mary's yes

As we end the liturgical year and our issue on vocations, I would like to reflect on Mary, the woman whose simple “YES” to God’s call made such a difference to our life today. Mary’s life is our model in answering and remaining faithful to God’s call. When the angel announced to her that she would be the Mother of the Messiah, she was troubled but she gave her ascent - “Be it done to me.” 

She kept in her heart the strange events of his birth and childhood, pondering them, struggling in her belief, even during those times she could not understand. She trusted in the power of his Son by calling His attention to a human need, in Cana. She continued to search for the meaning of her call by following her Son throughout Galilee. She protected him and brought him out of the way of some disbelieving people who called her Son a fool. She followed him in faithfulness even in his darkest moments on the cross and stood there to suffer with Him. She held Him in her arms and buried him, struggling in her belief. She rejoiced when her faith was affirmed in the resurrection three days later. She was there in the community of disciples affirming them with her presence as they waited for the coming of the Spirit.


Mary is the model of all vocations. For in the midst of gladness, doubts, humiliations, sufferings and the constant struggle to comprehend, she has shown herself faithful and constant in her “yes”. For the people of her time who have not understood the ways of the divine and the faithfulness of those He called, Mary was a fool, like all those people we wrote about and continue to do so in this issue. And yet we should never tire asking God for all the fools He could give us, for by their constant “yes” and fidelity to Him, we will always be given hope for a better world. We should never cease to pray for more fools who will follow Christ, the King of fools.

O God, Send us fools,
those who commit themselves totally
those who forget themselves,
those who love in more than words
those who truly give their lives
and until the end.

Give us fools, proud and fiery,
persons capable of making
the leap to insecurity,
to the surprises and uncertainties
of poverty.

Give us fools
who accept to be diluted among the masses,
without pretensions of erecting their own pedestals,
without using their superiority
for their own advantage.

Give us fools,
fools of the present day
in love with simple life,
lovers of peace,
pure of heart,
resolved never to betray,
ready to accept any task,
to help anywhere,
free and obedient,
spontaneous and tenacious, sweet
and strong

Give us fools, Lord
give us fools!

(Prayer of Christian Community)