Psalm 40:7-11 (R. cf. 8a.9a)
2nd Reading Hebrew 10:4-10
Gospel Luke 1:26-38
By: Edmund Elorm Ackuaku
The Salvation of God
We celebrate today the manifestation of the love of God to humanity by allowing his Son to take flesh in order to bring to fruition the redemptive act of God. This is The Annunciation of the Lord. We may also consider today to be the confirmation of Mary's vocation to be the mother of the Redeemer and at length, the redeemed as well.
This feast recalls the 'fiat' (yes) of Mary wherefore she affirmed God's invitation to serve and said “Ιδού ή δούλη κυρίου. Υένοιτό μοι κατά το ρήμα σου” (Behold! The servant/handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word).
This event which finds fulfillment in the New Testament was foreshadowed by Isaiah in the first reading of today. We, however, read from the First of the three parts of the Book of Isaiah. Specifically, we enter the Book of Emmanuel (cf. Is. 6:1-12:6) in this first section of Isaiah's book.
We hear the Lord telling Ahaz to ask for a sign and he refused. The Lord himself gave the sign of the Emmanuel, the redeemer of Israel. Ahaz refused to put the Lord to the test (v. 12). The possible event in which the Israelites put the Lord to the test was in Massah and Meribah (cf. Ex. 17:7; Nm. 20:13). This necessarily calls to mind the suggestion that Ahaz wanted to prevent the Lord from turning his loath on him and the Israelites as He did with their fathers.
Ahaz's refusal to ask for a sign is a way of preventing himself from showing lack of faith and confidence towards God. He teaches us, by this act, to trust and never relent. In moments of failure and seeming disappointments, trust in God is necessary for the attainment of redemption. With the Emmanuel (God with us) the plan of our oppressors shall be thwarted and their resolve shall not be carried out (cf. Is. 8: 10)
This event which took place during the reign of Ahaz finds fulfillment in the life of Mary in the solemnity feted today, the Annunciation. This Emmanuel promised to Ahaz as the Redeemer of the Israelites from foreign oppression, is being presented to us in Mary. God, having prepared a vessel worthy of the content, is ready to execute his salvific plan in Christ, the Word of God made flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may through obedience to the will of the Father shed his blood to replace those of bulls and goats (cf. Heb. 10:14) . This sacrifice is once and for all.
The lessons given us today are Holy Obedience to the will of God as in the case of Mary, who accepted to be the Mother of Christ. It is not to say that without Mary's agreement Jesus would not have been born. Her acceptance, St. Thomas Aquinas stated, has been factored in the plan of God.
We also learnt to trust in God's will in all spheres as evident in Ahaz's refusal to put the Lord to the test. Therefore, believe in the redemptive act of God. He redeems.
May He redeem us and forgive our foolish ways and rekindle in us the virtues of obedience, trust and service in humility.
Amen.
#40DaysInTheDesert
#PaxEtBonum
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