VICAR

This Sunday, Dear Readers of Country Squire Magazine, the final purple candle of the Advent wreath is lit. Often called the ‘Angel’s Candle’, it symbolises Love. The readings shift our gaze from the cosmic promise of a Saviour to the intimate, personal ‘yes’ that made the incarnation possible. We meet Mary, the young woman of Nazareth, visited by the archangel Gabriel.

The focus is on a profound moment of encounter, vulnerability, and radical trust. Mary is ‘greatly troubled’ by the angel’s greeting, yet she listens. She questions, ‘How can this be?’ yet she believes. Her final response—’Let it be done to me according to your word’—is not passive resignation but active, courageous cooperation with God’s plan. It is love made manifest as total self-gift.

In these last hours of Advent, we are invited to imitate her posture:

• Listening for God’s surprising word in the quiet of our hearts.
• Questioning in faith, seeking to understand His will.
• Trusting that God can do the impossible with and through our humble lives.
• Consenting to bring Christ to life in our world, in our own unique way.

Mary shows us that Advent is not just about waiting for God, but about making room within ourselves for God to act. The King of the Universe comes not to a palace, but to a heart that said ‘yes’.

Loving God, whose eternal Word took flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary,
as we stand on the threshold of Christmas,
turn our hearts into a welcoming home for your Son.

Grant us the courage of Mary,
to listen for your call amidst the noise of the world,
to trust in your promises even when we do not see the way,
and to offer our own faithful ‘yes’ to your will.

May her example of loving obedience inspire us
to become bearers of your light and love to all we meet.
Prepare in us a quiet space,
that we may greet the coming of our Saviour with joy, wonder, and peace.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

God bless. Have a wonderful Christmas week.