Today, on this day after the first Sunday of Easter, we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation.  The feast was moved from March 25 (Good Friday this year) to today.  I thought about writing something about celebrating the Incarnation in the midst of the season of Resurrection but my heart gravitated more toward Mary and her “yes” to being the Mother of God.  A lot is written about Mary’s yes but what struck my heart today was the contemplation that I bet Mary said yes from her heart.  She didn’t say yes because someone told her to or because society implied she should.  There were no parents telling her what she was supposed to do.  Mary said yes from that knowing place within her.

I suppose this could have been my reflection today because I have been talking and thinking a lot lately about how much I live and do things out of my head because I hear a voice using words like “should” and “supposed to”.  I respond to these voices because I am afraid of what others will think or afraid of making a wrong decision or afraid of pain.  I am recognizing that when I respond from this place, I am responding out of fear, not love.  Mary responded out of love.  She responded from her heart.

Responding out of love can be challenging.  It takes courage. It can be counter-cultural.  It can be the political minority.  It can be lonely.  One might find themselves the lone voice of love in the crowd.  Responding from the heart can be hard.  But, can it be any harder than what Mary said yes to?

Today as we contemplate Mary’s yes, I invite a pause to notice when we respond from the heart and when do we respond from the head.  When do we respond out of love and when do we respond out of fear?  I hear an invitation for us to pray for courage to always respond from the heart.  Mary can show us the way.