Waiting in Joyful Hope by Mary DeTurris Poust

Author:Mary DeTurris Poust
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Liturgical Press
Published: 2017-06-15T04:00:00+00:00

FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT

December 24: Fourth Sunday of Advent

The Challenge of Free Will

Readings: 2 Sam 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Rom 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38

Scripture:

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.

May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

Reflection: The watchful waiting is almost over, and today’s gospel brings us back to the moment that set these events in motion: Mary’s yes to God. It’s sort of like a recap, reminding us of God’s decision to enter into our world as a human just like us. And yet God puts the decision into the hands of a young woman who can freely choose to say yes or no to this unthinkable request.

We are each given the same free will. Like Mary, we are presented with choices, opportunities, obstacles in this life. We can trust and move forward or refuse and freeze with fear. I think sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that saying yes to God means not having any doubt, not addressing the gnawing questions, but we wouldn’t be human if we could manage that. I don’t think God expects unquestioning agreement. Even Mary said, “How can this be?” God expects faith. “Do not be afraid,” the angel says.

So many of our saints and holy men and women at times felt cut off from God, abandoned, without the light of faith. A dark night of the soul. And yet they continued to say yes to God through their ministry, through their prayer life, through their willingness to be what God had called them to be even if their hearts were full of questions.

That’s not an easy path, but it gives me comfort. If some of my favorite saints could have such deep—and sometimes long-lasting—questions and doubts, isn’t there hope for the rest of us? We don’t have to be perfect. We just have to say yes and trust in God.

Meditation: We live in a society that tells us to do our homework before we make a big decision, to read the fine print. Saying yes to God doesn’t mean driving blind, but it does mean moving over to let God take the wheel. It’s counter-cultural, this notion that we can trust what we can’t see, say yes to God’s will even if it doesn’t make sense in a logical way. And sometimes saying yes to God means saying no to someone else. Only through prayer can we know the difference.

Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with faith, remove the clouds from our eyes, and allow us to hear and answer God’s call.

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