FRIDAY DECEMBER 20, 2024
FRIDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT YEAR C
Isaiah 7:10-14
Luke 1:26-38
MAKING THE FUNDAMENTAL DECISION TO COOPERATE WITH DIVINE WILL.
The annunciation story of our Lady as we read today teaches and incites us to always strive to make decisions that cooperates with divine will. For we know that we are under divine authority and such divine will is known to be most superior and all encompassing more than ours. A will that goes beyond our thinking and perception. Therefore submitting to such divine will is imperative and greatly rewarding as well.
In the case of the annunciation of our Lady, she was exposed to her mission and life as the mother of God. She was notified of her elevated status as well as granted privileged information of knowing how God has followed and favoured her. Calling her the most blessed of all women, the one full of Grace and one that the Lord has been with. Such great values of being specially chosen, acknowledged and favoured puts Mary on the know of her life as being prepared for the mission ahead of her.
So the message of her conceiving the Saviour of the world, and the status and mission of this Saviour in her womb to the world kept her pondering on the immensity of the task before her. As the dictum says, to whom much is given, so much will be expected also. Of this also she recline and trusted in the strength from divine glory and will to be able to keep, hold and fulfill the mission.
The need therefore to cooperate with divine will of God is the required response that is expected and needed at this time. This is a case of also showing in her perfect faith in God and total trust in God’s saving act.
All these, Mary had. She showed perfect faith in God and total commitment and trust in divine will and this came out in her acceptance of speech when she responded to the message of the angel in her fiat, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, Let it be done to me according to your words.”
Mary sees herself as nothing but God’s instrument, and submitted to divine will. She cooperated and keyed into the plan of divine will. She submitted in perfect faith to the divine mandate and she gave herself completely to God in total trust and commitment to divine will.
We are always confronted with many decisions in life. Some may want to elicit our total faith and total trust and commitment to God. Many of our decisions are centred around keying into divine will of God and making the fundamental decision to follow the ways of God. We are called to review our responses in the light of faith and commitment to divine will and divine mandate.
We must always key into divine will and mandate in making all decisions as concerns our wellbeing, our moral life, our acts of charity to people, our relationship with people, obvious situations of conflict and compromise that calls our faith to question and other situations in life that God may want us to act on perfect faith and loyal commitment to him. Let us always like our Lady, Mother of God, ponder awhile these situations and circumstances and make the needed decisions of keying into divine will in our fiat also.
God our Father, our Mother Mary teaches us the need and necessity to cooperate with divine grace and will in all our decision on earth. Grant us docile and faithful spirit, loyal and dedicated mind to always seek to cooperate with divine grace, to live with hearts dedicated to follow and work in love with Christ. Bless our days and week with greater faith, goodness of heart and happiness of soul through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
