Whew, yesterday’s readings were quite the rollercoaster. Still, I hope you were able to find something insightful in them, especially when we started connecting the idea of producing good fruit with Mary’s acceptance of God’s Will.

The word fiat is Latin for “let it be.” When the angel approached Mary and asked her if she would be the Mother of God, Mary responded “Let it be done unto me according to thy word.” When we refer to Mary’s fiat, we are talking about this whole phrase, attitude and posture of Mary as she submits herself to God’s Will.

We all have the ability to make our own fiats, our own yes’s to God. Every morning we make a choice, consciously or not. We decide and continue deciding throughout the day to do God’s Will or our own. When we choose to think of others first, like offering to make our spouse their breakfast, we are doing God’s Will. When we choose patience over anger when we are stuck in traffic we are doing God’s Will. Is God’s Will for me today to continue holding a grudge against a coworker or friend? Would God want me to take 3 minutes of my afternoon to pray a sign of the cross and reflect on His goodness or spend that time on Facebook? Should I go to bed at a reasonable hour so that I get proper rest to rejuvenate and care for my body or should I stay up too late and suffer the consequences in the morning?

When you break your day down, the majority of these situations are pretty clear what the right choice would be. Practicing following God’s Will in our everyday ordinary helps to train our wills for those times when things aren’t so cut and dry. Is it God’s Will that I pursue a vocation of marriage or priesthood? Is it God’s Will for our family that we adopt? How do I know if this job is where God wants me to be? How do I discern my finances and budget? Am I where God wants me to be right now? How can I possibly bear the weight of this cross (i.e. illness, loss, pain, loneliness, etc.) God is asking me to carry?

Tackling these big questions is difficult, no question and many times there isn’t a clear cut answer. But, if we have built a habit of little fiats in our daily life we will find that these larger questions less imposing. How do you think Mary was able to stand at the foot of the cross? By standing on a life of yes’s to God. We are to follow in her footsteps. When we say yes in our everyday we will find the strength to say yes on the day we receive a new cross to bear or find ourselves facing a complicated decision.

Today, find 3 little moments that you can say “Yes” to God and His Will. Maybe you will refrain from gossipping or petty anger. Perhaps you will deny yourself a second slice of pie because caring for our bodies is part of caring for God’s creation. You might consider the kind of music you listen to and what sort of influence it has over your thoughts and subconscious. You may discover that you already are making these choices, which is great!

3 opportunities to choose God’s Will today. Where will He surprise you?

***What fruits of prayer have you found growing in your life since we started this journey together? Please feel free to share your experience, thoughts and offer support to one another in the comments, on Twitter with the #DailyGraces or on the Facebook page.