How God calls on you

This sermon focuses on a four-step process illustrating how God calls on individuals to serve Him, drawing primarily from the Gospel reading about the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. The first step involves God’s personal greeting or "calling by name," which can occur through a double mention of the person's name, signifying a specific and not a general invitation, or through a reassuring phrase like "don't be afraid." Next is the actual invitation or "the call," which is characterized by divine encouragement and the bestowal of the strength needed to fulfill the command. The third stage is the "explanation," where God often addresses doubts and questions with a detailed response, though sometimes He calls individuals to follow Him into the unknown without immediate answers. Finally, the fourth step requires the human response—the decision to either accept or reject the divine invitation, with the sermon encouraging listeners to emulate Mary's acceptance, saying, "I am the servant of the Lord."