Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard You calling in the night. I will go, Lord. If you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.
This year’s Annunciation Day was quite special. The readings, the responsorial psalm and the liturgy seemed to tell me how I should respond to God’s intimate call. And the theme of this year’s Annunciation retreat was also about Our Lady – Mary’s “yes” to God and our mother foundress in her turn said ‘Fiat’. Since she received the name Mary of the Passion, on the day of her first vows, she has linked her life to Jesus’ Pascal mystery: “Behold I come”.
Today, the Lord also gave me an opportunity to say that word in a very concrete way. An unexpected gift came to me, but I believed that it was also God’s will when I answered “Here am I”. So, God invited a sister to prepare the liturgy that day and asked me to do the reading. It was an occasion to say “yes”. Today, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to bring good news, but what was He sent by God to announce? After learning to read, a senior sister asked me to try reading aloud. It was fun to say, “Please feel free to correct me if I go wrong”. So, I enjoyed practicing. Before reading to the public, I indeed felt a tremor inside and I had another opportunity to say to God: here I am, use me. Please use my lips to do Your will, Lord. And indeed, when I read it, it felt like I was disappearing, and I didn’t know what to do with my voice, but only felt that it was God who was proclaiming through my mouth. “Here I am, Lord, I have come to do Your Will”. When the sisters thanked me, I felt so happy to tell them that I thanked God for letting me say “Here I am” today. I thanked them for inviting me. And indeed, I am more and more convinced that my life, my journey of living the charism is a journey together, a journey with my sisters.
Looking back, I see that my “yes” did not come from my health or skill, but it was a gift from God. Because of the longing for his people, for me to return and enjoy the fountain of Love, Jesus voluntarily said yes to the Father. In order that Jesus may be the giver of Love, the angel came to speak to Mary. In order that God’s plan may continue, Mary de la Passion spoke the word FIAT all the time. And how many times do I say yes? I heard Mary de la Passion invite me to swim in the river filled with the Holy Trinity because it all comes from Love.
Footsteps walking with me
Footsteps I cannot see
But every move I make
And every step I take
I know they’re there with me
They walk with me all the way
Beside me day by day
Through good and bad
Through happy and sad
Those footsteps won’t go away
Mai Thi, fmm
