Saying Yes to God: Our Yes

Like the expectant Mary and Joseph, we all have a piece of God to bring into this world. We have been created and as such, the seeds of our creative possibilities remain within our core. How do we harvest these? How do we ready them? How do we audaciously trust that we have a “yes” to issue as well?

One way to begin is to put ourselves into the story of God.

Picture the manger scene. We can imagine the animals and even the angels. We can hear the cry of the newborn baby and feel the relief of his parents. We can see the star bright in the sky. But can we find ourselves within its rays? Where do we fit into this familiar miracle? Christ was born unto us. What does this mean? As we look for our place in the scene, we will ready ourselves to respond more deeply to it.

Advent Reflection



Use a few of these questions to prompt your reflection:

• If Mary’s “yes” to God led to Joseph’s, where do they both lead you?
• What do you imagine that God is growing in your life right now?
• Where in your life do you need Christ to enter the most?
• What is God’s invitation to you? How is it unbelievable? How is actually very possible?
• What will you co-create with God this year?
• What will change in your life when you say “yes”? What will stay the same?

Action Prompt

Think of an area that is not your strength. Perhaps it is a physical activity like running or a social skill like starting a conversation. Choose something that is difficult for you but imagine it as doable. Imagine that it is an invitation to which you can respond, “Yes!”

At the end of the day, look back on the activity and your response to it. What was your experience? How can this experience impact your faith? What is doable in your life because of your faith?

Prayer Prompt

Prayer is the practice of attending to that which true. When we pray, whatever method we use, we notice our needs, our desires, and our relationships more. Only by noticing what is within are we able to connect with that which is beyond ourselves. As such, prayer is our participation in the deepening of the sacred.

We practice this when we say, “yes.”

I invite you to finish this prayer:

Today, Yes is my prayer.
It is my Amen.
My Barukh atah Adonai¹.
My Peace Be with You.
Yes is my belief in all things possible.
God, hear my yes as I listen to yours… (write or imagine how God is affirming you—saying yes to you and the needs of your life.)

¹Beginning phrase of all Hebrew blessings. Translation, “Blessed are You, LORD”

Saying Yes to God: Joseph’s Yes | Saying Yes to God: Mary's Yes