Reverence and Obedience

December 20, Tuesday, 4th Week of Advent
Daily Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14; Gospel, Luke 1:26-38

Reverence and Obedience are two strong values that are very much related to each other. If you respect a certain person, then you will obey as long as you are not harming or disrespecting your principles in life.

Our readings for today speak of reverence and obedience. In the first reading, the reverence of Ahaz for God is quite strong, and he surpasses the temptation of not putting God to the test. As a favor, he was given a message that a young woman will bear a child who will be called Emmanuel. The gospel for today is very much connected to the first reading. The young woman who was told to bear a child is favored in the eyes of God. She was told that she would bear a child through the power of the Holy Spirit despite having no sexual intimacy with a man. Though Mary was disturbed by the words of the angel, due to her reverence for God, she was obedient to the message of God to be the mother of a holy child. Mary, full of humility, accepted the task that God gave her without many questions.

In our lives, sometimes we ask a lot of questions. Even though we can be strong at times, we lose the sense of obedience and respect along the way. As a result, we hurt other people unintentionally, especially if they are close to us. We become so quick to react that we react to a word without even thinking about it. We lack the reflective ability to simply listen and reflect on the meaning of the message given to us, and then be obedient and respect it.

 In the book of Steven Covey, "The 7 Habits for Effective People, the first habit is “Be Pro Active and Not Reactive.”  This is an extremely powerful book that has the potential to transform you into a better person. I am a very reactive person, but somebody once told me to “try to count from one to ten” before you give your opinion. I am grateful to that person, and when my friend recommended this book to me, I used it as a guide to becoming a better person. To first listen and consider the meaning of the situation before making any comments or making a decision, I respect the person and become obedient as long as it does not contradict my principles.

Lord, we pray that our listening capacity will be strengthened so we could be obedient to the message of God, just like Mary who listens, ponders, and becomes obedient to the thrust of God.