This blog follows the daily bible readings of the Catholic Church

Reading 1, Isaiah 7:10-14

10 The Lord spoke to Ahaz again and said:

11 Ask your God for a sign, either in the depths of Sheol or in the heights above. 12 But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask. I will not put the Lord to the test.’

13 He then said: Listen now, House of David: are you not satisfied with trying human patience that you should try my God’s patience too? 14 The Lord will give you a sign in any case: It is this: the young woman is with child and will give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel.

“Immanuel” will be a baby of the royal family, a sign of the continuation of God’s favour to the house of David in spite of all its failures. The giving of the name is an act of faith and commitment. God is with his people in any case, but he can only help them, that is, he can only truly be Immanuel, with their cooperation. We can distinguish at least two modes of God’s presence:

1. God is present to suffer rejection by his people; and to suffer with them the  consequences of their rejection.

2. God is present in the faith of his people to forgive and renew them.

In the case of Israel/Judah God is increasingly limited to the first, albeit he is present in the second mode in the witness of his prophets.

The giving of the name “Immanuel” can also be an act of faithless arrogance, “God is on our side!” regardless of how we act.

Gospel, Luke 1:26-38

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, you who enjoy God’s favour! The Lord is with you.’

29 She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, 30 but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. 31 Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; 33 he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’

34 Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?’

35 The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. 36 And I tell you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, 37 for nothing is impossible to God.’

38 Mary said, ‘You see before you the Lord’s servant, let it happen to me as you have said.’ And the angel left her.

In order for God to be truly God with us he needs an unqualified “Yes” from someone, and in this story he gets this from Mary. She trusts and gives herself to enable God’s action. What a strange thing this is: that a human being can enable God! It’s a measure of the humility of God that it is so. Everyone who has ever felt moved by God to cooperate in any action has known this grace. Mary does enjoy God’s favour and grace, and is therefore a model for all who help the Almighty.