(路1:26-38)
我們不是渴望知道天主的旨意嗎？我們唸天主經時，不是願望天主的旨意奉行在人間，暢通無阻嗎？但是，當我們知道了天主的旨意後，有甚麼事物可能會阻礙我們承行天主的旨意呢？有！我們的旨意。
自由意志是天主賜給我們的寶貴禮物。有自由的意志，加上自由的環境，我們便可以選擇最有益的事物，無論這是對自己有益，抑或是對大眾有益。即使我們自私，選擇祗對自己有益的事物，天主也不會制止。因為天主尊重我們的自由意志，和疼愛我們。祂是絕對不會勉強我們得救成聖的。當然，所有後果應該自負，不應埋怨天主沒有救助我們。
當天使傳報瑪利亞天主的旨意時，她已訂婚，遲早也要過門完婚。為甚麼「將會懷孕」一事會「怎能成就」呢？
瑪利亞，妳真有福。但願我們也能作出如妳一樣的選擇。亞孟。
讓我們想像一個完美的少女的靈魂。她的願望是全心全意，以守貞的形式事奉天主。礙於父母之命，或者其他外在的原因，她不得不與若瑟結婚。她不斷祈求天主幫助她完成守貞的宿願。豈料天主的旨意竟然是要她懷孕生子…這個美麗的靈魂，祗作出微弱的抗議，表明心跡─「我不認識男人」。倘若瑪利亞堅持她的志願，天主是不會勉強她的。但瑪利亞自由地放棄了自己的旨意，作了一個為大眾有益的選擇─承行天主的旨意，成為救世主的母親。
Maria's Choice
(Luke 1:26-38)
Do we not desire to know the will of God? When we say the Lord's Prayer, don't we want God's will be done on earth without hindrance? But after we have known the will of God, what can possibly prevent us from doing God's will? Your will without Y --- Our will.
Free will is a precious gift which God gives us. With a free will and a free environment, we can choose what is the best, whether it is for ourselves or for common good. Even if we are selfish and choose what is good of us, God shall not stop us. It is because God respects our free will and loves us. He shall not force us to be saved, to be sanctified. Of course, we have to bear all the consequences and cannot blame God for not helping us.
When the angel told Mary God's will, she had already been betrothed and sooner or later would have her marriage consummated. Why was "you will conceive in your womb and bear a son" something "how shall this be"?
Mary, you are blessed indeed. We wish to make the same choice like you. Amen.
Let us imagine the soul of a perfect maid. Her wish was to dedicate her whole being to serve God in chastity. Due to parents' arrangement or some external factors, she was going to marry Joseph. She begged God continuously to make her wish come true. But God's will turned out to be that she would conceive and bear a son ... This beautiful soul only made a feeble protest to articulate her wish, "I know not a man". Were Mary to insist on her wish, God would not force her. But Mary freely abandoned her will and made a good choice for all of us --- to do God's will and became the Mother of the Saviour.
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