Note: Watch a video of Dean Woo's Advent Reflection here.

 Before we got married, my husband David and I talked about our greatest fears.  He, as an only child, was most worried about being a good parent as he had no confidence that he would know all the right things to do.  I, from a big family of six children, quickly dismissed his concerns and thought we could easily fit another person into our family; and that we have enough good sense to be good parents.

We were of course both blown away when our sons came into our lives.  David's concerns about parenting were not less relevant but they were completely subsumed by this incredible desire to love well and a sense that love would be our teacher.  Before my   problem-solving self kicked into action, I felt that our lives could never be the same as the babies in our arms were the closest experiences of God's presence and how He had entrusted a part of Himself with us.

When the angel Gabriel approached Mary, she was at first "greatly troubled" and afraid.  She did ask "how can this be?"  Gabriel then continued, not with details or a game plan on how Mary's future would unfold, but just stated simply that this is an invitation from God who had found favor with her.  He was enlisting her to bring about His grand plan for salvation.   By the way, for His part, God would send His spirit to her, His power to protect her and with Him, nothing is impossible.   To God, with God, Mary gave the second most celebrated "YES" in salvation history. 

We may think that the clarity by which Mary received her invitation is beyond our experience. But is it really?  Is God's invitation really that muffled that we cannot detect it? What about His words in Scriptures, His "yes" to His father, the miracles that fill our daily lives? Do we not know the desperate needs of so many people that make us realize there is work to do to bring about His kingdom here and now?

We frequently hear the call, but perhaps, we are afraid.  We think that we may not be able, may not have enough to share, may not be worthy.

We hear of the call and we think of all the things that can go wrong, the difficulties of leaving of what we know for what we do not know.  We forget that there is no call from God when He is not part of the package.   Did we stop to ponder in awe that the call of God is the chance to bring Him into our world. 

God calls all the time.

How about a "Yes?"