God initiates the “Christ event” with Mary, a simple Jewish girl of the lowest social status. The God who created all things makes the fulfilment of His promise dependent upon one of the most disadvantaged and powerless of his creatures. Yet God exalts her humility, her simplicity, and her trust in His love and mercy. God’s favour belongs to the poor, the rejected, the abandoned and the forgotten among us today. In His becoming human in the Son of Mary, God enters human history, thereby showing us how to live God-like, grace-filled, holy lives of compassion, forgiveness and justice.

Mary did not know what saying ‘Yes’ to God involved, but she accepted unconditionally, and her acceptance was never withdrawn. Through her life of trials and tribulations, including those terrible moments as she stood beneath the Cross and saw her only Son die in agony and shame as a common criminal, she never once withdrew her ‘Yes’. Let that be a message for us. We too are called in our own special way to give birth to Jesus in our daily lives. We too are called to say ‘Yes’, and follow Jesus unconditionally. Now is the time for us to renew that pledge with Mary’s help and follow her example. Her response illustrates God’s unbounding love. God’s invitation to Mary is also His invitation to us: Say Yes to God and experience His generosity and love. Let us also live, practice, and share our faith by saying Yes, daily, to God.  

Keep Christ this Christmas. Jesus is the reason for the season.

To our parishioners and visitors of Sacred Heart Parish Calgary – 

Have a blessed Christmas and wonderful celebration of Christ’s Nativity!

Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam!  For the greater glory of God!