Left with faith

"Then the angel departed from her."
Luke 1:38

 

This reading took on a whole new look when I read "Jesus: A Pilgrimage" by Fr. James Martin, SJ. I realized that what happened at the Annunciation happens to all of us as we journey with God. To paraphrase:

--God calls us

--We respond in fear

--God comforts us and tells us what we need to do

--We doubt

--God reminds us of past experiences and helps us trust

--We say "OK"

--The encounter ends...The angel departs

We all, eventually, must come down the mountain, drive away from the hermitage, go back to work after Cursillo.  For all of us, we are left with our faith to do what we need to do.  That doesn't mean God leaves us alone. But it just means the spiritual experience or encounter ends, and we need to roll up our sleeves and begin whatever God has asked us to do. Our encounters with God always lead us to help others; they are not for us alone.  Remember that Jesus frequently tells those he heals, "Your faith has healed you." Our faith has the power to move mountains and sometimes, we may not realize that until we are left with it. The angel departs. The show is over. Time for your faith to heal. Love, heidi