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Because Mary Said “Yes…” — A Reflection For The Solemnity of the Annunciation of Our Lord
SaltAndDignity ^ | March 25, 2015 | Fr. Thomas Rosica

Posted on 03/25/2015 10:46:15 PM PDT by Steelfish

Because Mary Said “Yes…” — A Reflection For The Solemnity of the Annunciation of Our Lord

March 25, 2011 by Fr. Thomas Rosica

Standing in the middle of the present day city of Nazareth is the mammoth Basilica of the Annunciation, built around what is believed to be the dwelling of Mary. In a grotto-like room at the heart of the basilica is a small inscription on an altar. It reads, “verbum caro hic factum est,” here the Word became flesh. There, it is believed, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, and her response changed the world forever.

Imagine yourself in Mary’s place, asked to say “yes” to a divine plan so vast, so profound and so seemingly impossible that you cannot comprehend it. “How can this be?” she asks, bewildered. She is rooted in the faith of her ancestors, and yet now an angel has appeared in the midst of everyday life, extending a startling invitation. “You have found favor with God,” the angel says, “and you will conceive and bear His Son.” Will she accept?

It is Mary above all others who can teach us what it means to live by faith, and how to respond when God’s providence disrupts the daily course of our lives, overturning its rhythms and expectations. Despite her fears and uncertainty over how this promise could be fulfilled, she still answered “Yes.” Are we able to respond to God this way?

When we reflect on the Annunciation to Mary, and her acceptance of the angel’s message, we also reflect on our own vocation — our own calling from God. In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” — an echo of Mary’s “Be it done unto me according to your word.”

Each time we commit ourselves to embracing God’s call and accepting His will, we mark a new point on the path of our relationship with Him. For the rest of her life, Mary pondered her extraordinary encounter with God, turning the weight of the angel’s message over and over again in her heart. From the manger to the cross, Mary’s life was radically changed — her relationship with God profoundly deepened — the moment she said “Yes.”

Mary received and welcomed God’s Word in the fullest sense — becoming impregnated with it, and bearing it to the world. Angels might not appear in our doorsteps, but we do encounter God in each of our daily prayers, and he whispers to us a similar invitation: Will we accept His love and bring it joyously to those around us? Will we trust in His providence, even when we can’t see the path ahead? Amid the noise of everyday life, will we listen for and embrace his call?

When making his pilgrimage to the Basilica of the Annunciation, Pope Benedict XVI offered this prayer to the humble Virgin of Nazareth. It speaks for all of us who likewise seek to accept God’s will with joy:

Mary, Mother of the “Yes,” you listened to Jesus, and know the tone of his voice and the beating of his heart. Morning Star, speak to us of him, and tell us about your journey of following him on the path of faith."


TOPICS: Catholic; Theology; Worship
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To: vladimir998
You profess to believe in the God of Abraham.

THIS is your reply?

When you just got SCHOOLED with your LOGIC statement?

401 posted on 03/27/2015 2:19:14 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie
1) She prophesied that all generations would call her Blessed. It's perfectly OK, don't be afraid of it.

2) Sometimes she does answer!

3)You don't have to be a little shepherd child, but it helps.

402 posted on 03/27/2015 2:19:33 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (Blessed be God - Blessed be His Holy Name - Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.)
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To: Elsie
Hebrews 11:10
For he looked for a city that hath foundations; whose builder and maker is God.

John saw that city...

Revelation 21:2

403 posted on 03/27/2015 2:20:52 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: af_vet_1981

I don’t mind being asked questions, but you asked me a question, I answered it, and now you want to continue an inquisition, leading who knows where. Not interested, especially as it pertains to a dispute you had with another poster, not with me.


404 posted on 03/27/2015 2:26:03 PM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Mrs. Don-o
1) She prophesied that all generations would call her Blessed. It's perfectly OK, don't be afraid of it.

whoosh

405 posted on 03/27/2015 2:28:55 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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Comment #406 Removed by Moderator

To: Elsie

“Unless you can link to a post where I said you WORSHIPPED her.”

Oh, so you’re saying Catholics don’t worship Mary? That means you must think that many of your fellow Protestant posters here at FR are wrong.


407 posted on 03/27/2015 2:42:22 PM PDT by vladimir998
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To: knarf; Iscool
Mary who came into being without Original Sin, had the same spiritual status as Eve, who came into being without Original Sin. Sh could have subsequently sinned of her own volition, just as Eve ended up doing. But she chose not to sin. She chose to cooperate with God in all things.

Since I was requested to NOT ping the person "answering" my question, I won't. However, the response did NOT really answer my question...it was avoided.

My question was how Roman Catholics square the dogma of the Immaculate Conception - the idea that Mary was born without a sin nature and remained sinless throughout her life - if she could have refused the angel's announcement that she was to be the mother of the Messiah, God incarnate. IF Mary could have refused, then her supposed sinless conception would have been unnecessary and God would have wasted the exception He made for Mary alone, His plan would have to be revised, her replacement sought out by causing another girl baby to be born "immaculately" with the same heritage and bloodline to fulfill Messianic prophecies - a Plan B. In other words, God's foreknowledge and omniscience would have been foiled. I cannot see how anyone could believe this because it would prove God is NOT who He said He was and we would not be following the true God.

