Mary's Yes at the Annunciation/Our Yes to God

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1: 26-38)
 

Mary at the Annunciation

 

In today’s Luke's Gospel, a divine messenger(Gabriel) brings Mary the awesome news of the forthcoming Incarnation ofthe Messiah, and we hear the Blessed Virgin Mary’s assent. Other than

“rejoicing” at the memory of this long-awaited Good News, where can mymeditation take me?

 

Mary’s response to God can lead us in many directions, but today let’s focus onjust two points. The context, of course, is Mary’s humble submission of her will to God’s will in all things, and the fact that the “birthing process” began at that verymoment of her “Yes.”

 

There is a Dominican mystic from the 14th century that is often quoted,because his words capture so well our own participation in this birthing process.Meister Eckhart asks the questions that we all ought to consider. First he asks:“What good is it to me for the Creator to give birth to his Son if I do not also give birth to him in my time and my culture?” Mary’s “Yes” that brought Christ to the world is not just a “memory event,” such as recalling that Babe Ruth or Tiger Woods set records to remember. Instead, it ought to lead us to ponder how to imitate her: how can I bring Christ to the daily world that I live and participate in? Do I reflect Christ in what I say and do? Am I a true disciple, like Mary the model disciple?

 

A second question that Meister Eckhart asks: “What good is it to me if this eternal birth of the divine Son . . . does not take place within myself?” When God comes to dwell within us at our Baptism, we are empowered to live the Christ-life, one oriented to loving God and Neighbor. Do I see that orientation in my own heart, or am I still oriented to selfishness? Do I humbly submit to all of the Spirit inspired teachings of the Magisterium of the Church, without exception, so that its wisdom can grow in my heart?

 

In summary, in a sense your personal meditation can parallel Mary’s journey: have I truly given an unqualified “Yes” to Jesus in my own life, and what is the best way for me to bring this Good News to my own little world? Mary and all the Saints have one thing in common: they “will His will alone.”

This is our life, our desire and our destiny: “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to Your word.” Mary is the perfect model of the “obedience of faith” that we disciples are all called to imitate. 

Your servant in Christ,                                                                 

Deacon Joseph Pasquella

Diocese of Buffalo

Eight Choices of the Blessed Mother Mary

We all have the freedom to choose, the freedom to choose good, to avoid evil, the freedom to love. Pope John Paul II was fond of saying that with freedom comes responsibility. Our choices affect other people’s lives, they can affect many lives. One choice can affect thousands. We need to understand the consequences of our decisions. The question becomes, does someone have the right to choose evil? What happens to a society were one can make a choice and act contrary to nature?

Let’s consider the choices made by THE woman, the choices made by the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is the first woman to speak with Jesus and she has the highest glory in heaven.

The first choice is when Mary chose to present herself to God in the temple at the age of three. She made a gift of herself to God. We may think that this is something a three-year-old could not do, but we don’t know what decisions a person who is full of grace could make. Mary was not only full of grace, but she also had the fullness of her intellect which went along with the fullness of grace. Scientists say that we use only a very small part of our intellect. We have no idea what choices we could make if we had the full use of our intellect. Therefore it makes perfect sense that Mary, who had the freedom of choice and the fullness of grace and intellect, could make such a choice to give herself freely to God. She desired to give herself to God alone. This expanded her heart so that she might become the temple of the Most High. She became the new temple of God who presented herself in the old temple to God. Am I making this choice myself? Do I truly belong to God? Have I truly pledged myself to Him? Do I remain open to the presence of God within?

Mary’s second choice is to enter into the virginal marriage with St. Joseph. Joseph and Mary’s home was a model for the human person. A marriage is to care for the body and soul of the partner, and both Mary and Joseph had respect and reverence for the holiness of the other. How attentive are we to other people’s dignity? Do I respond to the Sermon on the Mount?

Mary’s third choice came in her yes to God’s request that she be the mother of His Son. “Let it be done unto me,” she said. This freely made choice altered us all. The world would never be the same again. By Mary’s yes God was made man in the sacred Temple of Mary’s womb, set aside by God and reserved for His abode; Christ was conceived. This was Mary’s choice. She chose life for Jesus and life for all of us. Mary is called the seat of wisdom. This is not because of anything regarding her intellect, but because on her lap sat Jesus who is Wisdom. She was His seat, the seat of Wisdom. Do I make the choices that allow God to become alive through me? Have we made the choice to let God be present in our homes, in our families, in our friendships? Are we finding Christ through the persons we meet? Are we seeing Christ there?

