(Homily for March 25, 2017).
Today is March 25. It is exactly 9 months
before Christmas. On this day, Mary gave her consent, her fiat, her “I do” to
God’s Divine Proposal.
On this day, that great miracle
happened; through the powerful overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, the baby Jesus,
the word of God became flesh right inside her womb.
The feast of the Annunciation is also
the feast of the conception of Jesus. While we pay attention to Mary’s
acceptance of God’s proposal, we also ponder on how God himself agreed to take
on human flesh; the Creator taking the form of his creature.
Today’s feast is a reminder that God
does not force his way in our lives. He works in us only with our consent. As
one Saint said, God created us without our consent but He will not save us
without our consent. We always have a choice either to say “Yes” or “No” to God’s
plans for our lives.
It is not easy to say ‘Yes’ all the
time to God. It takes a great deal of will power to inconvenience ourselves,
drop our plans, forgo our own pleasures and desires and say “Yes” just like
Mary. Our “Yes” is our offering, it is a sacrifice to God.
The book of Hebrews says: “Sacrifices
and offerings you have not desired, burnt offerings and sin offerings you take
no pleasure but Behold, I have come to do your will.” Accepting to God’s will
instead of ours makes God happy.
Like a young man desiring to marry a
woman, God came to Mary through Angel Gabriel to propose to her: “You shall
conceive in your womb and bear a Son and you shall call his name Jesus. He will
be great and will be called Son of the Most High.”
How happy God must have been when
Mary said “Let it be done!” Her “Yes” became the beginning of the fulfilment of
God’s promises to the people of Israel which the prophets all spoke about.
As Isaiah prophesied, when a virgin
conceives, then you shall know that your Redeemer has come. Mary is that Virgin
Isaiah spoke of as a sign to the people of Israel that God has finally sent
them the Saviour they have been expecting.
Today’s feast is also a clear
reminder to us that life in the womb does not begin after the baby is born but
at the very minute of conception. Mary’s stomach was still very flat but when
she went to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth, John the Baptist leaped in Elizabeth’s
womb in salutation to Jesus whose presence he already felt inside Mary’s womb.
Dear Friends, as we celebrate today,
let us respect life. Under no circumstance is it ever right to terminate the
unborn because the foetus is not just a potential human being but a complete human
being with great potentials.
Above all, let us always learn from
Mary to say ‘Yes’ to God so that his plans for our lives will be manifested. Each
time we commit a sin, we are saying ‘No’ to God and further pulling ourselves
away from the life God planned out for us. We are all bundles of potentials,
but none of these would be realized if we don’t learn to say ‘Yes’ to God.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, use me like Mary to bring your word to life.
Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith.
It is well with you. God bless you. (Solemnity of the Annunciation of the
Lord. Bible Study: Isaiah
7:10-14,8:10, Hebrews 10:4-10 and Luke 1:26-38).
Fr. Abu.
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