After the Virgin Mary learned she would give birth to Christ, she quickly set off to visit her cousin Elizabeth. In this moment, Mary provides a clear example of accepting God’s will and promptly sharing his good news, said Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. “Mary bore Jesus in her womb, and her first thought was to share his presence with another,” he said. “To bring Jesus to others is the lifetime vocation for all of us.”
Archbishop Broglio served as homilist and gave the spiritual reflection during the Diocesan Marian Symposium at St. Bernadette Church in Springfield April 29. In his talk, “Mary Went in Haste,” he spoke about Mary’s willingness to give her life over to the will of God and to bring Christ to others. The event was part of the preparatory Marian-themed Year Two of the Diocesan Golden Jubilee. Last year during the Eucharist-themed Year One, Philadelphia Archbishop Emeritus Charles J. Chaput spoke at the Diocesan Eucharistic Symposium in Arlington.
The Marian symposium opened with Mass, followed by a spiritual reflection, Q&A session and a rosary. Throughout his talk, Archbishop Broglio, who currently serves as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, included many references to Marian-named parishes around the diocese that he has visited over the years as a frequent Confirmation celebrant.
At the Annunciation, Mary declared herself the handmaid of the Lord, willing to do whatever God asked. This openness and welcomeness were not easy in human terms, said Archbishop Broglio. “Mary certainly had other plans and another vision of her future. Elizabeth could not have expected to give birth to a child,” he said. “Nevertheless, both were ready to set aside their preconceptions and plans and their desires to fill themselves with the divine will.”
Being willing and able to accept God’s will is difficult, especially in today’s society, he said. “Our human condition is easily distracted. The lure of pleasure, the attraction of power and the desire to possess are hard to overcome, and society does not help us. The world tells us to take care of ourselves and insists that we deserve things. Social communications are filled with images to attract us,” said Archbishop Broglio. “The Blessed Virgin Mary is a great teacher of how to set aside my will and embrace his. However, it is a lesson we must always learn, and perhaps relearn.”
One attendee asked if there was tension between making haste and patiently waiting for God’s call. “When we wait for the Lord to call us, we wait for his inspiration, but we try to act in haste on that call,” answered Archbishop Broglio. “While we pray for inspiration and we try to confirm the will to the Lord, at a certain point we have to decide, because not deciding is deciding. I think if we recognize the Lord’s will, then we have to be swift in trying to accomplish it.”
It’s not the haste but what we do in haste that is important, said Archbishop Broglio. “We are always in a hurry. The pace is fast and the demands are many,” he said. “However, we can all ask ourselves, are we in haste to bring Christ to others, as Mary did for her cousin? Are we eager to announce the victory of Christ? No one has been able to experience as clearly as Mary that God does not abandon humanity. Mary illustrated an absolute dependence on almighty God and his plan for us.”
This jubilee year is a fitting time to reflect on Mary’s example, Archbishop Broglio said in closing. “Her consistent mission is to bear Christ at all times,” he said. “Do not miss the message of this Marian year. Rejoice and magnify the ways in which Our Lady brings us to Christ or brings Christ to us.”
