Every year during Advent, my thoughts
turn to Mary and Joseph and my imagination is captured trying to picture all
the details of their daily reality - the sights they encountered in Nazareth,
the sounds of day-to-day life, the smells of food and sweat and animals that
must have been their norm. Before you
continue reading, take a moment to pause and imagine Mary and Joseph in
Nazareth for yourself, entering into today’s Gospel reading as if you are there. Perhaps this song can help: Breath from Heaven (Mary’s
Song) - Amy Grant.
It is amidst this nitty-gritty routine
that the unimaginable took place. How must Mary have felt when the angel
appeared to her and then told her she is to bear God's very self as her son, as
we hear in today's Gospel? How must Joseph have reacted when he heard the
news from Mary and then from the angel? Both of them, entrenched in the
cultural and religious traditions of their time, must have felt a great deal of
fear. How would their families
react? Would anyone believe them? Would they be welcome any longer
in their own hometown? Yet amidst this fear, they found the courage to
say, “yes” to God and to one another.
How did they find
such courage? This Advent, this question has been my prayer, which I've
directed toward Mary and Joseph directly. "How did you do it?"
I've asked. "Where did you find the courage and faith to say,
'yes'?"
I can’t claim with
certitude to know the fullness of the source of their courage and commitment,
but one potential answer has emerged through my prayer – Mary and Joseph were
able to not only say, “yes”, but to live out their “yes” because it came out of
a deep sense of authenticity rooted in faith.
Through faith they knew that the only genuine response to this
invitation from God – specifically to them – could only be “yes”; that this was
the way God was calling them to be their best selves and to meet the needs of
the world in their time. It was their
authentic vocation. In this deep sense
of knowing and of faith, Mary and Joseph were able to trust that God would give
them the tools, that is to say the grace, they would need to endure the
challenges that would lie ahead.
Like Mary and
Joseph, living an authentic life does not mean choosing the path of least
resistance, but following the path that brings us a deep sense of peace, commitment,
and excitement even knowing that there will be challenges. We say “yes” trusting God will equip us with
the grace to endure difficulties and to live our vocation fully and to the best
of our ability so that we can help meet the needs of our world today.
In these remaining
days of Advent, what is God inviting you to say "yes" to? What
graces do you need to overcome the fear and resistance that hold you back from
giving your full "yes" to God?
If you’re not sure where to start, perhaps you too can ask Mary and
Joseph for some guidance.
Let us pray…
Erin R. Hoffman
Assistant Director of Campus Ministry for Spiritual Programs
No comments:
Post a Comment