Behold A Virgin Shall Conceive!
In those days: The Lord spoke to Ahaz, "Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven." But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test." And he said,"Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Take counsel together, but it will come to nought; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us . (Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10)
God's Word is always supreme and ultimate, so reliable and ever true.
Why We Must Delight in God's will
Psalm 40:7-8, 9,10,11 says:
You delight not in sacrifice and offerings, but in an open ear.
You do not ask for holocaust and victim.
Then I said, "See, I have come."
In the scroll of the book it stands written of me:
"I delight to do your will, O my God;
your instruction lies deep within me."
Your justice I have proclaimed in the great assembly.
My lips I have not sealed;
you know it, O Lord.
Your saving help U have not hidden in my heart; of your faithfulness and salvation I have spoken.
I made no secret of your merciful love
and your faithfulness to the great assembly.
See, I have come, Lord to do your will.
Sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ[He abolishes the first in order to establish the second]
In Paul's letter to the Hebrews, he said:
Brethren: It is impossible that the blood of.bulls and goats should take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure... " You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), then he added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.(Hebrews 10:4-10)
Do Not Afraid for You have found favour with God [Let it be to me according to your word]
The gospel of Luke 1:26-38 gave a narrative of the Angelic Salutation to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. The angel came to her and said:
Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!"
...The angel told said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. The angel said to her, " The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you... Mary's response was:
**Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
The Deeper Meaning
What the angel told Mary is the greatest news for all and the turning point of the history of the world. The infinite becomes finite; the Eternal comes into time; the immortal God takes a mortal body. God acts through Mary and changes the course of human history. Mary is the expression of humanity that remains open to the mystery of God and the hope of salvation.
She is humanity that loves and hopes, accepts God and willingly becomes His instrument. Mary is is the woman who said Yes to God-an all-embracing, sincere, joyful and committed Yes. Mary obeyed, and through obedience brought forth for the human race the living Word of God. Our lips have pronounced countless times the words of annunciation and those of Mary's consent.
Every time we recite the Hail Mary, we repeat these marvellous words. With Mary we also need to say Yes to God's plan of redemption through Christ and his Cross; Yes to God's plan for the world and for each one of us. God comes to us, but He wants our cooperation. If we are humble, prayerful and obedient to the will of God like Mary, we shall also find favour with Him as Mary did.