March 25, Saturday, Fourth Week of Lent
Annunciation of the Lord
Isaiah 7: 10-14; 8-10; Hebrews 10:4-10; Lk: 1:26-38
I am amazed at the way Mary responded to Gabriel approaching her with the surprise of breaking news. The Angel has big news for Mary: “Hail full of grace, the Lord is with you. God has found favour with you… you will conceive in your womb and you will be great… God will give to him the throne of David.” We see how excited Angel Gabriel was but Mary remained nearly unexcitable, calm and pondering. She demonstrates her inner authority.
If an angel appeared to me, I would have been on the rooftop looking for all possible publicities including online news circulation. She was blessed with deep inner silence and stayed there; even the Angel from above could not distract her. Clearly, she knew how to listen. To be aware of annunciations coming her way, she got to be someone who has cultivated a contemplative inner silence.
Silence is a must to listen to God speaking to us. Not only to God and angels but also to others. We need it even to listen to what our bodies are speaking to us, also our minds and hearts. And listening to one’s own self is probably the best way to prepare oneself to listen to God. Mary stands supreme as one who had cultivated the art of listening and is governed by a simple, calm, personal inner authority.
At the end of that information sharing, she very wisely decided not to accept the responsibility for a choice she has not made. I am really struck by Mary’s final answer of a ‘fiat’. “If what you say is true, let it be done to me”. She did not say ‘I will happily accept what you are trying to convince me with” She was standing by her truth, and she was not ready to change her inner knowing for anything else. She then passes on the responsibility to the Angel and finally to God.” If what you say is true, I am fully available. Let it be done to me. She could not have done it better than that. A true inner listener knows the right and the best answer coming from within.
Be an attentive listener to all, especially to your own self and God
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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