There was this story about a Japanese
troop waging war against a fierce enemy which outnumbered them. So their leader
made a strategy and he planned it well that they could win the fight. But the
troop doubted it. The leader then led them to pray. After praying, he told them
that he would toss a coin. If the head would come out, it would mean they shall
win. If not, then they will lose. Then he tossed a coin in front of his troop.
The heads appeared. The troop gained confidence upon seeing it and were eager
to go to war. After they won the war, they said , “No one can change the hand
of destiny.” But they were dumbfounded when their leader showed the coin for it
was a two headed coin.
My dear friends, this short story reminds
us of those who depend their lives on destiny, luck or fate. There are people
who believe that an event will surely happen to a particular person in the
future and no matter what he or she will do, he or she cannot escape it. They believe
that success or failure depends on chances and not on one’s own action. Even if
a person does everything in order to succeed, he or she cannot make it unless
he or she has given the chance. Thus, everything seemed to be beyond one’s
control and everything is already determined by a certain natural power. But this
is not how we Christians think. We believe as Christians that everything is
grace. But grace builds on nature. Conversely, even if God pours out His
graces, man may choose to reject or accept them. He or she is free to choose. We
are not robots which are programmed to do something and are left no choice.
In our Gospel according to Luke 1:
26-38, we can learn about how God’s grace and man’s free will interplay. Mary never
asked or prayed to be the mother of God. Yet God chose her. Others may say this
is called destiny, luck or chance given to Mary. But as Christians we
understand it is called God’s grace –“for you have found favor with God.” To affirm that this is not a matter of
destiny, luck or chance, the Gospel tells us that Mary questioned the angel how
would it happen for she knew no man. It means that if this is a matter of
destiny, luck or chance, then Mary could not question it but would rather be
forced to accept it. Yet, she showed she had the freedom to accept it or not. When
the angel explained to her how the grace of God shall work in her, Mary
expressed her “Fiat.” She said yes to the angel; it was a yes to God’s grace. Here
we learn that God never forces anyone just to obey His will. Rather, God sends
His graces and it is up for us whether we reject it or accept it, and face the
consequences of our choices. Let us therefore recognize every grace God has bestowed
on us and do everything for His glory. Amen.
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