To do your will is my delight! This is what we hear in the psalm for the Solemnity of the Annunciation. These are words that we all should be able to say. This is what Mary thought and also what Jesus thought. This is what all the holy ones of God have thought.
What about us? Is delight what comes to our minds when we think about the will of God? Perhaps we need to think a little bit more about what delight is and what the will of God is.
What is delight and why is it an entrance to Heaven? Delight is a simple and pure yet powerful joy that wells up from our depths when we rejoice in the presence of someone (or something) simply due to their existence. It is when, even for a brief moment, the true self within us has made contact with the true self of another and the reaction is one of delight. And each person wants to be a delight to others. It is a need of the heart. We want to know that other people are happy that we exist. This delight is like water to a thirsty soul.
There is only one Being who is Existence Itself. He, our generous God, has shared this existence with all of his creatures, each in a unique and special way. And every time we touch this existence, we rejoice. We are glad that this or that person exists. We are happy when we really see anything of what he has made and this, of course, includes ourselves. Above all, we are happy that he exists! When you taste this delight, you have communion and you are in Heaven because you are living the life of God.
Now let’s look at what the will of God is. God isn’t like us. We are often a bundle of contradictions. Saint Paul says that we desire to do good and yet we don’t do it. But God not only is existence he is also integrity. He has no parts and no contradictions. Therefore, since he is Love, his will is also Love. His will is always to bring about more love. When we think about this, we will be like Mary and Jesus and all the holy ones of God. For how can we not delight in Love, in God?
Photo: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.” by Lawrence OP/CC BY-NC 2.0