On Wednesday 08 December 2021, Sr Teresa Hao FDZ renewed her vows. Let us reflect together with her on the “Yeses” of members in the Holy Family as the model for her vocational journey:
Every year it is so wonderful to reflect upon the “Yes” of mother Mary during the celebration of her Immaculate Conception as a model for our “Yes” to the Lord. However, this year I am inspired to meditate not only on the “Yes” of Mary or her Son’s but also the “Yes” of St. Joseph, her spouse as we celebrate the culmination of the jubilee year of St. Joseph (Dec 08, 2020 – Dec 08 2021).
As we know the “Yes” of mother Mary to conceive the Son of God is the “Yes” of a person willing to take an adventure, to entrust herself totally to God’s plan. She had the spirit of zeal to dedicate her whole life in God’s hands. She was faithful to say “Yes” until the end of her life – the “Yes” at Golgotha to be a mother of the Church and our mother.
Like a mother, like a son! Jesus had His “Yes” to give His whole life to humanity before He was born on earth. That “Yes” was to accept a poor life since He was born and He completed his faithful “Yes” by His death on the cross.
Likewise, when Joseph said his “Yes” to God’s will he no longer lived for himself but for the Saviour, Jesus Christ. Even though his “Yes” is silent, small and humble, it changed his life to collaborate with God’s plan for the salvation of humanity. His “Yes” is not as direct as Mary’s but it is concretized by risky actions.
First of all, he took Mary home as his wife. As a just man he did not want to expose her to the public to be stoned according to the laws for she was conceived before they came together. While he was thinking to divorce her silently the angel of the Lord appeared to him in his dream to calm him: “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Mt 1, 20 -21). Thanks to that “silent yes” of Joseph, we have salvation.
Secondly, he continued to say “Yes” promptly to the Lord. When King Herod tried to look for the baby Jesus in order to kill him, the angel of the Lord talked to him in a dream: “Get up, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him” (Mt 2, 13). Because of that “Yes” the baby Jesus was saved from the hands of tyrant Herod and we have salvation.
We pray that the Holy Trinity will continue to bless Sr Teresa with much grace and joy in her religious vocation.
Fr Trung Nguyen SJ, Parish Priest, Richmond Catholic Parish
Secondly, he continued to say “Yes” promptly to the Lord. When King Herod tried to look for the baby Jesus in order to kill him, the angel of the Lord talked to him in a dream: “Get up, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him” (Mt 2, 13). Because of that “Yes” the baby Jesus was saved from the hands of tyrant Herod and we have salvation. We pray that the Holy Trinity will continue to bless her with much grace and joy in her religious vocation.
Daughters of Divine Zeal Vocations 