I Come To Do Your Will
We should constantly reflect on the trajectory of human history as both a warning and as a sign of great hope. If we consider to be true the official teaching of the Church on the state of humanity–that man was created in God’s Image and Likeness and possessed Original Justice, the state before our fall–then we would understand the severity of the state of our souls in the present moment. Every single one of us can recognize ourselves as sinners who at times choose to act against the will of God, even if we might be trying to actively seek Him out. Because of this, thinking about the state of humanity for the future is frightening; we were created for such greatness, but refused to live up to our calling. How can there possibly be any hope that comes from humanity after the fall?
While it is true that the vast majority of humans since the beginning of time have hindered rather than helped the salvation of humanity, we are so hopeful today because of the rare but consistent voices within our history who decided to say yes to God. God asked Noah to work against the evil of his society and build an ark to protect the blessed from impending destruction. He said yes. God called Abraham to leave his parents’ home and go to a distant land to father numerous nations. He said yes. God called Moses to go to the Pharaoh, lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, and return to the promised land. He said yes. There are many other figures who did the same thing, from the prophets to king David, even to Zachariah in the New Testament. The truth is that if this handful of extremely rare people had simply said no to God’s requests, humanity would be doomed. But their yeses allowed God’s promise to Adam and Eve immediately after the fall, the Protoevangelium, to remain in place until the proper time. Finally, we reached a moment in our history when a humble young girl, barely a teenager and unmarried, was asked to bring into this world the one who would establish everlasting and glorious salvation, not to a single group or nation, but to the entire world. She could have said no; after all, she clearly doubted her worthiness. But her response was marked by humility, obedience, and above all, assent: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
Today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of our Lord, when all of humanity received the news for the first time that the Christ was truly coming. It was no longer a promise or a hope; it was now actually going to happen, all because of a simple “yes” from a simple girl. However, all of the “yeses” that came before led up to this perfect, complete, and ultimate “yes.” It was a yes to our salvation. It was a yes to our victory over sin and death. God was going to save humanity, not by overriding our free will, but by using the free will of the few individuals who had the bravery and faithfulness to actually accept what all humans are called to be: servants of God and vehicles for His love. This must be celebrated, it must be remembered, and it must remind us of how fragile we actually are if not for those who had the courage to say yes to God. When God calls you to do His will, say yes. Words cannot express just how much the future of our faith and of our world depends on your yes.
Today's Readings:
