary had. 

God constantly reassures me of His unconditional, unfathomable love. He has been merciful and his generosity is definitely unrivaled! He has shown me many miracles, both small and grand. My very life and existence is  a miracle! But the past few months felt like living in the dark nights of the soul. I see the Holy Spirit always at work in my life, but I struggled to keep the faith and to believe that God shall work exceedingly beyond my expectations. 

Photo credits: Mao Almadrones 

How can it be? It is so much easier to stop believing that what God has promised me shall ever come to pass. But I choose to surrender to the will of God and let His hands work in my life. He promised to surprise me with the very best anyway! Thank God for the gift of wisdom that made me see from His point of view!

For as long as I am living, my life shall have its challenges. I will still have to face the uncertainties of every tomorrow. But when push comes to shove, I am confident that I shall never be alone. Jesus gave me His Mother to be my Sweetest Mother, too ~ she who knows my every smile and sigh, all my wishes and dreams. She goes to her Son on my behalf even before I ask her, like she did at the Wedding at Cana.

I suddenly recalled a conversation I had with one of my English professors in university who told me that he prays I become what the Madonna and Her Child want me to be. And I also remembered a story I was told that at the very last moment, my father named me Madonna instead of another name he and my mother wanted for me.

In God's grand plans, there are no coincidences! As I knelt in prayer before the holy image of Our Lady of the Rosary, La Naval de Manila, I asked the Lord Jesus to grant me the grace to be deserving of the name of His mother. I prayed for the grace to be able to always tell God, "Ecce ancilla Domini; Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum." Behold the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me according to your word!