Posted on 03/25/2015 10:46:15 PM PDT by Steelfish
Because Mary Said “Yes…” — A Reflection For The Solemnity of the Annunciation of Our Lord
March 25, 2011 by Fr. Thomas Rosica
Standing in the middle of the present day city of Nazareth is the mammoth Basilica of the Annunciation, built around what is believed to be the dwelling of Mary. In a grotto-like room at the heart of the basilica is a small inscription on an altar. It reads, “verbum caro hic factum est,” here the Word became flesh. There, it is believed, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, and her response changed the world forever.
Imagine yourself in Mary’s place, asked to say “yes” to a divine plan so vast, so profound and so seemingly impossible that you cannot comprehend it. “How can this be?” she asks, bewildered. She is rooted in the faith of her ancestors, and yet now an angel has appeared in the midst of everyday life, extending a startling invitation. “You have found favor with God,” the angel says, “and you will conceive and bear His Son.” Will she accept?
It is Mary above all others who can teach us what it means to live by faith, and how to respond when God’s providence disrupts the daily course of our lives, overturning its rhythms and expectations. Despite her fears and uncertainty over how this promise could be fulfilled, she still answered “Yes.” Are we able to respond to God this way?
When we reflect on the Annunciation to Mary, and her acceptance of the angel’s message, we also reflect on our own vocation — our own calling from God. In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” — an echo of Mary’s “Be it done unto me according to your word.”
Each time we commit ourselves to embracing God’s call and accepting His will, we mark a new point on the path of our relationship with Him. For the rest of her life, Mary pondered her extraordinary encounter with God, turning the weight of the angel’s message over and over again in her heart. From the manger to the cross, Mary’s life was radically changed — her relationship with God profoundly deepened — the moment she said “Yes.”
Mary received and welcomed God’s Word in the fullest sense — becoming impregnated with it, and bearing it to the world. Angels might not appear in our doorsteps, but we do encounter God in each of our daily prayers, and he whispers to us a similar invitation: Will we accept His love and bring it joyously to those around us? Will we trust in His providence, even when we can’t see the path ahead? Amid the noise of everyday life, will we listen for and embrace his call?
When making his pilgrimage to the Basilica of the Annunciation, Pope Benedict XVI offered this prayer to the humble Virgin of Nazareth. It speaks for all of us who likewise seek to accept God’s will with joy:
Mary, Mother of the “Yes,” you listened to Jesus, and know the tone of his voice and the beating of his heart. Morning Star, speak to us of him, and tell us about your journey of following him on the path of faith."
I suppose you may have a different standard of trashing. It began on the first page of this thread.
Although I cannot read any of the many deleted posts, I do see post 25:
Mary didn't live by faith...She can't teach us anything about faith...She lived by sight...
She saw and talked to an angel...She became pregnant without a sexual relationship...There was no faith for Mary to be an example of...
Come on CB....you know catholics don't answer questions!
It would be through Isaac that Abraham's seed would be named.
Genesis 21:12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Ishmael is called the seed of Hagar but never called the seed of Abraham. It was 13 years after the birth of Ishmael that God changed Abram to Abraham and promised:
Genesis 17:7 "And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your seed after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your seed after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.
Notice that God never said He would be the God of the seed of Hagar. When Abraham said he wanted Ishmael to live before God he was told no that it was going to Isaac.
Genesis 17:18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! 19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
God never said He would be a God to Ishmael. He said He would be a God to Isaac.
I serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I do not serve the same god as the Muslims.
And all Christians say the same thing.
And Muslims say the same thing. The Catechism takes Jews, Christians and Muslims at their word on this. There’s nothing wrong with that.
I know Jews do.. and Christians do... But Mohammedans DO NOT. That is the issue. It doesn't matter HOW much the Roman Catholic Cult wants to try to justify its non-justifiable position, it does NOT change FACT.
Do you think the God of Abraham teaches us kill infidels (although if Rome does, it's a mighty convenient explanation for the Inquisitions)? Do you think the God of Abraham sanctions child abuse? Do you think the God of Abraham teaches that Jews are to be murdered? That's what the Mohammedan's "God of Abraham" teaches.
Now... square THAT with the one true, living God... THE God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David... who set the Jews apart for himself...
So go ahead and post the spin of somebody trying hard to prove that right is wrong and dark is light... what does 841 SAY?:
841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."
So...start spinning. I want to hear it. This has nothing to do with how someone in the Roman Cult interprets the word "profess" (hmmm... sounds oddly like Bill Clinton and his wandering definition of "is"...) -- nothing -- read on where it says and I've highlighted:
"...those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims...."
