MARY’S YES:

An Exemplar Obedience
to God’s Call
by
Erwin Joey E. Cabilan
 Guide Questions:

• Who is Mary for you?

• What particular experiene that has
led you to articulate such
understanding on Mary?
• What happened to you after
realizing the significance of the said
experience?
Deepening
 FIRST POINT
Experiences, either
personal or
collective, are
channels of
discovering how
importance life is!
Experience is not only the best Teacher.
It can also be a means
to find a real Lover!
 SECOND POINT
Significant Human
Experiences can
be relayed in many
ways!
 THIRD POINT
Stories are
powerful. They
can transform us!
Possible changes that can happen:

Change of
perspective
Change of lifestyle
Change of
behaviour
Change of heart
Since two thousand years ago……
….her personal story has touched
many lives.
….and still her story continues to be
listened to and read over and over
again.
…. and even until now, many have
been transformed!
Her Story, The Story
(Luke 1: 26-38)
Guide Questions for Reflection:
• Describe the dialogue between the angel
and Mary.
• What are some of the keywords of the
Gospel passage that struck you most?
• Do you think it was easy for Mary to give
her YES to God’s invitation as relayed by
the angel? Why?
• If you were Mary, would be willing to take
God’s invitation? Why?
Understanding the Story
1. The Annunciation is a process.

Dialogic
Historical (it
happened within
time’s
sheerness)
Dynamic
2. God has willed to save humanity
with human collaboration.
In Salvation History,
God called men and
women to be His
partners in carrying
out His Saving Plan.
When God called
Mary, He, himself,
broke the Jewish
social custom.
Mary is the « favored
one » of God
(Kecharectomene)
Mary was destined for
a « special mission ».
 3. Mary’s obedience was a
response out of freedom.
God never forced Mary.
Mary’s YES is her gift to
God and to all humanity.
Mary is a « Slave of
God ».
Mary’s fiat is a life-long
commitment.
Keypoints to Ponder:
 1. Mary’s YES is active.

It is her participation in
God’s Plan of saving
and liberating humanity.
It is a courageous act of
a young lady.
 2. Mary’s YES is a lifetime
commitment.

Mary’s expression of her

life of integrity.
She is a woman of Faith,
Hope and Love.
3. Mary’s Yes is Christocentric.
God has been so
gracious to all
humanity.
By having favor on
Mary, God looks
tenderly on all of us.
Mary’s Yes means
allowing God to enter
into her SPACE where
God can work
« wonders ».
 4. Mary’s YES means her
willingness to be a missionary.
Mary is the first
disciple of Jesus.
Her being a mother
to Jesus is her
expression of being
a follower of Jesus.
Values: Service,
obedience and
availability
5. Mary’s YES is Mary’s Prayer.
Prayer leads us to know
oneself, others, creation
and God.
Prayer makes us
discover and do
God’s will.
Prayer is not just a
« moment », it is above
all, « life »!
 How can we know God
and His will in a context………
that is clouded by
fear?
that is shrouded by
uncertainties?
that is filled with
insecurities?
where, seemingly,
God is absent?
Challenges:
1. To live a life of generosity
2. Make SERVICE as a lifetime
commitment.
Know one’s talents and
skills
Share them for the
common good and for
others to experience
God’s graciousness.
3. To live a life of integrity
Integration of
Head-Heart-Hands
Living the Faith
with unwavering
Hope and
concretized by
Love.
To preach-To
bless-To Witness
Living in the spirit of Mary
is the surest way
of being united
with Jesus!
My Story+Your Story+God’s Story =
OUR LOVE STORY
 A Prayer
Mother Mary,
full of Grace,
help us to think in a way that
you think,
to love in a way that you love,
and to act in a way that you
act.
Through these, I can be
intimate with Jesus,
Your Son, our Brother,
our Lover and our Friend
not only today
but forever and always.
Amen.
Daghang Salamat!