Homily for Dec 20, 5th Day before Christmas

For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/122007.shtml

Mary is called the Queen of Vocations for a good reason. Oftentimes we evaluate our vocation on whether we are 'doing' God's will. But Mary teaches us that before we can 'do' God's will, we must first receive God. Mary's response to the angel Gabriel is critical to understanding our vocation. She does not say - ok, I will do it - even though this would have been a good thing to say. No, Mary says instead - let it be done to me. In Mary's response, there is no denial of her freedom to act. Instead, her freedom is elevated by her extraordinary receptivity. She receives a vocation instead of 'doing' a vocation, and she reminds us that before we can do God's will, we must first be self-forgetful enough to receive God. We must let the the Holy Spirit overshadow our own expectations. This can be hard to do, especially for guys. Before we can imitate our Lord, we must first receive Him and allow Him to elevate our humanity. Mary prepares us in these final days of Advent to be ready to receive our Lord as She did, both at the annunciation and at the nativity!