Today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, and our parish feast day. I think when many people hear the name of our parish they think it is “St. Mary, the Joyful.” Yet, the “Cause of Our Joy,” has nothing to do with how Mary was personally feeling, it a reference to the JOY that Mary brought to the world by saying “yes” to God’s request to bring Jesus into the world. If you have ever prayed the rosary you know the mysteries, which start with the Annunciation, walk us through the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and finally Glorious times in Mary’s life.
Mary’s journey started with a “yes” to being a mother that was only witnessed by an Angel. It also took her to the worst of days that involved the death of that son, but it continued to his glorious resurrection. We also remember that after her death, she becomes the ‘Queen Mother,’ when she crowned the Queen of Heaven and Earth. On this Palm Sunday, in which we remember Jesus triumphantly entering Jerusalem, don’t be afraid to give your own “yes” to God. You may have your own ‘Good Friday’s,’ but even when the path seems the worst, remember that there is also another Easter coming. Even if you don’t get recognition in this life, I pray that you will also get a Crown of Sainthood in Heaven. Let this be the Cause of Our Joy.
