VALPARAISO – Embracing the treasures in Scripture inspired worshippers at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton on Dec. 10, thanks to a reflection offered by Deacon Ron Pyle during the second session of Advent Evening Prayer.
“God’s word is taking root in us,” said Deacon Pyle, who serves at St. Michael the Archangel in Schererville. “Faith is the treasure we hold when we don’t know the future.”
“Faith” was the focus of Deacon Pyle’s talk, building on his first treasure, “Hope,” which he discussed on Dec. 3. His final treasure will be revealed at the third and final Advent Evening Prayer service at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17.
“You’ll have to attend on Dec. 17 to learn what the third treasure is,” he said coyly during fellowship following the prayer service.
The first treasure revealed by Deacon Pyle on Dec. 3, was “Hope,” which he related to Zachariah and Elizabeth, who kept their hope for a child alive until it was finally fulfilled by the birth of St. John the Baptist despite their old age. “Through silence, hope endures, and God keeps working (for us),” he said.
Deacon Pyle’s reflection on “Faith” focused on Mary’s response to her visit from the Angel Gabriel.
The Annunciation, he said, reflects “the faith that works through our lives. Mary was a young, humble woman, and God chose that place and that person for the most important moment in history. God comes to us right where we are.”
When Gabriel greeted Mary with a message about becoming the mother of Jesus, he added, “She is troubled, not by the angel, but by the grace she is asked to accept. “Faith always involves letting go. I felt that when I felt a pull to be a catechist … and the pull to become an ordained deacon. I was so frightened that it took me a long time to apply to become a deacon,” the deacon said.
The angel encouraged Mary with the words, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God,” and her faith led her to respond, “Let it be done to me as you say,” not because she knew what lay ahead, but because she trusted in God.
“She didn’t know all that was to come,” Deacon Pyle explained, “Faith isn’t about knowing the whole story, but saying ‘Yes’ to what lies ahead. Mary conceived the Word of Jesus in her heart before she conceived him in her womb.
“The waiting of these several weeks (of Advent) is like Mary waiting for Jesus, active, trusting and full of quiet growth,” he said. “God’s Word is taking root in us; faith is the treasure we hold when we don’t know the future.”
Deacon Pyle issued a challenge to his audience: “Each day, take a moment to repeat Maru’s words, ‘Let it be done to me as you say.’ Each ‘Yes’ is a sign of faith that brings you closer to God.
“Faith and trust, even when you don’t understand,” he added. “(Mary) trusts God. When we are very small, these are the places when God shines the most.”
Mary’s faith, Deacon Pyle said, “is a lens where we can see God’s justice, his mercy; a lens through which we see God transforming the world. Faith always involves remembering that God kept his promises before and he will again,” the deacon said.
Reciting Mary’s own prayer, “The Magnificat,” with the worshippers, Deacon Pyle offered the wish “that Mary’s song become ours, not just with our lips, but with our lives.”
Jody Michalak, who attended the first two sessions of the Advent series, said she is looking forward to the third. “I enjoy the deacon’s reflections; I thought tonight’s talk was very inspiring. I am always looking to increase my faith,” she said. “Seeing Mary as a young woman, just like us, was insightful. Trust is the main factor in her ‘Yes,” and we have to trust, too.”
Michalak said confession is her “No. 1 activity for Advent,” and she has attended communal reconciliation services at several parishes in past years. “We have an Advent wreath at home, and attending Advent services is also important to me,” she said.
Mark Shrall, another St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parishioner, said he found the first two Advent services interesting and plans to attend the last session at 7 p.m. on Dec. 17. “You need to have faith, and to listen to the Spirit,” he noted.
“I feel like this is a rare opportunity,” added Mark’s wife, Sandy Shrall.
Caption: “Each day, take a moment to repeat Mary’s words, “Let it be done to me as you say,” Deacon Ron Pyle challenged his audience as he offered an Advent reflection on Dec. 10 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Valparaiso. His topic for the second of three weekly Evening Prayer Services was faith, the Blessed Mother was his example of having complete faith in God. (Marlene A. Zloza photo)
