Third Friday of Advent

Gospel: Lk 1:26-38

"Let It Be Done Unto Me"

As Advent draws to a close, the Gospel reading for today invites us into the heart of Mary’s story. On this day, the Gospel recounts Mary’s encounter with the angel Gabriel, who brings a message that will change the course of history. Mary’s response, “Let it be done unto me according to your word,” is a declaration of trust and courage that resonates across time. It is a moment that calls each of us to reflect: how are we saying “yes” to God’s invitation to bring hope and justice in our lives and the Church?

In these final days before Christmas, the Church enters a space of expectant waiting. Yet this waiting is not idle. Like Mary, God calls us to prepare ourselves and our communities for the arrival of Christ, who comes to upend the structures of injustice and bring healing to the brokenhearted. As we approach the celebration of Christ’s birth, this reading also reminds us of the need for reform within the Church that mirrors the Gospel's justice, mercy, and radical inclusivity.

Mary’s “yes” was not given from a place of privilege or ease. She was a young, poor, unmarried woman—a figure of societal marginalization. Yet God chose her to carry the Incarnation. This story challenges us to reflect on whom we value in our Church today. Are we creating space for the Marys among us: women, LGBTQIA individuals, immigrants, Indigenous peoples, and those on the margins? Or are we content with preserving structures that exclude and silence?

This Advent reminds us that God’s invitation to Mary was not an isolated event. It is an invitation extended to each of us to say “yes” to the work of reform and renewal. As we confront the Church’s ongoing struggles, the Holy Spirit class us to embody Mary’s courage. Her fiat was not a passive submission but an active collaboration with God’s vision of justice and mercy.

The closing days of Advent also bring us face-to-face with the urgency of our time. To celebrate the birth of Christ without addressing the needs of the marginalized is to miss the heart of the Incarnation. Catholic Social Teaching calls us to uphold the dignity of every human being, to advocate for the oppressed, and to build a Church that genuinely reflects Christ’s love. How can we, like Mary, prepare to receive Christ by working for justice? How can we commit to fostering a Church that hears and values diverse voices?

Mary’s story reminds us that God works through the unexpected and the overlooked. As we prepare for Jesus' coming, let us embrace Mary’s radical openness to God’s will. May we, like Mary, say “yes” to God’s invitation, trusting that God is at work even in the messiness and uncertainty. May our “yes” pave the way for a Church that embodies the hope and justice of the Christ we await.

Tiffany Hunsinger is a PhD student in theology at the University of Dayton currently working on her dissertation on G.K. Chesterton and Catholicism in the US.