This Advent season we are invited to contemplate Mary

During Advent we are invited to contemplate Mary, a young girl from Nazareth among many others... Mary could have legitimately said ‘no’ to the mysterious proposals of the Angel Gabriel, who was God’s messenger. And God would certainly have respected her freedom, because we have a God who wanted us free and created us so, to the extent that we can actually say ‘no’ to him, and shut the door of our heart. Mary could have freely said ‘no’ to the Word of God. And yet she answered, "Behold the servant of the Lord; let everything happen to me according to your word "(Lk 1:38). Mary’s answer was a free adhesion to the will of God, to his loving plan. It was not a ‘yes’ of convenience...

Mary was aware that with her ‘yes,’ she would take part in the loving plan desired by God since all eternity. She understood that she too was in the Lord’s thoughts, to fulfill his purpose; that she was conceived and prepared by Him to make this project happen. This is the very meaning of the feast of the Immaculate Conception that we just celebrated in the middle of Advent.

Mary is the icon given to us to accompany us as we wait for the Christmas feast. She is the icon of Hope, Love and Faith. Let us contemplate her so that she will obtain for us these three theological virtues, to allow the Lord to be born in us each day, with freedom and trust.

Father Joseph Bavurha Bahati, pastor of the Saint Chamas (Bouches-du-Rhône, France)