This Advent, commit yourself to saying “just one yes”

Have you ever wondered what one “yes” could do? When the Archangel Gabriel announced to our Blessed Mother, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women,” and then proceeded to tell her she had been chosen to be the mother of the divine Savior, she replied, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your Word.” Simply stated, Mary said “yes.” What if she had said “no” to God? We would be without a Savior, true God who became true man, who perfectly revealed God’s truth and love to us, who suffered, died and rose for our salvation. We would remain in darkness, and the gates of heaven would remain closed. Mary’s one “yes” made all the difference in the world for each and every one of us.

This Advent, commit yourself to saying “just one yes.” Advent is a time to not only remember the first coming of our Savior born on Christmas Day, but also a time to prepare once again for His coming into our lives anew. Moreover, we see that so many people need to be awakened to the presence of Christ and accept Him to be their Savior, especially people who are trapped in sinful lifestyles, who have abandoned the faith, who are ignorant of truth, and who are starving for love.

Therefore, like our Blessed Mother, we must also do our part to ignite a “yes” in the lives of others. Through our “yes” we can storm Heaven to pour forth abundant graces not only to embolden ourselves as better disciples, but also to crack and change the most hardened of hearts to say “yes” to Jesus.

Adapted from an article by Fr. Saunders, for the Arlington Catholic Herald, December 2019

Father William Saunders is pastor of Our Lady of Hope Church in Potomac Falls and professor of catechesis and theology at Notre Dame Graduate School of Christendom College in Virginia, USA.