VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Although she was just a humble young woman from a small town, Mary’s total “yes” to God was “the most important ‘yes’ of history” and overturned Adam and Eve’s prideful “no,” which unleashed sin into the world, Pope Francis said.”With generosity and trust like Mary, may each of us say this personal ‘yes’ to God today,” Pope Francis prayed Dec. 8 as he recited the Angelus prayer with visitors in St. Peter’s Square on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.Even when they do not say “no” to God, human beings can be experts in saying, “yes, but …” to God, the pope said.”To avoid saying ‘no’ outright to God, we say, ‘Sorry, but I can’t,’ ‘Not today, but maybe tomorrow,’ ‘Tomorrow I will be better, tomorrow I will pray, I’ll do good tomorrow,'” he said. But in responding that way, “we close the door to what is good and evil profits.”Nevertheless, Pope Francis said, God keeps trying to reach out and save us. And through the “yes” of Mary, he became human, “exactly like us except for one thing, that ‘no,’ that sin. This is why he chose Mary, the only creature without sin, immaculate.”
Source: Mary shows what good comes from wholehearted ‘yes’ to God, pope says. Published 12/8/2016. World.
