Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

We often speak of the beauty of yes. Mary’s fiat, her yes to God’s will at the Annunciation, echoed in the response of men and women to priesthood and religious life, is beautiful. It is most perfect in the yes of the Second Person of the Trinity assenting to the Father’s will, taking on flesh, dying and rising for us.

Yet, we should also consider the virtuous no. For all of Christ’s dynamic yes’s to life, healing, freeing, and redeeming sinners, He was known for His virtuous choices saying no to temptation. “No” in these circumstances was positive. God did not create sin or death, and He will not cooperate with evil. Consider how Jesus could have called on the hosts of heaven to oppose His execution – to meet human violence on its own terms – but to this he said no. As much as life is made up of actively choosing the good, it is also in rejecting viciousness.

We see that the positive yes and no come into play in the story of the call of Elisha. We should put no conditions on responding to God’s will. Our yes should be like the simplicity of a child. While faith is reasonable, rationalizing our way out of God’s will is the devil’s tool. And making a firm yes often requires a no to other options.

I have benefited greatly by taking a breath and considering different angles of a choice. However, many decisions require an immediate response. The right outcome only comes through habitually responding to the good, rejecting temptation, and conforming our self-will to the call of God. Let us ask for the grace of courage and discernment that our all of our yes’s and no’s will glorify Him.

Reflection by Fr. Pachomius Meade, OSB