“Nothing will be impossible for God.”
(Lk 1:37)

When Mary asked the angel at the annunciation, “How can this be?” the answer she heard was, “Nothing will be impossible for God.” To confirm it, she was given the example of Elizabeth who in her old age had conceived a son. Mary believed and became the Mother of the Lord.

God is all powerful and is frequently called by this name in the Scriptures, especially when expressing the power he has of blessing, judging, directing the course of events and achieving his plans.

There is only one limit to the omnipotence of God: the freedom he gave human beings who can either oppose his will and thus become powerless or choose what they are called to: share God’s own power.

“Nothing will be impossible for God.”

These words open us up to unlimited confidence in the love of God the Father, because if God exists and his being is love, what logically follows is that we can have complete trust in him.

In his power are all graces: temporal and spiritual, possible and impossible. And he gives them to those who ask and also to those who do not ask because, as the Gospel says, the Father “makes his sun rise on the bad and the good” (Mt 5:45).

What he does ask of all of us is to act the way he does, to have the same universal love, supported by the faith that:

“Nothing will be impossible for God.”

How should we put these words into practice? At one time or another we all face difficult, painful situations, in both our personal lives and our relationships with others. We sometimes feel helpless, because we realize we have attachments to things and to people that enslave us, from whose chains we would like to be freed. Often, too, we find ourselves up against walls of indifference and selfishness, and we feel discouraged in the face of events that seem to be more than we can handle.

In these moments, the Word of Life can pick us up. Jesus lets us experience our own limitations, not to discourage us, but to help us understand more deeply that “Nothing will be impossible for God” and prepare us to experience the extraordinary power of his grace, which is manifested precisely when we see that we cannot manage on our own.

“Nothing will be impossible for God.”

If we remind ourselves of this word of God in the most critical moments, we will experience its energy, for it leads us to participate, in a certain way, in the very omnipotence of God. There is, however, one condition: we must align ourselves with God’s will and try to show others the love that has been put into our hearts. By doing so, we will be in unison with God’s all-powerful love for everyone. This will contribute to fulfilling his plans for every person and all humanity.

There is a special time that enables us to live this Word of Life and experience all its effectiveness. It is during prayer.

Jesus said that he will grant us whatever we ask the Father in his name. Let’s try then to ask him for what is most important to us now, firmly believing that for him nothing is impossible: solutions to desperate cases, peace in the world, cures to grave illnesses, peace and unity in our families and in social conflicts.

Moreover, if we ask while united with others, in the full accord of mutual love, then it is Jesus himself in our midst who prays to the Father, and we will obtain what we ask for according to his promise.

One day, with this faith in the omnipotence of God and in his love, we prayed for a friend who had an x-ray that revealed a tumor. We asked that the tumor would not be there when the x-ray was taken again. And that’s exactly what happened.

A boundless trust that makes us feel we are in the arms of a Father for whom everything is possible should be our constant virtue. This doesn’t mean that we will always obtain what we ask for. God’s omnipotence is that of a Father, and he always uses it only for the good of his children, whether they realize it or not. What is important is that we remain aware that nothing is impossible for God. Then we will experience a peace we have never known before.

- Chiara Lubich

Read more on this topic:

– “God is powerful” and “Partnership” in Essential Writings, New City Press, pp. 60, 70

– Fr. Pasquale Foresi, “Prayer,” in New Humanity Review n.6

– God Loves You Immensely, New City Press (book and audio CD)

Next month:

“The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.” (Acts 4:32)

The Word of Life, a sentence of Scripture, is offered each month as a guide and inspiration for daily life. Its translation into 90 different languages and dialects reaches several million people worldwide, through print, radio, TV and the internet. From the Focolare Movement’s beginnings, Chiara Lubich wrote her commentaries on the Word of Life, and after her death on March 14, 2008, her early writings are now being featured once again. This commentary was originally published in December 1999. If you would like to read experiences of life related to this or to past “Words of Life,” they can be found in Living City, the Focolare monthly magazine (livingcitymagazine.com) or in books published by New City Press (newcitypress.com).
For information, to subscribe or to order the special issue of Living City dedicated to Chiara Lubich, write to: Living City, 202 Comforter Blvd, Hyde Park, NY 12538 - 845-229-0496; e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Visit focolare.org (intl). focolare.us (U.S.)

© 2010 by the Focolare Movement (New York).