Three Yeses

" Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."

First Reading: 2Sam. 7:1-5, 8-11, 16

When King David was settled in his palace, and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent!" Nathan answered the king, "Go, do whatever you have in mind, for the LORD is with you." But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:

" Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: Should you build me a house to dwell in?  " Now then, speak thus to my servant David, 'The LORD of hosts has this to say: It was I who took you from the pasture and from the care of the flock to be commander of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth. I will fix a place for my people Israel; I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place without further disturbance.

Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old, since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you. Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.' 

Res. Psalm: Psalms 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29

Second Reading: Romans 16:25-27

Now to him who can strengthen you, according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith, to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen. 

Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." 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.

Reflection

by Pietro S Albano

Do you still remember the moments when you said ‘Yes’ to God? Looking back, I remember three dates when Nidz and I said our ‘Yes’ to Him. The first was when we tied the knot on December 18, 2002. Getting married isn’t to be taken lightly for it requires a lifelong commitment through thick and thin, a daily offering of one’s self to the other without any reservations, a constant battle between ‘we’ and ‘I’, ‘ours’ and ‘mine’, ‘us’ and ‘me’. Even before settling down, like many other couples, we felt we’re inadequate in a number of aspects. Questions like “How can we raise children?”, “Can we cope with balancing career and family?”, “Will we live in the Philippines or the UK?” etc. come to mind.

The second was when Chiara was born on September 13, 2008. When I first discovered those 2 blue lines in the pregnancy test kit, I was teary eyed. I kissed my wife’s tummy and said my first “I love you” to the baby. From that moment on, we were not only a couple, but parents who have accepted the responsibility of bringing a new life into the world. Nine months later, I carried her in my arms and thanked God for entrusting to us such a precious gift.

The third was when we had Chiara baptized on December 21, 2008. By this sacrament, we gave her one of the best Christmas gifts parents could give their children: the Christian faith. By having her welcomed into God’s big family, we received the responsibility of raising her to be a good follower of Jesus.

Like Mary, in today’s Gospel, we humbly and faithfully accepted God’s invitation to perform certain roles in His family. Carrying out these (and other) responsibilities by ourselves would be futile, but if we believe that whatever He entrusts us is His work and not ours, if we keep ourselves open to His grace then we’re sure that He will be with us through and through. Christ’s incarnation will continue in us!

Prayer

Lord, we have our mission. We are a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. You have not created us for naught. We shall do good, we shall do Your work; we shall be angels of peace, preachers of truth in our own place...if we do but keep Your commandments and serve You in our calling. (cf. Blessed John Henry Newman)

O Mary, Virgin full of grace, help us, especially all married couples, in always saying ‘Yes’ to God’s call to be part of His saving plan. Amen.