Amen
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Today’s Gospel is about “Yes” and “No.” When God created His spiritual creatures, angels and men, He blessed them with the divine capability of free will, the ability to say yes or no.
In the end, that means there are two kinds of souls: those who say Yes to God and are with Him in heaven, versus those who say No and are separated from Him in hell. But while we are in this earthly life, Jesus points out that there are two additional categories of soul, which leads to a deeper reflection on free will.
Jesus says there are those who say “Yes” but do not carry it out, and those who say “No,” yet do the will of the Father. Freewill is more than the decision and intention to do God’s will, it must be realized, or put into “act.” When we say “Yes” to God, it must be on the level of our being.
Lucifer, the highest angel, was the first to exercise his free will against God: “non serviam,” “I will not serve.” He chose his own will, and did so on the level of his being. He, and others who followed his example, are in hell, in the frozen solitude of their self-will. Of those who said “Yes” to God, the highest example is Mary. Her response to the angel at the Annunciation, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word” (Lk 1:38), indicates an act that encompasses her entire being, her life. Like her the saints of the Church are recognized for the fullness of their “yes” to God. St. Therese of Lisieux, whom the church remembers today, gave herself completely to God from a very young age, a decision which came to fruition in her vocation as a Carmelite nun. The decision was lived in fact.
Somewhere between these two categories we find ourselves. We are those who have said yes yet do not carry out that decision; or we find ourselves saying no yet disturbed on a deeper level into following through with the right course of action.
We have said “Yes” to God in Baptism, in Confirmation, in Holy Communion, in Matrimony, yet we struggle to live it out in actual charity and patience. Our will remains selfish despite our good intentions.
On the other hand we have at times said “No” to God, abandoning the practice of faith, longing for the life of ease and comfort according to our will, and hurting many people along the way. But something in us knows it is wrong, and does not accord with the truth of who we are. Though we have been sinners, we repent and follow up with penance and renewed commitment.
There is an important word from the Bible which we use to express our “Yes” to God. This is the Hebrew word “Amen.” It is a word with many layers of meaning – “Yes,” “So be it,” “I believe,” “Truly” – that cannot be fully translated by any single English word. It is used throughout the liturgy, but there are two particularly important places in the Mass where the word “Amen” takes on a deep significance, as the expression of deepest “Yes” to God.
At the end of the doxology, when the gifts of sacrifice – Christ’s Body and Blood – are lifted up to the Father (“Through him, with him, and in him…”), we say “Amen.” This is the “Great Amen.” It expresses the fact that we are united in that offering, that we ourselves are being offered to the Father in union with the self-offering of Christ upon the Cross, in a free act of the will. This single word is our deepest participation in the Mass. In other words, “saying yes” means “giving oneself.” Unless we really offer ourselves, we do not participate in the action of the Mass, even if we say all the prayers.
Related to this is the “Amen” we repeat at the Holy Communion, when we receive the Body of Christ. It is a profound commitment of ourselves to God within the Catholic Church, and all that implies. If we are not able to honest say “Amen,” we should not receive Holy Communion. Things that would prevent an honest Amen include serious sin in the soul, a lifestyle not in accord with the Gospel, failure to believe the teachings of the Gospel and Church, or the rejection of the Church’s authority and discipline.[1]
God created His spiritual creatures with freedom to choose, and the exercise of our free will is the deepest act of our nature. This act will be confirmed as reality for all eternity on judgement day, in heaven or hell. It is important then, to know what “Yes” means, and to give our “Amen” as the fullest expression of who we will be. We may be partially yes and no in this life, but time is running out. Let us strive to imitate Christ and the saints, holding no reservations in our self-gift.
[1] This is why we need to go to confession first before approaching the Sacrament of the Eucharist if we have committed a serious sin; why pro-abortion politicians can never receive Holy Communion; or those living together outside of sacramental marriage; or those who are not yet Catholic.