Now. How does Rome interpret "the Creator" -- are there two? How many are there? Is not THE Creator, God Almighty, Yaweh, THE God of Abraham? Hmm? I believe He is! And, here in all of it's apostate glory is the Roman Catholic Church TEACHING that Muslims believe in the same "Creator" as Catholics! YOU CANNOT SPIN THIS. It's right there, in black and white.
But wait! There's more!
"...and together with us they adore the one, merciful God,"
Did you catch that? "...together WITH US [that's all of the Roman Catholic Cultists out there] they [that would be the Mohammedans] adore the one, merciful God,"
This one is really going to be tough for you. So... in the CCC, Rome TEACHES that Catholics and Muslims "adore the one, merciful God."
Which one? The one of one type of profession, or some other type of professed god? Because, I'm here to tell you, it's saying that you BOTH believe in the same god.
Muslims don't believe in Yahweh. They don't believe that Christ is the Son of God. But the Roman Catholic Church says that Catholics and Muslims adore the one merciful God.
Rome is hoist on its own petard. You cannot have it both ways. And the apostasy and heresy is right there in it's own Catechism, being taught as truth.
So... explain to me again how Rome does not teach falsehood? And while you're at it, do try to justify how Rome doesn't believe in the same false god of Islam -- it teaches that Rome does, so fit that in with the whole "doesn't teach falsehood" thing you've got going.
Hoss
Sounds logical...In a man's failed wisdom sort of way...But that logic only shows a person's ignorance of the rest of the scriptures that explain this operation which has been posted on this and numerous threads on FR in the past...
Your Catechism, not mine:
"841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."
It's in black and white. I'm not saying it. Your "Church" is.
Hoss
Because Catholics have redefined the word thus deteriorating the bible in yet another way.
Projection is an ugly thing.
Hoss
Do Jews say they serve the God of Abraham?
Don’t Muslims say they serve the God of Abraham?
Don’t Christians say they serve the God of Abraham?
I see....
Saying and Doing be a wee bit different...
Apples and golf balls...You can't include Jews in the mix...They're a special group...The Jews have an exemption...
The scriptures are clear. We do not look for another young woman who is a virgin to conceive and call her son Immanuel. Miriam/Mary is the mother of Immanuel. Thus Miriam/Mary is the mother of "God with us" and it is thus according to the scriptures. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Isaiah, Catholic chapter seven, Protestant verse fourteen,
Matthew, Catholic chapter one, Protestant verses twenty two to twenty three,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James
You may shed some light here. I suspected much of the opposition is primarily due to something being considered "Catholic."
Nope...The muzlim religion came about after the Crucifixion of Jesus...Long after the bible was written...And long after the Trinity was revealed in scripture...
The muzlims willfully reject the Trinitarian God...Their god is unitarian...It is not the same God that Christians worship...It is not the God of Abraham...
The eyes of the minds of the Jews have been blinded so they for the most part can not see the Trinity, FOR NOW...The muzlims and Mormons have no excuse...
A “church” that can’t differentiate between the God of scripture and the god that Muslims serve is surely NOT the “church” that Christ instituted.
Although I cannot read any of the many deleted posts, I do see post 25:
Mary didn't live by faith...She can't teach us anything about faith...She lived by sight...
She saw and talked to an angel...She became pregnant without a sexual relationship...There was no faith for Mary to be an example of...
Trashing Mary??? That's ridiculous...That's trashing the false teaching of your religion relating to Mary...The ox that was gored is not Mary's, it's YOURS...With biblical truth...
I’m not going to answer for other people’s comments. An accusation was made against me, and I was responding to that accusation.
The scriptures are clear??? Your religion doesn't even bother with the scriptures except a cherry pick here and there...
Jesus didn't reveal himself as God til he was a grown man...And of course no one called Mary blest until after it was accepted that Jesus was the Messiah...Up til then Mary was just another young Jewish woman raising a family...
And it seems Jesus gave up any real connection to his birth family...Jesus knew his 'real' family was on a spiritual plane as compared to the physical...Once Jesus got into 'God Mode' at the beginning of his ministry his physical family was not at front and center of his life...Jesus didn't even ensure they got front row seats at his crusades...In fact, Jesus waved his family off while standing on the stage bellowing like Billy Graham shouting, YOU are my mother, YOU are my brothers and sisters...The crowd got more media recognition than Mary or her kids...
It was later generations who would look back at Mary and call her blest...And she surely was...
'God with us' was not a reality until Jesus started preaching and gained massive momentum as the apostles started spreading the word...Mary was not in the picture except as an after thought...
That bears repeating...Again and again...
“No, there is an a New Ark - just like there is a New Adam.”
Show me the Scripture then.
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