obedience, a sacrifice of will and reason - annunciation 2019

The feast of the annunciation is a feast celebrating the virtue of obedience, both the obedience of Christ and the obedience of Mary. Sin entered into the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve.  Salvation entered the world through the obedience of Jesus and Mary. 

In the letter to the Hebrews in our second reading we find a quotation alluding to the obedience of Jesus.  Here Jesus is made to say:  "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,but a body you prepared for me.”  This is a quotation of Psalm 40 except for the last part which should have read, “but my ears you have opened.”  Probably wanting to emphasize the complete obedience of Jesus he used “but a body you have prepared for me.”  So now it is not just simply ears listening and obeying, it is now the whole body being offered in humble submission to God will.  

In the gospel, Mary said. May it be done to me according to your word.  She had wanted to explore further the question beginning with, how can this be since I do not know man.  Instead after that, she decided ti simply keep quiet and follow.  Again the humble submission of Mary to the Lord’s invitation for her to bear and give birth to the Savior.

Obedience ukon ang pagkamasinulondon is a sacrifice more pleasing than any other sacrifices because it is a sacrifice of something that is basic to our humanity. 

First, it is sacrifice of my will.  I want to do this, I want to do that.  Now surrender that and allow God’s will to lead you. 

 Second, it call too for a sacrifice of reason.  This is the best way, this is the better way.  Now surrender that too and allow God’s wisdom to lead you.  

To surrender our will and intellect can be difficult.  Difficult, because many times it could lead to that.  That is why it is the most desirable sacrifice to God, more than holocausts and bullocks and rams.