Breaking the Word

Annunciation of the Lord, Monday – 25^th March 2022 — Gospel: Lk 1,26-38

Mary’s Enabling Grace

God surely knows how to lay a heavy burden or responsibility on a person. Mary was left troubled, confused, and afraid of divine announcement. Yet she was able to say ‘yes’ to the angel’s invitation, because Mary was full of grace.  Grace is a gift that God has freely given to all, especially at an appropriate moment. There are many kinds of grace. For example, God gives the grace of salvation, the grace to believe, and the grace to die to oneself. In this manner, God gave Mary an “enabling grace”, which moved her to say resolutely, “Let it be done to me according to your word”. The grace of God acts in an individual like fuel, for it makes things happen. The grace clears uncertainties and helps to hold fast to firm decisions. As St.Paul says, “It is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil 2,13). Mary then becomes an icon of Grace, where God fills everyone with grace to accept His responsibility and gives strength to carry out that responsibility.

3^rd week in Lent, Thursday – 24^th March 2022 — Gospel: Lk 11,14-23

Gatherers are Lovers

Jesus doesn’t leave his followers on neutral ground: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters” (Lk 11,23). The principle illustrated is the impossibility of a state of neutrality in serving Christ, that is, neutrality here is opposition. The allusion may mean either to gather the sheep into the fold, and to scatter them by the wolf; or to gather the wheat, and bind it in sheaves, and bring it home into harvest; and to scatter of the wheat lose in the field, whereby it is lost, and comes to nothing. As followers of Jesus, we need to long to be gatherers, not scatterers. Gatherers are lovers. They embody the two greatest commandments: Love God and love one another. As gatherers, we love the Lord so much that we want to extend his Kingdom on earth to the best of our ability, according to our unique mission.