The WORD
today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/032517.cfm)
reminds me how powerful saying Yes! to God is.
Just
a few months ago, we celebrated Christmas. Today, 9 months before December 25,
we commemorate Jesus' Annunciation - when the Angel announced that Mary would
bear a child, and when Mary said yes. As
we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, we see that the
readings focus on the joyful feast. The first reading gives prophecy on what
will happen – that a virgin will bear a Son from God. The gospel fulfills that
prophecy as Mama Mary said yes to being the earthly mother of God’s Son. Then
in the second reading, we see that animal sacrifices cannot take away our sins,
so God had to send his Son as a living sacrifice to save us. And we see how Jesus
lived and quoted the psalm – “here I am Lord, I come to
do your will”
Mama Mary’s simple yet powerful yes to God started great things.
Mary
was visited by the angel in today’s gospel. She was told she would be the
mother of God. How frightening it must have been for a young girl to be told
this. She was also told that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and God’s power
will overshadow her and make her pregnant. There were a lot of concerns,
especially as she did not understand everything that will happen and how things
will happen. However, she still said yes. She did not let her concerns or worries get in the way of
her saying yes to God, to serving God.
It is not easy serving God.
Almost always, we are taken out of our comfort zones. Our schedules and plans
will change. That’s why it is not always an immediate yes when God calls us. We
have a lot of reasons. Sometimes of excuses. However, we see that Mama Mary’s yes caused great things, and it enabled her
to play a great part in God’s plan.
Walang
magagawa ang Diyos kung tatanggihan mo Siya... at walang mawawala sa kanya.
Sa'yo, meron.
God
calls us to do different things. Different and oftentimes, hard. These things
may not be within our schedules and plans, but we should be inspired by
Mama Mary’s faith filled Yes to God! We do not know everything. We may not
understand God's wisdom. We may not even know his wil or his plans. But we just
have to trust him.
In what ways am I being called
by God to serve him? How do I respond? Am I ready to give my yes to God? What
hinders me from giving my yes to Him? Do I have faith that as I give my yes,
God will use me mightily for his purpose, and equip me with the things that I
need to serve him? Do I believe that as I die of myself and embrace his will, nothing
is really impossible?
May we be encouraged and
inspired to always say yes to God. May we echo the words: “May it be done
to me according to your word” and Jesus’ “Here I am Lord, I come to do your
will”
Father God,
Thank you for
today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another weekend. Thank
you for your reminder. Thank you for your love. Thank you for seeing the
greatness in me, that no matter how simple and normal I am, like Mama Mary, you
give me opportunities to serve you and become part of your great plans. Sorry
for the many times I do not cooperate with you. Sorry for saying no. Sorry for
letting my fears, questions and concerns get the best of me. Lord, give me a
heart like Mama Mary. Help me to always surrender to you and abandon my
concerns and worries and just say yes to you. I have faith that as I respond to
your call, you will equip me to do your work. I have faith that as I say yes,
you would use me mightily. Amen.
Blessed
weekend!
In Christ,
-g-
March 25, 2017
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Lectionary: 545
Reading 1 Is 7:10-14; 8:10
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us!"
Responsorial Psalm Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Reading 2 Heb 10:4-10
It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins.
For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.'"
First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in."
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will."
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this "will," we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Verse Before the Gospel Jn 1:14b
and we saw his glory.
Gospel Lk 1:26-38
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.
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