True peace requires a body and a ‘yes’

By Klysha Best

On the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, the congregation at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception heard a message that went far beyond a historical event: peace, they were told, is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of a person, and it requires the same courageous “yes” that Mary gave to God.

Permanent deacon Rev Terrence Caesar, who preached the homily, framed the special Feast as the moment when God’s peace stopped being a distant promise and became a “true habit.”

“A proclamation is an official announcement dealing with a matter of great importance,” Rev Caesar explained. “When the angel Gabriel came to our Blessed Mother Mary and made that declaration, it was a proclamation of peace. This solemnity that we celebrate is the moment where God’s peace stops being a distant promise and becomes a true habit.”

The deacon drew a sharp contrast between the wavering “no” of the Old Testament king Ahaz and Mary’s trusting fiat.

“In the First Reading of Isaiah (7:10–14; 8:10), we see hunger for peace, but also fear and trepidation,” he said. “Ahaz said, ‘I will not put God to the test.’ But the prophet recognised that he wasn’t being fully honest. It was more out of a lack of trust. So, God Himself decided, ‘If you don’t want to ask, I will give you a sign.'”

That sign was the virgin who would conceive and bear a son named Emmanuel, meaning God-with-us. Mary, by contrast, did not pretend. Rev Caesar noted that while she asked, “How can this be?”, she remained open to God’s will.

“It was not a doubting of God, not a fighting with God, but a willingness to have that conversation with God. To be open with God. Not to say ‘yes’ with her mouth and ‘no’ with her heart.”

Rev Caesar warned against reducing peace to political deals or momentary calm. “Real peace isn’t just a truce,” he said. “We have countries saying they’re negotiating peace, and the next day saying ‘no’, they’re really not. We have people fighting and killing each other. We strive for peace, but peace goes beyond that.”

Instead, he emphasised peace is a presence, one found in Jesus Christ.

“Any time we want to get something, we need to always go to the source. Jesus is the source of peace. When we allow ourselves to be totally in tune with Him, that’s when we find ourselves truly at peace.”

In a striking reflection, Rev Caesar connected Mary’s physical “yes” to the Incarnation. “Real peace requires a body and a ‘yes’,” he said. “That’s why when our Blessed Mother said ‘yes’, that proclamation of peace came about. Jesus is peace, coming from His total alignment with the Father. He takes on a human body specifically to offer it up.”

He invited the congregation to examine where they resist God’s will, whether out of fear, comfort, or the influence of others.

Mary’s journey, he noted, moves from initial fear to complete surrender.

“She journeys from a bit of trepidation and fear to that total understanding, that formal proposition, where she says, ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord.'”

True prayer, he added, requires honesty. “He knows exactly what’s lying in our hearts. So. it’s always best to be honest with Him, and to speak it out, and to tell Him what’s in our hearts. That’s what Mary did.”

He also noted the patience of Elizabeth and Zechariah, who waited years for a child, while trusting in God’s timing. Rev Caesar reminded the faithful that while often overshadowed, the Annunciation is the seed of Christmas.

“Nine months from now, light enters the darkness quietly, and most of the world doesn’t notice. Yet this is the day that changed everything for us. When a young girl said ‘yes’ on our behalf, to allow our Blessed Saviour to come into this world.”

The homily concluded with a challenge: to approach the Eucharist as a real encounter with the Prince of Peace. “Every time we come to Mass, we receive the Prince of Peace in the Holy Eucharist. Not a symbol. We actually receive Him. If we truly believe that, if we truly say ‘yes’, then we should never be the same again.”

Vicar General and Cathedral Administrator Msgr Martin Sirju was the celebrant. Rev Caesar and Rev Roland Joseph assisted.