YEAR A: HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK OF ADVENT (3)
YEAR A: HOMILY FOR THURSDAY OF THE 3RD WEEK OF ADVENT
HOMILY THEME: Behold I am the Handmaid of the Lord.
BY: Fr. Evaristus Abu
HOMILY:
“And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.’” (Luke 1:30-31)
Our Gospel passage presents us with the scene of the Annunciation; the announcement to Mary by the same Angel Gabriel who had earlier on visited Zechariah. While Zechariah asked the Angel: “How shall I know this…?”, Mary asked: “How will this come about …?”
There is a whole world of difference between these two questions. While the first wants to be sure about the authenticity of the message, the second already believes but asks for details. By asking how this was to happen, Mary already showed her cooperation with God; her willingness to ensure that God’s plan materializes.
The final response of Mary to the Angel not only speaks volume about the kind of person she is, but it also sets an example to us on how best our attitude towards God should be. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word.” In other words, “Your will, O Lord, not mine should be done.” We live in an age and time when prayers have become command statements to God. We give God instructions. We want God to do exactly what we want fast and with careful precision. We really don’t care about the will of God or better still, we assume that God has no will; that he shouldn’t even have plans for our life. We even threaten God in our prayer just as we would treat our houseboy or maid.
Let us learn from Mary to say to God: “Behold I am your handmaid, let your will be done in my life.” It is easy to say this when things are going on fine but the question is: Can I be so respectful of God’s will when things are not moving well for me? When I don’t get answers to my prayers, do I still humble myself to accept the outcome as God’s will? Am I interested in doing God’s work rather than my own? Mary abandoned herself for God and her consent allowed God to work mightily in her. In moments of temptation, do I realize that God also seeks my consent? Do I even consider what my life would be when I truly say to God; “I am your handmaid, let what you have said be done; let your will Oh God be done, let your commandments prevail in my life.”
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, fill me with joy. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Thursday of the 3rd Week of Advent. Bible Study: Isaiah 7:10-14, Psalm 24:1-6 and Luke 1:26-38).
