Mary and her 'Yes' to God, a reflection by JP Pacis for the Gospel for 12/20/12
Da Vinci's The Annunciation painting
"...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." Luke 1:37-38
No wonder Mary is called the perfect Christian. She has followed God's will throughout her life.
From the moment of her conception, God has willed that she is conceived without the stain of original sin. For it will be through her that she will bear the Son of Man, the Emmanuel, our Lord and Savior!
Throughout her life, Mary was brought up by her parents to follow the precepts of the Lord and to be a devout Jew. This is what we all believe as a result of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Among the people in the Church's history, Mary, Jesus and John the Baptist are the only saints that we celebrate their birth in the church calendar. Mary must be truly special to have her birth be celebrated as a commemoration.
Mary's role in our Salvation History is very significant. Without Mary, we would not have Jesus in our lives. Without Mary's cooperation and acceptance of God's will wholeheartedly without reservation, God the Son will not be able to come into the world.
"...And coming to her, he (Gabriel) said, 'Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.'" Why would the Angel Gabriel address Mary as 'full of grace'? What does it mean to be full of grace? Grace comes from God. As Mary is full of grace, it must mean that she is filled with God's love and blessings. The reason why she is full of grace is God willed that she is without sin and that her love for God is wholeheartedly given. Mary did not know about that from the beginning. Yet, when Gabriel told her of God's plan, without hesitation she said 'Yes'! From then on, Mary's life will be filled with maternal love for her son.
Her "Yes!" to God made it possible for her to experience human challenges and yet remain faithful and obedient to God's commandments. She experienced losing her son in a crowd of people. She was there with Jesus at a wedding in Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle. She quietly followed Jesus throughout His ministry. She witnessed the full drama of the Passion of Our Lord. She carried her son's lifeless body after it was brought down from the cross. She was one of the first people to witness the Glorious Resurrection of her Son. She was there when the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles at the Upper Room. All these she lived through and never said anything regrettable to God. She took to heart all the events and accepted them as God's will.
Mary's faith in God is something that we should admire and imitate. Her faith never faltered. Her faith was put to the test but always trusted that God is in-charge. As a result, at the time of her death, Mary's body was not allowed to decay but to be assumed into heaven.
Let us look up to Mary, the perfect Christian, to help us to say "Yes" to God's will and God's plans for our lives. Let us ask for her guidance that we may be in God's grace at all times and not to allow the evil thoughts and wrongdoings to enter our hearts and minds.
Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us!
No wonder Mary is called the perfect Christian. She has followed God's will throughout her life.
From the moment of her conception, God has willed that she is conceived without the stain of original sin. For it will be through her that she will bear the Son of Man, the Emmanuel, our Lord and Savior!
Throughout her life, Mary was brought up by her parents to follow the precepts of the Lord and to be a devout Jew. This is what we all believe as a result of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Among the people in the Church's history, Mary, Jesus and John the Baptist are the only saints that we celebrate their birth in the church calendar. Mary must be truly special to have her birth be celebrated as a commemoration.
Mary's role in our Salvation History is very significant. Without Mary, we would not have Jesus in our lives. Without Mary's cooperation and acceptance of God's will wholeheartedly without reservation, God the Son will not be able to come into the world.
"...And coming to her, he (Gabriel) said, 'Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.'" Why would the Angel Gabriel address Mary as 'full of grace'? What does it mean to be full of grace? Grace comes from God. As Mary is full of grace, it must mean that she is filled with God's love and blessings. The reason why she is full of grace is God willed that she is without sin and that her love for God is wholeheartedly given. Mary did not know about that from the beginning. Yet, when Gabriel told her of God's plan, without hesitation she said 'Yes'! From then on, Mary's life will be filled with maternal love for her son.
Her "Yes!" to God made it possible for her to experience human challenges and yet remain faithful and obedient to God's commandments. She experienced losing her son in a crowd of people. She was there with Jesus at a wedding in Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle. She quietly followed Jesus throughout His ministry. She witnessed the full drama of the Passion of Our Lord. She carried her son's lifeless body after it was brought down from the cross. She was one of the first people to witness the Glorious Resurrection of her Son. She was there when the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles at the Upper Room. All these she lived through and never said anything regrettable to God. She took to heart all the events and accepted them as God's will.
Mary's faith in God is something that we should admire and imitate. Her faith never faltered. Her faith was put to the test but always trusted that God is in-charge. As a result, at the time of her death, Mary's body was not allowed to decay but to be assumed into heaven.
Let us look up to Mary, the perfect Christian, to help us to say "Yes" to God's will and God's plans for our lives. Let us ask for her guidance that we may be in God's grace at all times and not to allow the evil thoughts and wrongdoings to enter our hearts and minds.
Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us!