Does the Lord ever mess up your plans? He does mine, that’s for sure. He did for Mary, too.

There’s a tradition in the Church about our Blessed Mother concerning her plan. Her parents, St.s Anne and Joachim, prayed for many years to have a child. They were given Mary and from the beginning they knew there was something special about her. Because she was such a special gift to them, they did everything they could to protect her from harm. As a young child, she consecrated herself as a virgin for the glory of God. Tradition says that she lived at the temple then until she was betrothed to Joseph.

Then, an angel tells her she’s about to have a baby. Mary said yes, she gave her fiat, but she says “how can this be?” In modern language, “Okay I can do this … but what about this other path you already have me walking down? Aren’t I supposed to remain a virgin for your glory? I don’t know how I can have a baby and also do that…” So she says, “How can this be?” Not “NO” – but “Lord you say you’re going to do this thing, I get that you want to do it, but what’s the plan here? Where do I go next?” 

Today we celebrate what happened next, Mary goes to visit Elizabeth. Why does she “go to the hill country”? Well, scripture doesn’t say – but I imagine it’s because she has no idea what else to do. Mary wants to follow God’s will, she wants to do what He’s asked of her. She also knows that she’s consecrated herself a virgin for the Lord. Everyone else knows it too! She is also growing a baby in her womb, and it won’t be a secret for much longer. She needs wisdom, advice, and a place where she can align her soul with her new reality. Elizabeth is a trusted friend, advisor, and fellow believer who can help her readjust to her new future.

It’s like this for us too. We think we have one plan for our lives. A particular career, vocation, college, Friday night plan… Then, all of a sudden, God comes down and messes it all up! It seems like He’s changing course, going somewhere new, but all of this is part of His plan. He wants us to trust Him, even when He’s calling us to make a left when we thought our google map says straight.

When He does this, we need to retreat like Mary did as well. Take a step back, adjust to our new reality, and start down the path He’s place in front of us. He has a plan for me and for you, for each of us – and it’s a good one. It’s exactly what He’s been preparing us for with everything up until now. He wants us to glorify Him in it, no matter where it leads or what it requires.

How has God changed your plans for your life so far? How did you react?

How has God helped you grow because of His plan? How has His plan been better for you in the ling run?

How has the Virgin Mary helped you in your life? How can her example help you follow God and grow closer to Him?

"I trust in You."

"Your will be done."

"I will follow You."

Pray a rosary today. Meditate on the Joyful Mysteries as you pray and focus on how the Blessed Mother gave her entire life to God. Ask for the intercession of the Blessed Mother that you might follow God with the love and trust she exemplifies for us. 

Use the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again)

​“Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Jesus’ message in today’s Gospel is so simple, so clear, and yet can be so challenging for us to wrap our heads around in any kind of practical way. Jesus says if you want to be great, you have to become a servant. That is definitely not easy. I bet that for many of you, you love service. Maybe you are part of a club at school or you always make sure you sign up for any service projects at youth group. However, being a servant is not just about serving others in those moments or events. While yes, these are important and are certainly a good and noble undertaking, I would challenge you to look at service in a different way and not as an aid to your community, but service to your friends and family.

So often it is the people that we are closest to that we treat the worst, which is awful when we think about the fact that these are the people that we should be loving and serving the most. Maybe it is because we know too much about these people and it makes it hard to see past that, or maybe it is because they know us so well that that we feel so insecure and inadequate when it comes to servings them. Regardless of our own hang-ups, we need to be serving and loving those who are closest to us before we serve the strangers of our community. 

I will not pretend like this will be super easy for all of you. You may feel like there is no way you could ever serve or love a person after what they have done to you. That may be true, but serving is not always about doing. Serving can be forgiving someone, it can be listening to someone, and it could be as simple as taking a genuine interest in someone’s day. The sooner we can realize that service is about loving someone simply because they are worthy of love, and not for any selfish sense of accomplishment for doing a good thing. The greatness Jesus speaks about in today’s passage starts in the home, it starts with your family. If you cannot be great to those nearest to you, then how can you ever truly and sincerely be great to the strangers you encounter?

These questions are to be used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart as you pray today.

What current service initiatives are you involved in? Who are you directly serving through those initiatives?

