t times of crisis in our lives we may feel that matters have been taken out of our control, yet a time of crisis can be an opportunity to set a new direction in our lives.

Mary heard the call of God and accepted her responsibility. She responded immediately, freely and generously - her "yes" was total. Her response, although a quiet one, accepted unconditionally the events which she clearly did not grasp fully. Although Mary's call at the Annunciation seems to have been a sudden one, responsible decisions that we make oftentimes take time.

The energy for living comes from a sense of purpose and from a knowledge that something lies ahead. The future. is not something to be dreaded, but to be looked forward to. We actually make our own future. To hope in the future means to believe in and to have the ability to choose. Human freedom becomes for us a reality and a gift.

The style and tone of the exchange between Mary and God show another side of the story. God invites her, calls on her freedom. There is no imposition, no blind fate involved. Mary senses a call that recognises her freedom, and she responds out of her freedom. If we dwell on Mary's experience of freedom we can come to understand this decisive moment in her journey of faith, as well as the way that God moves in our own lives.