"Faith, in its deepest essence," says Pope John Paul II, "is the openness of the human heart to the gift: to God's self-communication in the Holy Spirit." This is precisely what Adam and Eve closed themselves to by sinning, and what Mary opened herself to at the Annunciation as we heard in today's gospel. Through her "Yes", her "fiat"; that is, "Let it be done to me according to your word", she opened herself to the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, and gave flesh to God's Only Begotten Son.

She brought about that "obedience of faith" that we heard St. Paul speak of in his letter to the Romans. She became that temple, and even more; a living temple, that King David so desired to build for the Lord God. All because of her "Yes"; her "obedience of faith".

Likewise, we are all called to an obedience of faith. We too are called to be holy. However, often times we either reject the call or accept it halfheartedly and reluctantly. I mean, let's face it, we humans have, more often than not, rejected "the gift" from the very beginning.

A few examples will help illustrate my point. We are created in the image and likeness of God according to HIS plan. And we are powerless without Him. And so, everything that we have, everything that we need, we have because God gives it to us. Our very "being" is a gift from God and likewise, all that is necessary to sustain life is a gift. Love itself is a gift from God. Without God there would be NO love, NO life and NO gift. Yet when it comes to humbly accepting the gifts God offers to us according to HIS will, each according to God's divine plan, we often say, not according to your will but rather, "let it be done to me according to MY will.

For instance, God gave us the gift of procreation. He said, be "fruitful and multiply". Yet, we live in a culture that promotes the rejection of God's gift of co-creation through contraception and abortion. This has created a disposition of the heart quite different from Mary's "YES". Instead of saying to the Lord and Giver of Life, "Let it be done to me according to your will," what people are really saying through THESE actions is, "Let it be done to me according to MY will."

Being created in the image and likeness of God, we were created with a divine dignity, so to speak. An awesome gift that no other creature can boast of. A gift that demands our total respect for other human persons and the dignity of human life. Yet the world is full of slavery, prostitution and pornography. When we turn on the news it is filled with acts of terror, murder, torture, rape and all sorts of violence that rail against the dignity of the human person. What people are really saying through these actions is, "Let it be done to me according to MY will."

But St. Paul said, where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. And the Blessed Virgin Mary is our greatest model of grace as we heard in today's gospel, "Hail, Full of Grace!". Although she was, as the scriptures say, "troubled with what the angel had said to her, she humbly accepted her call through "obedience of faith" and said Yes! I am the handmaid of the Lord. In other words, "Yes Lord, I am here to serve YOU. Let it be done to me according to YOUR word.

This obedience displayed by Mary was not obedience out of FEAR. Rather it was obedience out of LOVE. Our culture proffers obedience as behavior under authority. Sort of a negative spin in the context of our behavior. You MUST obey because it is the LAW. Or, you will obey me because I'm your father, (under penalty of the strap!) Although this is partly correct, obedience is not just from punitive and juridical motivation. Our motivation to obey the will of God should be only 10% negative. The other 90% should be out of LOVE. Just as Mary's motivation was out of LOVE. We are called to obedience out of LOVE; out of a loving relationship with the Lord.

Yes, Mary was perhaps frightened. But scripture tells us, "perfect love casts out fear". And Mary's love for God cast out all fear in her fiat, her "Yes" when she said, "Let it be done to me according to your word." If we continue to read St. Luke's gospel, we are immediately told of the visitation of Mary to her kinswoman, Elizabeth. And the conversation that transpires is of utmost importance to us. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting the scriptures tell us…

These words are a beautiful exchange between Elizabeth and Mary. Yet, the following words not only pertain to Mary but also pertain to us…Elizabeth continued by saying…

St. Ambrose tells us that "we are blessed because we have heard and believed." He says, "a soul that believes, both conceives and brings forth the Word of God and acknowledges His works."