25 March 2017 - may it be done

[ Today's Readings ]

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

Mary, teach us to say yes to God like you say yes, without reservation, not requiring full understanding. Teach us the openness to God that allows him to come and take flesh in your womb. Teach us to be open to Jesus so that he can be formed in our hearts and born into our lives.

Jesus is the yes to all the promises of God. His yes participates in the yes of Mary, is predicated upon it, and flows from it. He chooses Mary's yes as the gateway to bring his own yes, his own, perfect obedience to earth, to human nature, and to make it available to each of us.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.'

So let the yes of Mary unleash the yes of Jesus in each of our lives. We need more Jesus in the world. It is not enough that he was born in Bethlehem if he is not born into our lives today.

By this "will," we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Even when we are afraid and lack understanding we can take refuge in Mary who was afraid and lacked understanding but nevertheless gave her yes.

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

When we pray this with Mary the world is able to see Emmanuel, God with us, present in our midst.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us!"