Mary’s fourth choice was to be a Christ bearer. Each of us can choose to be a Christ bearer. Mary carried Christ to meet Elizabeth. She brought Elizabeth the Incarnate Word. She served her in charity, and the children in the womb of both Mary and Elizabeth greeted one another. John the Baptist must have learned humility from his mother Elizabeth. When Elizabeth greeted Mary, she said, “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Her son John the Baptist was to say to Jesus, “Why are you coming to me to be baptized? I should be baptized by you.” In the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, the Queen met the subject and served her. Do we choose to serve others? Do we freely and willingly bring Christ to the world? Do we care for the sick and the poor? Am I a Christ bearer? Do I have this disposition of Our Lady?

Mary’s fifth choice was the choice for poverty. Poverty was a radical choice. Mary left Nazareth to go to Bethlehem, with no idea of what that would mean. She and Joseph chose a stable, a feed box, and swaddling clothes for the Son of God. They made a choice to be refugees when they fled to Egypt. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.” Mary was poor in spirit. She chose to enter into the painful circumstances and accept them with a loving acceptance. She accepted the rejection of the people of Bethlehem. She responded with Christian charity to evil. She chose to enter the Passion of Jesus and suffer evil with him. Do we choose to embrace the circumstances that are beyond our control? So many circumstances are out of our control. We can accept them freely or we can be angry at them. We can will them to God and choose them as well.

Mary’s sixth choice was the gift of her Son to us all at Cana. She recognized that they had no wine. Jesus said to her, “How does this concern of yours affect me?” He was basically saying that His hour had not yet come, but Mary said, “Do whatever He tells you,” thus saying that His hour had come. These are the last words of Mary recorded in Scripture. The hour was in relation to His death. Mary said yes to her giving of Jesus to us. She said to the world that Jesus will be offered for us. Jesus said, “For this reason I have come into the world.” Mary knew that for this reason she gave Him to us. Are we giving Christ to others? Are we doing whatever He tells us?

Mary’s seventh choice was the choice of the cross. Jesus said from the cross to St. John, “Behold your mother,” and to Mary, “Behold your son.” John took the Beloved Mother into his home. Christ wanted her to become a mother to us all, to all humanity. This was a free choice which Mary accepted for the sake of all the world. The world now has a Mother capable of loving us all. Do I receive Mary as my Mother? Am I making a radical choice to be a Marion person given to our Lady?

Mary’s eighth choice was at Pentecost. There she with Christ chose to give us Mary’s spouse, the Holy Spirit. Luke mentions Our Lady’s presence in the upper room as the Church was being formed. Am I open to receiving the Holy Spirit? Am I eager in working for the Holy Spirit? Am I on fire with love for Jesus Christ? Have I opened my heart to His? Do I allow the Holy Spirit’s fire to blossom forth, to clarify and to come upon me?

Our choices have consequences to the world around us. They radically affect others’ lives. We can accept the presence of Christ in the world and choose the goodness of God. We have been given the gift of free will by God to do good, to love God with all of our heart and to choose to love one another. We can choose to do good and avoid evil so as to love and protect our world.

Transcribed as best as possible from a homily by Father David Engo, FBM

O Antiphon for December 22 -- Desire of Nations

O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust. (Antiphon for Evening Prayer of December 22)

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind'
Bid every strife and quarrel cease
And fill the world with heaven's peace. (Verse for December 22 from O Come, O Come, Emmanuel)

 And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. (Psalm 118:22)

The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ (Luke 1: 30-33)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. (John 14:27)

Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ (Mark 15: 16-18)

What does every nation desire? Peace. What does every human heart desire? Peace. Imagine a world where every human being was at peace with oneself; then every nation would be a peace with one another as well. The disordered stirrings of the human heart lead to disagreements, factions, and war. Peace in the heart can only lead to love, forgiveness, and justice. 

Christ is the Keystone of the arch of man; He holds humanity intact by giving it the model of who humanity should be. If the keystone (cornerstone) is removed, the entire structure weakens and will eventually collapse. No human being, no ideology, no nation can be the cornerstone (keystone) of humanity. No human being, no ideology, no nation can know and meet the needs of every individual. 

Only God can fulfill the Desire of every nation, only God be King of the universe.The King of all creation cannot be part of that creation; the King must be the One Who created it. In the King is the power of creation, the full knowledge of every aspect of creation, and the wisdom to know what is best for the future of creation. To find fulfillment, all creation must look to the Creator Who alone is the Keystone of it all.

Lord, God, Desire of every nation, Desire of my heart, let peace begin with me, in my heart and soul. I give to You every bitter feeling, every hurt, question, betrayal, violence I have suffered and ask You to redeem it all for me, to cleanse me of all that lingers to hold me back from fully loving, fully living. How can I fear to approach a Baby Who coos at me? Open me to You, Lord, and give me Your peace. Amen.