The Gospel of Yes Daily Reflection for Dec. 19, 2023
DECEMBER 19, 2023
TUESDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT
A YES AFTER I FIRST SAID NO
OPENING PRAYER:
COME, HOLY SPIRIT. I welcome you into my heart as Mary did. Come with power. Help me to offer my own yes to God the Father, saying with trust: “May it be done unto me according to your word.”
TODAY’S THOUGHT:
What happens if I don't say yes at first? What happens if, for some reason, I say no and then later change my mind? Is it too late? Have I completely messed things up forever?
We've spent some time this Advent looking at St. Joseph alongside Mary. While Mary gave a generous and complete yes to the Lord right at the beginning, Joseph needed a little extra help from the Lord:
"When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home…’” (Matthew 1:18-20)
Joseph was a good and upright man, so his initial "no" wasn't due to any sin on his part. He just made a decision that was different than what the Lord had planned. Thankfully, the Lord came to him in the dream and helped set things right.
The Lord will also help us when our first choice is not a wholehearted and generous yes. But what about when it's due to our own sin that we say no? Then what happens?
Jesus teaches about this exact situation, telling us that his great mercy allows us to say yes after we first said no:
“Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: 'What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did his father’s will?” They answered, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.'" (Matthew 21:28-32)
This is such great news, and so encouraging for us! Even when we first say no, God's grace and mercy allow us to change our minds and say yes. Today, let's take the Lord up on this offer.
TODAY’S PRAYER:
When our no to the Lord is a result of our sin, it is good to know that God's mercy allows us to change our minds and say yes. Pray through these verses from Isaiah that capture the Lord's invitation to come back to him:
"Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their way, and sinners their thoughts; let them turn to the Lord to find mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving." (Isaiah 55:6-7)
What areas of your life need this mercy and a new "yes" to the Lord?
FOR YOUR REFLECTION:
Apparition of the angel to Saint Joseph. Engraving. Holy Bible, 19th century.
In this engraving from a 19th-century Bible, we see the apparition of the angel to St. Joseph, asleep in the workshop, surrounded by wood. The Greek New Testament word for Joseph's trade was tekton (see Matthew 13:55), which we have traditionally translated as carpenter, but really meant a craftsman of either wood or stone. Wood is certainly a more forgiving medium for a craftsman than stone. It is easier to cut and shape, easier to work with. In light of today's reflection ("A Yes After I First Said No"), the wood that surrounds Joseph in this engraving becomes a powerful image of how pliable Joseph is in the hands of the Lord. Joseph allowed the Lord to change him, to move his no to a yes.
As we continue these days of Advent, pray and ask the Lord to be pliable and docile to him. Is there any area of your life where you offered a "no" to him? If so, allow him to bend your "no" back, to offer a yes where you first said no.
Woodworkers know that bending and shaping wood is a two-step process: first, it must be softened, then it is formed and bent into the desired shape. Craftsmen use steam or boiling water to soften the wood, or they create multiple cuts on the back of the wood using a saw. Once the wood is made pliable, it can then be shaped. Spiritually, we too must be softened to the Lord, in order to offer a yes where there had first been a no. In what way might the Lord need to soften you this Advent to bend your will more to his own?
For your continued prayer today, reflect on how the Lord might be working to soften your heart. While it may not feel good in the moment, don't resist the work of the Lord to help you offer an even more generous yes to him.