On this feast of the Annunciation, I could not resist to share my reflections…

We often refer to the “ECCE and FIAT” of Mary as the core of our charism. These words were in former times, inscribed on the ring we received at our final vows. While the Latin may be outdated, the YES of Mary continues to inspire the life of every Franciscan Missionary of Mary. To be ready to say ‘yes’ to what God asks of me in the daily events of my life is what characterized the spirituality of Mary at Nazareth.

Returning after many years of missionary service ‘ad extra’, ‘reculturation’ has been my greatest challenge! The spoken and unspoken language often called for silence and self-emptying, yet the joy of uniting with the YES of the Word brought a deepening beyond measure. I cherish this time of my missionary life, which has brought a ripening in age and in maturity and a preparation for the final encounter.

Every year we celebrate the feast of the Annunciation in Lent – 9 months before Christmas. Mary of the Passion united the YES of Jesus in the Agony at the Garden at Gethsemane to the YES of Mary at the Annunciation. The YES of the Word to become human in the incarnation and to walk the painful road to Calvary for the salvation of the world was not easy. The self-emptying was a daily struggle for the God-Man, Jesus. Nor was it easy for Mary to say YES, in the face of misunderstanding with Joseph and in the culture of her time. She could have be stoned to death. Yet trust was the key… Nothing is impossible to God! May this trust animate our every YES today and, in the days ahead in the face of the current world situation. United with the YES of our sisters living in risk, may our FMM bond grows stronger for the salvation of the world.

Sr. Merlyn Dsa FMM