Fr. Frank Majka, SJ – The Bridge

Fiats

This is not a reflection about Italian cars. It’s about the word “fiat,” one of the most important in the Latin translation of the Bible, full of the power to create wonderful and amazing things. It’s almost a magic word, but it isn’t magic; it’s grace. It was first spoken when, the Scriptures tell us in the book of Genesis, God said, “Fiat lux!/Let there be light,” and there was light; and all the other stages of creation followed.

Untold ages later, a young girl in Judea said to an angel, “Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum!/Let it be done to me according to your word!” Because of Mary’s acceptance God’s invitation to her — her “fiat” — the Son of God became human and God, who lives in unapproachable light, became a person we could see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and touch with our hands.

We say our own “fiats,” too. When couples vow to be husband and wife, in saying “I do” they’re really saying, “Fiat/Let there be” a new relationship between us and new life through us. And each time we say in the Lord’s prayer “Your will be done/Fiat voluntas tua” we pray that God establish his Kingdom here on earth.

As we begin this last week of Advent, we might think of the “fiat”s we have said and what, with God’s grace, has happened because of them.