December 20 2024 - The choice for God (school mass)

 This morning’s Gospel should sound familiar to all of us. We heard it just last week, when we were all gathered together for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. 

In the Gospel, Mary of Nazareth is visited by the archangel Gabriel. She is called “full of grace”. Hail Mary full of grace, we pray, echoing the words of the angel. These words signify how God had prepared Mary by his grace from the moment of her conception. 

And now she is presented with a choice: will she consent to God’s will and become the mother of Jesus or not? Of course, Mary chooses God’s will because she has always chosen God’s will in her life. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord”—she has served God in every way she could from the moment of her existence, and now she will continue to serve God. Thanks be to God that Mary made the best choice she could possibly make in that pivotal moment.

Like Mary, each one of us is given a choice, every day. Will I choose to follow God’s will or not?

Will I treat others in a Godly way, or not. Will I pray today as I should, or not. Will I respect my parents, or not. Will I refrain from what is harmful to my mind and my body, or not. Will I use the time I’ve been given to cultivate my intellect, or not. Will I help others who are in need, or not. Will I do what I can to make the world a better place, or not.

Choice. Each of us, every day, are given choice. Our students might not feel like they have a lot of choices about a lot of things. But you do. Will you be kind, or not. Will you be patient, or not. Will you use your gifts and talents in a constructive way, or not. 

Mary trusted God, that choosing God’s will is always what is best. And so, we have this example of the blessed Virgin choosing God’s will just days before Christmas now to remind us of the importance of making good choices, godly choices, with the time we have before Christmas, and the time we are given every day.

We might not be able to control a lot of things about our world and our families or our places of work, but, we always have a choice to grow in holiness or not, to seek God’s will or not, to go through our day prayerfully or not.

May your Christmas break be filled with holy choices—choices to seek and surrender to the Holy Will of God in the circumstances of your life for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.