In the quiet rhythm of the Rosary, I have found myself lingering not on the mysteries, but on the very words of the angelic prayer that begins each decade:
“Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.” Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
I believe words have immense power, a conviction echoed in the psalmist’s cry,
“Your word is a lamp for my path” (Psalm 119:105).
It is this lamp I have been following, and it has led me to a deeper, more meaningful life.
As I recite these words slowly, my gaze rests on an icon of “Mary of the Missions.” The artistic imagination that created her, with a cosmic background that draws me closer to God and Mother Earth expands my thoughts beyond the image itself. Silently, I recall the Annunciation (Luke 1:28). I imagine Mary, a young woman, feeling a wave of unease at the angel’s greeting, “Hail, full of grace!”—words she would ponder in her heart for a lifetime.
Her experience resonates with my own. When someone greets me with a message—be it one of joy, sorrow, or a request for help—I too pause and wonder how to respond. Aware of my own limitations, I often say “Yes.” In other moments, I ask for more time. In every case, this mindful response brings a sense of happiness, peace, and connection. I have been treated generously, and so I have learned to live generously.
“Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8).
This interconnection is the very fabric of my faith.
Gazing at Mary, I ponder Gabriel’s words again:
“Hail, full of grace!”
What was it in her that drew such a heavenly greeting? I am drawn to her quiet, steady life—a young woman of prayer, faithful in her daily chores, a soul in whom God had already found favor. Then comes the next line, a promise for all time:
“The Lord is with you!”
These words do not just point to Mary; they hearten me. They are a greeting for each new dawn, an invitation to give thanks and to participate in God’s mission with joy and mindfulness.
This truth is revealed to me in the language of creation. On my daily walks, I watch the Banda trees shed their leaves, only to have tender new shoots emerge in their place. One evening, I stood in wonder before a mango tree in full bloom. Its yellow flowers, bathed in the light of the sunset, were a vision of relaxed beauty. I gazed, admiring her receptivity, how she was sustained by the sun, the soil, and the air. And then I saw them: tiny fruits beginning to emerge.
In her “yes,” Mary gave humanity the ultimate fruit, Jesus, “the blessed fruit of thy womb.” In that moment of surrender, a profound mystery was revealed: God (the Trinity) was within her, and she was in God. This is the destiny for us all. We are each called to this unity with God, to live a life immersed in the Trinity, just as Mary did.
At the dawn of each new day, like Mary in history, each of us is being greeted by God. We are invited to say our own “yes,” to be receptive, to allow the divine life to flow through us. And the fruits we bear, in spite of our limitations, will be blessed.
For this is the promise that holds all generations:
“For the Lord is good; his love endures forever, and his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:5).
I am Noreen Mya Sie. I made my first profession as a Sister of Our Lady of the Missions in 1966. In our province here in Myanmar, I have been involved in teaching, leadership, formation, and at the Catholic Religious Conference of Myanmar (CRCM). I love it that I have been called to the world community of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions, and with so many others am committed to bringing about the reign of God in today’s multi-cultural and globalised world.
At present, I am our Province Archivist, and every day I am enriched by learning more about our pioneer sisters, their different ministries and the hardships they endured. Their experiences encourage me to more forward freely and courageously. It is great that I can make this journey with so many others in this age of technological advances.
