No and yes

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary give us two answers of people invited to trust in God. Ahaz, the king of Israel responds “No” to the request that he seek a sign from God to reassure him that the petitions of Isaiah for the king to trust in Providence to carry Israel through the turmoil it is facing are his best option. Friar Jude Winkler tells us that Israel is under pressure from northern neighbours and Ahaz is seeking help from Syria. One of the consequences of that help will be the need to adopt pagan customs and worship in Israel. The sign that Isaiah declares will be made known to the king is the birth to his wife of a child who will be symbolically named, as Friar Jude notes Isaiah did for his children, Immanuel - God is with us. In Hebrew, Isaiah uses the word "almah," which means "young maiden" or "young woman" to refer to his wife. Christian Bibles often use a Greek translation which renders the one who gives birth in this text as "virgin."  The Gospel from Luke is the account of the visit of the angel Gabriel to Mary to announce the plan of God to her that she give birth to Jesus, Emmanuel, Son of God. The “Yes” of Mary is the answer which models for all believers how to cooperate with God. Friar Jude comments that Mary will experience according to the angel that the ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you’ (Luke 1.35). This overshadowing of the Holy Spirit portrays Mary in the manner of the Ark of the Covenant which is the sign of the Presence of God.  Christian theologians, including St Ambrose, have understood that the mission of all Christians is to make Jesus visible in our world. John van de Laar recommends that the Christmas events which we may celebrate from the point of view of extraordinary intervention of God in the lives of extraordinary people may rob us of the message that the ordinary action of believers to say yes to God is the means whereby the promises which Mary declares in the Magnificat (Luke 1: 46-56) will be realized among those who hunger for mercy, peace and justice.