In the Gospel this weekend, Mary responds with an emphatic “Yes!” when the angel Gabriel alerts her of God’s plan. She was clearly well prepared to say yes when called upon. How can we be so well prepared to say yes? It starts with finding additional ways to make room in our heart for Jesus. I would like to offer five items that may assist us with doing so:
- Quiet Our Hearts. This sounds easy enough, but as our lives are filled with busyness, it can be very difficult. A best practice would be simply to take five minutes a day for intentional quiet. It is in the quiet where we most often hear the Lord speaking to us, opening our hearts to His love.
- Heal Relationships. If our hearts are filled with brokenness or anger, we leave less room for Jesus. Calling someone to say “I’m sorry” is a surefire way to push anger out and usher love in.
- Reconcile with God. The most important relationship we have is with God. Sin puts distance between us and God. Confessing our sins is a powerful, Sacramental way to heal our hearts and draw us closer together.
- Invite God into our brokenness. We are all broken, sinful creatures. Inviting God into our brokenness allows us to make our hearts more whole.
- Partake in charity. When we partake in charity, we create hearts of mercy. The more often we do this, the more capable we are to sympathize and empathize with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
If we work to intentionally make room for Jesus in our hearts, we too, will be well prepared with our “Yes” when the opportunity presents. Our collective yes has the power to change the world.
