Deacon Tom
Writes,
Everything
Is Ready
Saying yes to God is
never easy. Somehow, we think that Mary had an easy time saying yes to God when
asked by the Angel Gabriel to be the Mother of God. The same goes for Joseph. He
was afraid to take Mary as his wife until the angel told him not to fear. We
are fearful of many things and that is perhaps why scripture tells us, as we
hear today, “Do not be afraid”.
Fear has governed
many aspects of our life. We live in fear of losing our jobs, our health, our
loved ones. We are afraid that we won’t have enough….enough success, enough
money, enough energy to make it through the day, or enough of the things we
need to live comfortable and independent lives. In order to lessen our fears,
we work longer or harder. We spend our time and resources continually seeking
to improve our station in life. Yet most still live in a persistently fearful
state, anxious of the uncertainties that lie ahead.
Advent is a time to
put our fears to rest. That is what saying yes to God really boils down to.
Yes, God, I trust you. Yes, God, I know you are with me through the turmoil and
uncertainty of my life. Yes, God, you will help me bear the pain, the loss, the
loneliness of life that I find myself in now. I know that you will calm my
fears and give me all that you see as good for me.
Mary’s son was born
into a dark and harsh world. Yet, he never succumbed to the anxieties and fears
of life. Like Mary and Joseph, Jesus did all that His Father asked of Him,
saying yes in becoming flesh and born of Mary; saying yes to taking on all the
hardships of our human condition; saying yes to suffering the injustice and
humility of death on the cross.
Today on this Fourth
Sunday, Everything is ready. We are ready to greet the Child who frees us from
our fears.
Have a blessed and
joy-filled Christmas!
and Happy New Year
Deacon Tom
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