We now enter into the second week of Advent.  In this second week, we cannot ignore the fact that we begin and end the week with Marian celebrations.  On Monday, we celebrate the Immaculate Conception.  On Friday, we celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe.  On both days, the gospel that is proclaimed for those celebrations is Luke 1:26-28–the Annunciation– the encounter Mary has with St. Gabriel.

Now forgive me for mentioning St. Vincent in Latrobe a third bulletin in a row, but while I was on retreat, I was blown away by a beautiful mosaic found in the library on campus.  It is called “Say Yes to What God Asks of You.”  It was created by Brother Mark Floreanini, OSB from 2010-2025.  It is adapted from Fra Angelico’s painting of the Annunciation from 1440.

I was amazed by its beauty and size as it has to be over 15 feet tall.  But more than that, I was struck by the angel Gabriel’s placement in the scene.  In most scenes, the angel Gabriel towers above Mary, as Mary humbly bows her head in submission to God’s will.  But in this depiction, the archangel Gabriel kneels down to her as Mary stands above him.  God, in His humility, invites, nudges, asks, not in an overpowering way but in a way that waits and doesn’t coerce us.  The title of the artwork again is “Say Yes to What God Asks of You.”  As we receive this gospel twice this week, it may be a good time to take a moment and consider, “What is God asking of me?”  Oftentimes, the ask is not loud or overpowering, but comes quietly, persistently and in a non-threatening way.  During this season of Advent, put yourself in a place of quietude, a place where your heart may know and experience the ask of God.  It is one of the most important questions being asked of us.  Are we being too loud to listen?

Say Yes to What God Asks of You,
Fr. Jeremy