Who are the people you are closest to? How can you better serve them today?

​How is service a reflection of Christ's love?

In this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord

​"Teach me how to serve."

​"Let me be your servant."

"Grant me a servant's heart."

In light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with the Lord bear fruit in you today

Make of list of the 5 people you are closest to, and choose at least 2 of them to serve in a tangible way today.

Be holy. Today, St. Peter is pretty clear with his words from the beginning of his first letter. Be holy as Christ is holy. It's a tall order, but it's what we are all called to.

If you're anything like me, at times the Christian life can become something of a confusing mess for you. I know that the Lord has called me to live according to his purpose and law, but between reading scripture, the lives of the saints, blog posts, Facebook posts, and talking to friends, it can be easy to get bogged down in all of the outward expressions of the Christian life. Today is a wonderful reminder that it doesn't have to be so complicated: be holy. 

The call of Jesus Christ is to be holy, just as he is holy. It's simple. The same Spirit that rested on Jesus in his life is the Spirit that rests in our own hearts; this Spirit enables us to be holy and to follow the Lord. Holiness isn't something that we have to try to manufacture on our own, it's something that the Lord works in us. I think that's an important point to emphasize: holiness isn't something that we can achieve apart from the Lord. St. Peter tells us to be holy, just as Jesus was holy, not to be holy on our own. 

If you sometimes get bogged down with all of the craziness: multiple rosaries, chaplets, novenas, books, blog posts, scripture reflections, and just filling your life with too many (albeit good) things that you end up losing focus on the simple Gospel of holiness, let St. Peter's words today refocus your heart and your mind. Be holy just as Jesus is holy, just as he has equipped you to be through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

What are the things that I fill my life with that help distract me from the simple call of Jesus to be holy?

​Do I overcomplicate holiness? How so?

How am I letting the Holy Spirit make me holy every day?

"Come, Holy Spirit."

"Help me be holy as you are holy."

"Let my love for you be simple." 

Make a list of all of the things you do in your spiritual life- look and see if you think it's too much or if it's distracting you from the simple call to holiness. Then, take time to pray for the Holy Spirit to simplify your spiritual life- be focused on letting him make you holy!

The Gospel invitations to poverty, chastity, and obedience are so remote from our present culture that we often forget that they are roads to an authentic, happy life. There are even other churches out there that teach the erroneous teaching that prosperity is the ultimate sign of God’s love. It misleads the people of God and leads them to believe that when one is suffering, one is not loved by God. 

Please look at the man who approached Jesus in today’s Gospel. He is one lucky man. Not only that he was a man with many possessions, a prosperous man, but he was also a man of virtue who followed all the commandments. Our own society now would probably consider him a great man, a man to envy, a man to look at and admire. Why not? He’s got everything that everyone wants in life. He was rich and nice. 

Even our Lord did not say he was bad; in fact, the Gospel even emphasized that Jesus looked at him and loved him. Sometimes we immediately presume that because the Lord challenged him, therefore he was a bad person. Jesus does not challenge us because he dislikes us, but because He wants us to draw deeper into the gifts that He has given us. The virtues and possessions of the man in the Gospel came from God himself; our talents and possessions and loved ones are gifts from God.

Now, the man has everything except for one thing. That one thing is the one necessary thing that Jesus often speaks of. That one thing is purity, the purity of one’s being that enables one to will to love God alone in everything and above everything. Detachment is often the word we use, detachment from any worldly creature as to attach our hearts to God alone. It’s not easy, and Jesus knows it’s not easy, and that’s the very reason that we need to be fully attached to Him. If we do it alone it is impossible; but if we do it with God, all things are possible. That’s the one thing: to be fully attached to God alone. 

Imagine yourself as the rich young man in this story. What is your interaction with Jesus like as you approach Him? What do you ask Him?

In what was do you need to grow in that one thing, that detachment from the world and attachment to Him?

​This week, how are you going to invite God deeper into your life?

"All I need is You."

"All I am is Yours."

​"Come, Holy spirit."

As you enjoy this Monday, take some extra time in prayer, especially for those of us off for Memorial Day. Make use of this holiday to grow deeper in your relationship with God as you thank Him for all that He has done and invite Him deeper into your heart and your life.