The WORD today (see http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/032519.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 more importantly, when Mary said yes and started Jesus’
earthly life. 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 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 is not always an immediate yes
when God calls us. However, we see that Mama Mary’s yes caused great
things, and it enabled her to play a great part in God’s plan.
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!
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 always be ready and willing to say yes to God and 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 week. 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 not always saying yes to you. Sorry for
letting my fears and concerns get the best of me. Sorry for not focusing on
you. 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. May you use me to
glorify you. Amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
March 25 2019
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Lectionary: 545
Lectionary: 545
Reading
1 IS 7:10-14; 8:10
The
LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
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!"
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
R.
(8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come
to do your will.
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.
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
Brothers
and sisters:
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.
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
1:14AB
The
Word of God became flesh and made his dwelling among us;
and we saw his glory.
and we saw his glory.
Gospel LK
1:26-38
The
angel Gabriel was sent from God
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.
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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