Dec. 20th - Annunciation

“Be it done unto me according to thy word”

In order for the birth of Jesus to take place, one person had to give Her yes. And if She had not given Her yes, none of us would be here now. The world would be completely different.

If She had not given Her yes, the gates of heaven would not have been opened. If She had not given Her yes, we would not have original sin washed away by baptism. If She would not have given Her yes, we would not have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, nor receive the body and blood of Jesus. We would not have the true presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and God would not come to dwell within our heart during Holy Communion. How is it God permitted one person’s yes, to affect the outcome of the entire world?

The angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and said, “Hail full of grace, the Lord is with you”, but the greeting troubled Mary. He told Mary, She would conceive in Her womb, and bear a son, and call Him, Jesus. Her Son would be the Son of the Most High, be given the throne of David, rule over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom would have no end. Mary could not understand how this could be, because She had made a vow of virginity. And so the angel told Her, the Holy Spirit would come upon Her.

God desired Our Lady to respond with either a Yes or a No. And so the angel waited, all mankind waited, and God waited, for Mary’s yes. Listen to the beautiful words of St. Bernard in a homily, called “In the Praise of Mary”.

St. Bernard said, “You have heard O Virgin, that you will conceive and bear a Son; you have heard that it will not be, by a man, but the Holy Spirit. The angel awaits your answer; it is time to return to God, whom sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion; The price of our salvation is offered you. Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you, O loving Virgin, in their exile from Paradise. Abraham begs it. David begs it. All the other patriarchs, your ancestors, ask it of you, as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet. …. For your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom from the condemned, indeed, salvation for all the sons of Adam, the whole of your race. Answer quickly, O Virgin! Reply in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel, to the Lord. Why do you delay, why are you afraid? Let humility be bold, let modesty be confident. Open your heart to faith, O Blessed Virgin, your lips to praise, your womb to the Creator. See, the desire of all the nations, is at your door, knocking to enter. Arise in faith, hasten to devotion, open to praise and thanksgiving.”

And Mary said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to the word.” And at that moment, Mary gave Her, “Yes” and the Child Jesus descended from heaven into Her womb, and the world would be changed forever, because of Jesus, our Savior.

Today, let us praise Mary, for Her Yes, and ask Her, to help us, give our Yes, to God, by doing His will. May we turn from sin, and to the best of our ability, do what is expected. And by doing so, prepare for the birth of the Infant Jesus, born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, who would forever change the world. Give your “Yes”! God awaits your answer.

And in the silence of our heart cry out, “Be it done unto me according to thy word”.