Day 9: Called to say 'yes' to God
Bible: Read Luke 1:26-38
‘In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.’
Read the passage through a couple of times. What words stand out to you from this passage? Why are they important for you today?
Reflection:
In the whole of our scriptures, is there a more powerful and beautiful reply to God’s call:
Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’
These powerful words are her ‘yes’ to the question that God was asking her through the angel’s message. Mary listens to what God is asking of her and responds with an open and willing heart even though she knows that stepping out in faith with God into the unknown future is full of risk. Because Mary responded in the way that she did, God was able to accomplish great things.
Have you enjoyed praying this vocation’s novena? What has been the highlight for you? Has God been speaking to you through the Bible reading and prayers? What has he been saying?
Prayer:
Pause for a few moments of reflection and sit with the question: What is God asking of me? Is he calling me to step out into some new ministry or adventure for him?
Pray for other people that you know are joining in this novena too. If you feel that God has spoken to you through these nine days of prayer, why don’t you have a chat with a friend about it or your priest at church? As we finish these nine days of prayer, we offer all that we have learnt, read, prayed and discovered to him in the words of these two prayers:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
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Paul