News! News! Everywhere there is news and it is sold everywhere and anytime. To filter good news from all these is very difficult.  Mother Mary celebrates the joyful news she received.

We remind the bride and groom during their wedding reception. Is this wedding as per your will or the will of your parents? No but this wedding is the plan of God for you. It was the plan of God to make Mary the Mother of God and that is why she received the message from God.

There are many of us who reject the message and opportunity that come our way and go on a path of destruction. We are asked every day, “Are you ready to bear the savior of the world?” the Kings and the wealthy waited for the birth of Messiah but God chose Mary and gave her the opportunity. Mary agreed without a second thought. This decision of Mary made her the Mother of God.

Should we not prepare ourselves to say yes to God? This openness is the first step towards a life of Spirit filled life. We should be prepared to say ‘No’ to sin. Mother Mary was able to discern the difference between yes and no and that is the secret behind her success.

Mother Mary gave importance to do the will of God rather than her own will. That is why she was able to say ‘Yes’ to God and proclaimed, ‘I am the handmaid of God.’ This is an opportunity for us to measure our strength of spiritual life. Are we able to say, ‘I am the handmaid of God’ in our trials and tribulations?

Let us experience the love of a mother through Mary. The love of the mother was with Jesus through the birth, his ministry, his death on the Cross and during the resurrection. Even today we feel the love of our Mother. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:32 -33). This was the promise of God but exactly the opposite happened in front of the eyes of Mary. But Mary trusted God and continued to shower her love. She teaches us the love of a Mother Tree.

Let us savor the heaven we received through Mary. God will make us a saint and lift us out of our ordinary life, just like an ordinary girl was touched by God, she became the blessed among women. This fills us with hope. When the Lord touches us we shall become a saint. Let us not belittle anyone. Let our prayer always be, “Mary Mother of God, continue to intercede for us.”

Fr Antony Parakkadavil