We’ve explored how to leave the door open when the Church says no.  That open door gives us a chance to say yes.  We are, after all, a Church built on yeses.

In the Old Testament, those who laid the foundation for our Church said “yes.”  Abraham said “yes” to God when he was called.  Abraham said “yes” even to the sacrifice of his son.  Noah said “yes.”  Moses said “yes.”  The prophets and kings said “yes.” David said “yes.”

The New Testament beings with a holy “yes,” that of our Blessed Mother Mary. The Apostles said “yes”.  Peter said “yes” three times as he pledged to love the flock of Christ.  All the saints said “yes,” through pain, suffering, martyrdom, exhaustion, poverty, and, of course, faith and joy.

Today we have the chance to say “yes” as well.  Just as Peter and Mary, we say “yes” to love.  We say “yes” to loving our neighbor.  We say “yes” to loving our enemies. We say “yes” to loving the downtrodden, the marginalized, the outcasts.  We say “yes” to feeding the hungry. We say “yes” to clothing the naked. We say “yes” to visiting the sick. We say “yes” to caring for the poor.  We say “yes” to sharing the Gospel message.  We say “yes” to living our faith.  We say “yes” to receiving the Sacraments. We say “yes” to visiting the imprisoned.  We even say “yes” to loving criminals.

We say “yes” to forgiveness—both giving and receiving. We say “yes” to grace.  We say “yes” to mercy.  We say “yes” to healing. We say “yes” to trust. We say “yes” to obedience. We say “yes” to holiness.  We say “yes” to joy.  We say “yes” to  love.

Even more powerful is the fact that this is a constant “yes.”  When Mary said “yes” she didn’t just say it once.  She said “yes” on her journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth.  She said “yes” when she couldn’t find Jesus in the temple.  She said “yes” when she asked Jesus to perform his first miracle when she knew he would help even in our smallest needs.  She said “yes” on the road to Calvary.  Her “yes” was constant and steady.  We, too, need to say “yes” not once, but on a daily, minute-by-minute basis.

Let us characterize our Church with our “yes.”  Yes to forgiveness. Yes to compassion.  Yes to holiness.  Yes to grace.  Yes to mercy.  Yes to love.  Yes.