ALL YESES ARE CONTAINED IN THE
ONE BIG “YES” TO GOD
Dear Friends,
United with each one of you in prayer and love. I have remembered you in my Mass today. The Mass Intention, was for the soul of Jackie Stanislaus, RIP.
The Solemnity of the Annunciation is not just a Marian feast in honour of our Blessed Mother Mary. It is also a Christological feast in honour of Christ.
This is because the “yes” of Mary is intrinsically linked with the “yes” of Christ. The redemption of the world requires both the “yes” of Mary and Jesus!
In today’s Gospel the angel Gabriel, announced to Mary the Good News of the coming of the Messiah. Mary will conceive a son, Emmanuel, through the Power of the Holy Spirit. It was something new to Mary. Yet, the angel assured her that nothing is impossible with God. In faith, Mary obeyed God’s will and said YES!
When have you said, “Yes” to God and in what context was your “Yes”?
Why are we a people of hope?
Because the annunciation is a major event, since it brought to humanity the fulfilment of God’s promise, which was foretold by the prophets a long time ago.
The greatest “Yes” came from Mary. And this “yes” came at enormous price. For some of us, we only consider the great privilege of Mary in being chosen to be the Mother of our Saviour. Indeed, in the ministry of Jesus, a woman cried out, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” (LK11:27)
However, Mary’s fiat was more than just a “yes” to being the Mother of the Messiah. It entailed all the sacrifices involved in that decision. So saying, “Yes” is not merely just an assent to the Lord’s calling. It entails fidelity to the call for the rest of our lives. Doing the will of God requires more than just giving up our hearts, but our will for God’s will. Today, we are called to share in the redemptive plan of God for humanity and for ourselves.
This Solemnity of the Annunciation also coincides with the 25th anniversary of the papal encyclical Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life). This Church teaching on the value and inviolability of every human life remains an indispensable source of truth for all people. Written by Pope St. John Paul II, Evangelium vitae was appropriately given in Rome on March 25, 1995.
In modern times, this feast day has taken on special meaning in Respect Life ministry. Scientific advances have allowed us to confirm that life begins at conception. This solemnity helps us to recognize the gift of new life from its very beginning. It calls us to reflect on how we are to care for, protect, and welcome new life, as the Blessed Mother did for the Christ child.
We need women. Women are very important in society. They have roles to play in God’s plan of salvation. For God to have chosen a woman, Mary and the role of a mother to play a vital role in His economy of saving humanity, is a strong statement about the role of woman, which we must not underestimate nor disregard.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, amidst this difficult crisis and this terrible pandemic, let us all entrust ourselves and all our Brothers and Sisters who are affected by the Coronavirus to our tender loving God, just as Mary had done, and humble ourselves before God, seeking His forgiveness and mercy.
Let us all grow ever stronger in faith and in our love and devotion to God, and let us all have no fear of what is to come, knowing that God is always by our side. Let us all take good care of one another and pray for each other in these turbulent times, that the darkness will soon pass and everything will be fine again!
United in love and prayer with you all
Fr John