The WORD today 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? How do I share my blessings and serve God through others with the covit19 situation we are in?
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 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. Help me give and serve you through the people affected by the virus. 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. Help us get through all this. Amen.
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
March
25, 2020
Solemnity
of The Annunciation of the Lord
FIRST
READING
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
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 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 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.
SECOND
READING
Brothers
and sisters:
It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats takes 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 Christ 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 takes 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 Christ 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.
ALLELUIA
R.
Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us; and we saw his glory.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us; and we saw his glory.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL
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.
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