Opening
Prayer:
Loving
Creator, enfold me with your grace and love as I
enter into this time of reflection. As I
consider the Angel's invitation to Mary and
Joseph, guide me to the recognition of the
purpose to which I have been called in my life
and grant me the courage to begin my task with
faith.
The
Story: The Power of Yes
While
scholarly types often debate Mary's exact age,
based on the custom and the protocol of her day,
we do know that she was indeed a young teenager.
Mary's life was pretty much laid out before her
even at her tender age.
In her
world, much was prescribed according to custom
and religious ceremony. Life was simple and
fairly straightforward. She would take her place
among the women of the community, and her life
would unfold exactly as had her mother's and her
mother's mother's: she would marry, have
children, and live out the roles of wife and
mother.
So it
was that Mary's parents, when she came of the
age to marry, selected Joseph to be her husband.
As a carpenter and tradesman, he could offer
Mary and their future grandchildren security and
comfort. He was older and established in the
community, and this stability boded well for
their daughter's life. He was even a descendant
of David, like Mary herself, so this was
considered a wonderful match, unlikely to hold
surprises for either of the happy
couple.
So they
thought. But enter one very magnificent angel
with a life-changing message and Mary's quiet,
predictable life was forever altered. Gabriel
came to her and announced that she had been
chosen to bear God's own son. Think of the
teenagers you know and how they might react when
they are told something that involves a
challenge, and now, contrast that with the way
Mary addressed the angel.
Surely
she must have felt surprise and shock, but her
heart was open to the possibility. "How can this
be?" she asked innocently. She had known no man
in her short life and the prospect must have
caused her more than a little concern. Yet, as
she stood in the presence of the angel, she put
her fears aside. Humbled by the great task set
before her, she said yes to God's
prayer.
Reflection:
So
often, when we think of desires that we have put
aside, we refuse the idea that there is hope for
us to fulfill them.
" This
is meant for someone wiser, someone more
talented, someone more attractive, someone
older, someone younger," we think. " It is too
difficult! I can't manage this! There is no room
for this in my life!" And so we move on to
other, more attainable goals.
Surely a
teenager, faced with the prospect of mothering
the son of God, must have felt the same. Yet,
from someplace deep within her heart, she found
the courage to say yes, to take the step, to go
for it. And, from Someone, she was given all she
needed to accomplish a seemingly overwhelming
task.
Why can
we not do the same–say Yes to our dreams,
Yes to the desires that make our hearts beat
faster and our breath quicken? Will God not give
us the courage, the wisdom, the support to see
them to fruition?
Prayer:
Creator
God, so much of my path lies in darkness. I do
not know what gift I have been called to offer
to the world in your name. I fear, too, the
sacrifices my path may ask of me. Most of all, I
am afraid that I am not strong enough or
faithful enough to accomplish the task you have
set before me.
Help me
to gain insight into the ways you work in my
life and the purpose to which you call me. Grant
me the depth of love and courage that even if I
do not know the details of my path, my heart may
still say yes.
Since
we were infants, many of us have participated in the
Christmas story in many ways.
This
special journal is a companion to the daily
reflections and prayers found in "Entering the
Mystery."