Beyond 'Let It Be'

Caitrin Bennett ponders the important difference between The Beatles’ "let it be” and Our Lady’s “let it be done unto me according to your word.” 

The modern phrase “it is what it is” has always bugged me. It’s a nothingburger of a statement, for sure — save your breath, in my opinion. But something deeper than that was bothering me, and I have recently figured out what that is. I got clarity while meditating on the First Joyful Mystery of the Rosary and Mary’s fiat. 

According to Thy Word 

“Let it be,” the Beatles famously sang, citing "Mother Mary" as the source of inspiration. The band was not exactly composed of Mariologists, though, so let’s look a little harder. Mary did, indeed, say “let it be,” but that isn’t the end of the quote. Her whole fiat is, “Let it be done unto me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). This is profoundly different.  

“Let it be” is just like “it is what it is.” It expresses a resigned acceptance of whatever may pass. It encourages you to passively sit back and just allow things to happen around you because you are powerless to change them anyway. “Let it be done unto me according to your word,” on the other hand, expresses active consent. It is submission to and trust in the will of God, Who is all-powerful where we are weak.  

Giving My Own Fiat 

Back in January, I felt a strong call to have a fourth baby. I was excited, but I was scared, too. I spend the first half of my pregnancies sick as a dog, and I couldn’t imagine homeschooling my three older kids through those months of endless nausea. Besides, my husband hated his job and wasn’t sure we were financially ready for another child. I prayed with all of this and finally told God that I trusted Him to sort all of this out. And that’s when everything went bonkers! 

Suddenly, after months of searching, my husband got a new job. Then, he accepted even a third job the Friday before he was supposed to start the second one! Though we just moved to a new state this past summer, we started working with a realtor to see if we might move locally, or to even a third state in the near future. There were other personal family issues happening at the same time, too. For a few weeks, I was very confused. Why was God making everything so complicated and stressful, when I had finally decided to trust Him?   

The Long and Winding Road 

When the dust finally cleared after all of our crazy, we decided to stay in our house for a while and not go through another move just yet. My husband ended up with a job that he absolutely loves, with a much higher salary to help us feel financially secure. And I am now four months pregnant with the sweet baby God intended for our little family. The nausea was as bad as ever, if not worse. However, my husband, kids and I banded together during those difficult weeks, and I learned a lot about uniting my suffering with Jesus’. It wasn’t the straight, easy path I expected, but I’m glad I trusted that God had a plan for us. 

When you next feel like your life is spiraling out of your control, I encourage you to imitate Mary’s full fiat. Don’t just “let it be” and give up hope that anyone is in control. Instead, pray, “Lord, let it be done unto me according to your word.” Know that God is always in control. He has a plan for you, and all you have to do is listen for it … and then buckle up! 

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Copyright 2025 Caitrin Bennett
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