Brad Rozairo, OMI – Another new month has just dawned; as we know, it is dedicated to our Blessed Mother. During this month, I invite us to reflect on the vocation of Mary and her response to God.
Deciding for life at a very young age is not very easy, but we have a girl who responded to God’s invitation without knowing her future. Mary, our mother was a teenage girl when she became the Mother of Jesus. We learn from the Scriptures that when Mary was visited by an angel with a message from God, she accepted it and surrounded herself to God by saying, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
Whenever I preach on the response of Mary to God’s invitation, I wonder how she lived her “YES” through the ups and downs of so much change and challenge. When Mary’s pregnancy became evident, it would have been a huge scandal for her family, and rumors of her having committed adultery probably spread throughout her village; as a mother of a future Savior, she may have expected her son to be born in a palace, instead, he was born in a lowly manger; as Mary was experiencing joy in receiving her firstborn, there was a threat to his life, therefore, together with Joseph she had to flee to an unknown land for child’s safety; when her son was twelve years of age, she lost track of him and must have experienced agony and anxiety. These are a few among many instances where our blessed Mother would have experienced pain and suffering. She also would have had doubts about God’s plan for her, but she kept to her “YES” till the end. She accepted the unexpected with courage and trusted in God’s providence.
We need the courage to accept the unexpected. I am sure many of us have experienced it in our lives. I remember after the ordination, I received my first obedience from the Superior General to our mission in Japan. I thought as a priest I would serve my people in Sri Lanka, but God decided otherwise. It was not easy to read what was written because I never dreamed of going to Japan! The letter of obedience brought fear and anxiety. I began questioning myself: Am I the right person? Am I prepared for the mission? When there are many Oblate brothers and priests in Sri Lanka, why I was chosen to go abroad as a missionary? I had more questions than answers. After some time as I tried to calm myself down, I realized that when obedience is given, I cannot refuse to accept it because it is an invitation from God. Therefore, having prayed over and reflected on my obedience, I was able to accept the plan of God for me.
To say “YES” to an unexpected invitation is not very easy, but I believe that in this regard, our blessed Mother becomes an excellent example for us. She knew how to trust God and surrender herself totally to Him. Therefore, let us learn from her example by saying “YES” to the plan of God for every one of us. During this month of May, as we reflect on Mary’s vocation, let us pray that we may have the courage to let go of our plans and allow God to take over our lives. Let our prayer be, “Thy will be done”.
