The Annunciation

Our readings for today all hinge upon the theme of submittal to God’s will. In the first reading from Isaiah, the Lord tells Ahaz to ask for a sign. Ahaz refuses, saying that he does not want to tempt the Lord. Isaiah then rebukes Israel for its stubbornness and gives the great prophesy, “the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us!’” In the second reading, we see that Jesus ended sin offerings and holocausts because He takes away our sin. In redeeming us from our sins, Christ does the work of the Father. He then says, “'As is written of me in the scroll, behold, I come to do your will, O God.'" In the Gospel, we hear the story of the Annunciation of the angel to the virgin, Mary. Mary’s “yes” to the will of God made possible our salvation.

There are two essential aspects in doing the will of God. The first is to discern the will. The second is to submit to it. Both of these points are often stumbling blocks for us.

When we discern the will of God, we encounter many problems along the way. The first is listening to God’s voice. Do we allow God to speak to us? Do we stop asking for things from Him long enough to listen for His reply? When we do hear His voice, do we accept it, or do we assume that the signs He gives us are not really meant for us? When we do not recognize God’s will, we must be courageous and carry on in our lives. We cannot wait indefinitely for a sign from God. We must sometimes exercise our own judgment and do what we believe to be right.

When we do discern God’s will for us, we must be courageous enough to submit to it. We see that submission to God’s will brings us great blessings and eternal reward for the soul. It is difficult, however. Living our vocation will not always be easy. During the times of strife that result from our active submission to our vocation, we must rely on the strength we receive from God. We will undoubtedly get all necessary help from God, because we know He will never forsake us. He is always there to guide and strengthen us on our journey of faith.

Let us pray for the discernment necessary to hear the call of God and for the fortitude necessary to respond enthusiastically to it.