I think we should be able to discuss this topic without causing some to hyperventilate over it. That it was Catholic Freepers who initiated the "rape" rabbit hole seems to have been missed. I know I certainly don't and wouldn't even think of that as the reason why Mary was not asked her permission but instead was announced to her of God's plan. There is no reason in the first place for the mother of the incarnate God to be sinless, only that she was a virgin and of the lineage of David. God knew from before the world began that this would be how the salvation of mankind would proceed. God doesn't make mistakes.

408 posted on 03/27/2015 2:44:02 PM PDT by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: Elsie

You agree with Muslims in that you profess belief in the God of Abraham. Citing the D-R doesn’t change that. I don’t know why you seem to think it’s a problem in itself.


409 posted on 03/27/2015 2:44:08 PM PDT by vladimir998
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To: HossB86

“Okay... I’ll keep playing until your bedtime, or potty time, or supper or whatever. Just don’t use your parent’s credit cards.”

Wow, you really seem to be getting desperate. The end point is still that you profess to believe in the God of Abraham. And so do Jews. And so do Muslims. And so do all Christians.

Nothing has changed.

Nothing will.


410 posted on 03/27/2015 2:51:57 PM PDT by vladimir998
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To: vladimir998
Also, Jews, Muslims and Christians all profess to believe in the God of Abraham.

We Christians KNOW whom we serve...The God of Abraham is a Trinity...The physical Creator of Creation was Jesus Christ...We know that...The actual creator is left out of the muzlim god...

The Jews have a special exemption...They are prevented from believing in the Trinity by God...

The muzlim god of Abraham doesn't exist...They were given the truth in the New Testament and rejected it...God did not give them a special exemption...

And yet your religion claims it worships this same (false) god of the Muzlims...

The muzlims believe in a holy spirit...That spirit is the right hand man of God...Higher in rank that any other spirit, human or angel...Almost a duality...And of course they reject Jesus as part of that duality...

All the muzlims are missing to create a muzlim trinity in line with the bible is to find a mediator of their liking or a redeemer of their liking...Or perhaps a mediatrix...

So maybe there is more to this 'Catholic worshiping the same god as the muzlims' that hasn't fully come to light...

411 posted on 03/27/2015 2:56:53 PM PDT by Iscool
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Comment #412 Removed by Moderator

To: vladimir998
You agree with Muslims in that you profess belief in the God of Abraham.

I DO?

Step up to the plate and show some evidence; please.

413 posted on 03/27/2015 3:02:43 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: vladimir998

Yes, it is absolutely true that it is his opinion. It doesn’t make what he wrote absolutely true.


414 posted on 03/27/2015 3:02:46 PM PDT by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: vladimir998
“Unless you can link to a post where I said you WORSHIPPED her.”

Oh, so you’re saying Catholics don’t worship Mary?

You are damningly frustrating!!!

You've got your 'Flit like a butterfly' down pat; but your 'Sting like a bee' needs a LOT more work!

415 posted on 03/27/2015 3:05:19 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie

“Step up to the plate and show some evidence; please.”

Do you profess to believe in the God of Abraham?


416 posted on 03/27/2015 3:42:30 PM PDT by vladimir998
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To: af_vet_1981
>This illustrates the problem....roman catholicism has taken this adjective and made it into a title.<

>It is just one of many examples where roman catholicism has built up Mary to something that she's not accorded in the Word.<

I think the nature of this phenomenon we witness is that a strong antiCatholic bias filters anything perceived to be Catholic so that it must be combated without actually discerning whether it is true or not. It reminds me of some Jews who witnessed the miracles of Jesus but were unable or unwilling to believe and opposed him out of envy.

And in typical catholic fashion....they cannot address the issue as to whether the statement is true or not. Every correction of the false teachings of catholicism is anti-catholic. So they attack the messenger.

I do have to make a correction though. I should have checked the Greek before posting.

Blessed is not an adjective in Luke 1:48. It is a verb. The word is μακαρίζω. As used in Luke it is μακαριοῦσίν. It is Future Indicative Active. As translated in the greek it reads: will count blessed.

This phrase reads as follows in the Greek:

ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν μακαριοῦσίν με πᾶσαι αἱ γενεαί.

behold indeed, from henceforth will count blessed me all the generations.

Here is where the confusion for the catholic comes into play.

NASB renders the text as "will count me blessed."

Douay-Rheims renders the text as "shall call me blessed"

NASB more faithfully follows the Greek.

In the Greek texts none of this is capitalized indicating it is not considered a title or someone's name.

417 posted on 03/27/2015 3:43:06 PM PDT by ealgeone
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To: vladimir998
Wow, you really seem to be getting desperate. The end point is still that you profess to believe in the God of Abraham. And so do Jews. And so do Muslims. And so do all Christians.

Is that you, kid? Still the same old broken record?

Let me know when an adult shows up.

Hoss

418 posted on 03/27/2015 4:27:03 PM PDT by HossB86 (Christ, and Him alone.)
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To: HossB86

“Is that you, kid?”

No, just your teacher.

“Still the same old broken record?”

Nope. Just the truth.

“Let me know when an adult shows up.”

It doesn’t look like there’s going to be one on your end any time soon.


419 posted on 03/27/2015 5:39:57 PM PDT by vladimir998
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To: vladimir998

oooh. pithy.

That will no doubt, leave a mark.

You’ve been entertaining, but tiresome. I hope one day you’ll come out of the apostate Cult. I pray you do. Take care.

Hoss


420 posted on 03/27/2015 6:05:46 PM PDT by HossB86 (Christ, and Him alone.)
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