Yes, Lord

​A Reflection on the Gospel for Sunday, December 24th, 2023:
Fourth Sunday of Advent

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Luke
1.26-38

​The Angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

The Angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.

“He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Mary said to the Angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The Angel said to her, “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 holy; he will be called Son of God.

“And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” Then the Angel departed from her.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Have you ever considered the gravity of Mary’s “yes”? 

She was a young woman, likely 13 or 14 years old, engaged to be married but not yet united with her husband. To be found unwed and pregnant in a society built upon the Jewish law was no small matter. The punishment would have undoubtedly been death. Mary had every reason to believe that, even if Joseph believed that this was the child of God, the rest of her community would not believe her. Her loose-fitting clothing would discreetly hide her pregnancy until it could not any more, and word would get out, and she would be brought into the streets one day and stoned to death. 

Her “yes” was truly the giving up of her life. 

So what did God do with a “yes” this profound, this complete? 

Carol Houselander has a marvelous book, The Reed of God, where she says this: 

“In this great fiat (yes) of the little girl Mary, the strength and foundation of our life of contemplation is grounded, for it means absolute trust in God, trust which will not set us free from suffering, but will set us free from anxiety, hesitation, and above all from the fear of suffering. Trust which makes us willing to be what God wants us to be, however great or however little that may prove. Trust which accepts God as illimitable Love.”

When we trust and love that deeply, we are well disposed to receive. And what Our Lady received at such a young age, with a heart bursting with trust, was salvation for the whole world. The infinite gap between the holy and immortal God and sinful man was finally bridged in the Person of Jesus Christ. The age-old question, how can man reach God, was answered once and for all: God came to us, all because a child said yes. 

Imagine what your life would look like if you loved God like that. What if your fear of suffering didn’t incapacitate you? What could God do with your life if you weren't a slave to your hesitations and anxieties, if His love made you free?

The mystery of the Incarnation is enormous. And the mystery that was revealed today, on Christmas Eve, was born on the night of Mary’s “yes.” 

Let us pray: Yes, Lord. Let it be done to me according to Your Word. 




Becca O'Hara

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