4th Sunday Of Advent
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: December 24, 2023
Mary could have said No! In this account of the Annunciation, we see Mary say her Yes, her Fiat. Her Yes was crucial and made a huge difference for all of us. All of us also have daily decisions to make, big or small, where we are free to say No. Our Yes like that of Mary can make a big difference. Some examples of how our Yes can make a difference:
- Yes to a Kind word instead of being harsh.
- Yes to taking moment of silence instead of being distracted by noise and busyness.
- Yes to going to visit a friend, especially if someone in need.
- Yes to forgiving someone.
- Yes to doing something kind.
- Yes to not yelling when upset at someone, especially in our family.
- Yes to praying for our family and friends.
- Yes to using language that builds others up rather than tearing them down.
- Yes to seeing reasons for hope rather than just all that is dark and negative.
- Yes to sitting and listening to a friend who is struggling.
Every day, we are like Mary being asked to be an instrument of God, to give birth to Jesus in our lives. We are free. Our Yes, like the Yes of Mary makes a difference. Our Yes allows the presence of God’s Word to enter our world.
It can be discouraging to watch on the news, the war in Ukraine, the destruction in Gaza, the reality of homelessness and other human struggles. It could be easy to just give up or to become discouraged by it all. By doing our little bit to be an instrument of peace in our own family, in our own community, we are working against the world of violence and human division. By saying Yes in our small ways we are one small light allowing God to enter our world.
At her time, Mary must have not understood how she could make any difference or be an instrument of God. A poor simple woman in a small unimportant land. It is not surprising that the first words to her were, “Be not afraid.” But, her Yes allowed the Word of God to enter our world.
Say Yes like Mary in small ways each day. Your daily Yes makes a difference, you can be a temple carrying the Word of God into our world.
