IF YOU ARE going to approach someone for help or if you will invite someone what is the first thing that you will ask? For example if you are going to invite a VIP to an important event what will be the first thing you will ask him or her? Oftentimes, the question is “Are you available or puwede ka ba”? This I believe is what God had in mind when He sent the Angel Gabriel to appear to Virgin Mary at the moment of the Annunciation. “Are you available? Are you free for me? Are you available to do something for me?” Many times it always boils down to a question of AVAILABILITY.
In the 4th Sunday of Advent, the Gospel recounts how Virgin Mary gave her YES to the Angel Gabriel, she gave her fiat to the Angel Gabriel and in doing so she made herself completely available to God. This is the meaning of Virgin Mary’s fiat, this is the meaning of Virgin Mary’s YES. When Virgin Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the Angel Gabriel departed from her. This is Virgin Mary saying YES to God. This is Virgin Mary offering herself completely to the Lord. This is Virgin Mary allowing God to use her 100 percent.
I am sorry but I cannot help it. After thinking of this I realize how different we are from the Blessed Mother. Virgin Mary gave her YES and made herself completely available to God but we are simply very, very different. Unlike Virgin Mary, tayo laging busy, tayo laging merong ibang ginagawa. When God ask us to do something we say, “Iba nalang busy ako eh. Hindi po ako nakakapagsimba busy po ako eh. Walang po akong time magdasal busy po ako. Nasa bakasyon po ako hindi ako nakapagsimba kasi may tour kami.
How different we are from the Blessed Mother, hindi ba the First Commandment “I am the Lord your God. Thou shall not have no other gods before me.” Hindi ba dapat No. 1 si Lord, hindi ba dapat you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength. Alam naman natin ‘yun di ba? Pero bakit in practice lagi nalang last or nasa huli si Lord. Alam nyo naiinggit ako sa Iglesia Ni Cristo, I have been told by people who work in human resources department ang INC daw pag nag-apply sa trabaho sila na nag-aapply ang magbibigay ng kundisyon, “Iglesia po ako araw ng samba namin ang huwebes hindi po ako puwedeng magtrabaho.” Bakit sila talagang unang-una ang Diyos, una ang samba. They courageously make it a condition when they apply for work. Hindi ba dapat mauna ang Diyos kesa sa trabaho pero again in practice iba talaga.
The Simbang Gabi last 4th Sunday of Advent confronts us with the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Blessed Mother was the first disciple, the first follower of the Lord, and therefore our model, our example of discipleship, our disciple of following the Lord. When Virgin Mary gave the Angel Gabriel her fiat, may she inspire us to build our life so that we too may learn to always say YES to God in the ordinary events of our life, and may the fiat of Virgin Mary be a challenge to each one of us. All of us are devotees of the Blessed Mother, many of us pray the Rosary and the Novenas to our Blessed Mother, let us learn to pray to her but above all to imitate her in our daily life. Like Virgin Mary, may we learn to give our fiat, our YES to God. Like Virgin Mary, may we allow God to use us for whatever He wants like Virgin Mary. May we be available, available always to God.
