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| Saturday 25th March 2023: A talk about Ali's 'yes' to life. |
The first thing I recall as having learnt from Ali was expressed in a mere seven words:
"Mary said 'yes' and saved the world." Ali said this to me in July 1989 as we returned to England from the shrine of Lourdes in France, a momentous trip which changed both of our lives. Though raised a Catholic I really didn't understand the role of Mary and her importance, and it was the (then) non-Catholic Ali who taught me. Yes, Jesus is the Saviour, and he is the sole Saviour of the world. But if it had not been for Mary's "yes" at the Annunciation, we would not have had a Saviour, and her "yes" was necessary for the salvation of the world. Those seven words of Ali's made a profound impression on me. I have always remembered them.
Because of Ali's willingness to say 'yes,' the date of 22nd March, nearly 40 years ago, became one of special significance for her. It was a day that Ali always remembered privately as I do today. There are other things about Ali that were private during her lifetime that she always expected me to make known after her death. I'll be talking a little about the significance of 22nd March at a talk at St Mary's Church, Helston in Cornwall this coming Saturday 25th March. It is a privilege to be able to talk about Ali's "yes" on Saturday's great feast of the Annunciation, when Mary's "yes" is celebrated.
