Daily Reflection
December 8, 2007

“…Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you,
…Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
…How can this be…?
…Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.’”
Here we are in Advent…waiting for the Word to be made Flesh. Above is the beautiful passage relating to the world…once again…the miracle of the birth of Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary.

I love this dialogue that Luke gives us. It shows us exactly what God wants of us when He asks us to move out of our comfort zone and do – or be – something we have not planned.

How many times are we asked to do something we have not planned? Many times during our lives:

• In grade school, high school, college … “Would you help us with this project? We really need help filling boxes for the poor in our community, for our troops overseas, etc.”
• At work or in the community … “Would you be able to give time to help on … tutoring adults…getting shelter for the poor…cooking food for the Siena Francis House…serving on the Board of United Way”.
• At home … “Will you help me with my homework?” … “Will you help me get to the doctor?” …“Will you be my Durable Power of Attorney?”
Mary responds, “…I am the handmaid of the Lord….” She is our first role-model for considering our response to God’s call in our lives… in so many different ways.
She considers if she can do it and then in faith, responds, “Yes.”

How fortunate for us that Mary was so loyal, so filled with faith.

Today we pray:

Mary, help us be loyal and filled with faith when our gracious God requests us to go beyond our comfort zones to help build His kingdom on earth. We are so in need of true “peace” in our hearts and on earth. Help us welcome the Prince of Peace, consider what it is we can do to further peace, and not be afraid to do what He asks. Amen.