According to Divine Will

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, challenge us to adopt the faith of Mary as we seek to surrender to the Will of God in the midst of our tendency to be distracted by the traditions and ways of humans.

St Mary's Basilica 

In the Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, Ahaz is offered a sign to trust in God.

* [7:14] Isaiah’s sign seeks to reassure Ahaz that he need not fear the invading armies of Syria and Israel in the light of God’s promise to David (2 Sm 7:12–16). The oracle follows a traditional announcement formula by which the birth and sometimes naming of a child is promised to particular individuals (Gn 16:11; Jgs 13:3). The young woman: Hebrew ‘almah designates a young woman of marriageable age without specific reference to virginity. The Septuagint translated the Hebrew term as parthenos, which normally does mean virgin, and this translation underlies Mt 1:23. Emmanuel: the name means “with us is God.” Since for the Christian the incarnation is the ultimate expression of God’s willingness to “be with us,” it is understandable that this text was interpreted to refer to the birth of Christ. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 40 offers an enthusiastic proclamation of the salvation just experienced.

* [Psalm 40] A thanksgiving (Ps 40:2–13) has been combined with a lament (Ps 40:14–17) that appears also in Ps 70. The psalmist describes the rescue in spatial terms—being raised up from the swampy underworld to firm earth where one can praise God (Ps 40:2–4). All who trust God will experience like protection (Ps 40:5–6)! The Psalm stipulates the precise mode of thanksgiving: not animal sacrifice but open and enthusiastic proclamation of the salvation just experienced (Ps 40:7–11). A prayer for protection concludes (Ps 40:12–17). (Psalms, PSALM 40 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews presents sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings.

* [10:5–7] A passage from Ps 40:7–9 is placed in the mouth of the Son at his incarnation. As usual, the author follows the Septuagint text. There is a notable difference in Heb 10:5 (Ps 40:6), where the Masoretic text reads “ears you have dug for me” (“ears open to obedience you gave me,” NAB), but most Septuagint manuscripts have “a body you prepared for me,” a reading obviously more suited to the interpretation of Hebrews.

* [10:8] Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings: these four terms taken from the preceding passage of Ps 40 (with the first two changed to plural forms) are probably intended as equivalents to the four principal types of Old Testament sacrifices: peace offerings (Lv 3, here called sacrifices); cereal offerings (Lv 2, here called offerings); holocausts (Lv 1); and sin offerings (Lv 4–5). This last category includes the guilt offerings of Lv 5:14–19. (Hebrews, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Luke, Mary surrenders to the announcement of her role in the Birth of Jesus.

* [1:26–38] The announcement to Mary of the birth of Jesus is parallel to the announcement to Zechariah of the birth of John. In both the angel Gabriel appears to the parent who is troubled by the vision (Lk 1:11–12, 26–29) and then told by the angel not to fear (Lk 1:13, 30). After the announcement is made (Lk 1:14–17, 31–33) the parent objects (Lk 1:18, 34) and a sign is given to confirm the announcement (Lk 1:20, 36). The particular focus of the announcement of the birth of Jesus is on his identity as Son of David (Lk 1:32–33) and Son of God (Lk 1:32, 35).

* [1:32] Son of the Most High: cf. Lk 1:76 where John is described as “prophet of the Most High.” “Most High” is a title for God commonly used by Luke (Lk 1:35, 76; 6:35; 8:28; Acts 7:48; 16:17).

* [1:34] Mary’s questioning response is a denial of sexual relations and is used by Luke to lead to the angel’s declaration about the Spirit’s role in the conception of this child (Lk 1:35). According to Luke, the virginal conception of Jesus takes place through the holy Spirit, the power of God, and therefore Jesus has a unique relationship to Yahweh: he is Son of God.

* [1:36–37] The sign given to Mary in confirmation of the angel’s announcement to her is the pregnancy of her aged relative Elizabeth. If a woman past the childbearing age could become pregnant, why, the angel implies, should there be doubt about Mary’s pregnancy, for nothing will be impossible for God. (Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Larry Gillick, SJ, comments that today we watch the acceptance in faith of the invitation to do God’s will by a questioning young woman of Nazareth. She has good questions and excuses, as do all those who have been called to surrender to God’s ways.

Here, as the end of Lent nears, we are confronted with God’s invitations to us to do what we believe is doing the “will of God.”  We do not have angels announcing that will to us, but we do believe we have God’s grace to sense, and respond to, the invitations to give Grace a space and a face.  To do God’s will is to make human choices which reflect our belief that what we are doing is God’s Will.  As with Mary, we trust that what we are doing is what God wills. Trusting then is God’s will, trusting that God will be freed. (Gillick, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Do you wish to be great?,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Just imagine the incredible kindness and mercy! He was the only Son, but He did not want to remain alone. So that humans might be born of God God was born of humans. Begotten of God is He through Whom we were created - Born of a woman is He through Whom we are to be re-created. The Word first wished to be born of humans, so that you might be assured of being born of God" (excerpt from Sermon on John 2, 13) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the reading from Isaiah is the story of Ahaz being urged to ask for a sign from the Lord as Jerusalem is besieged and needs assistance. Isaiah asserts God would send him a sign to trust in the Lord rather than the emperor of Assyria. In the Hebrew text, a maiden will birth Immanuel whose name means “God is with us“ Isaiah sees this as a continuous repetition of the offer of God to rescue. In the Letter to the Hebrews the sacrifices of bulls and goats will be no more but the Son would reestablish the union with God. Gabriel visits Mary proclaiming “Hail, Full of grace” in perfect tense in Greek indicating Mary has always been full of grace as celebrated in the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. Mary would conceive and bear “Yeshua” the Son of God, a hero of Davidic lineage. Joseph and Mary were both descendants of David. The angel explains this to Mary and unlike Zechariah, who had heard his prayer had been answered, Mary as the New Ark would be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. In Luke’s Gospel Jesus is the actual Son of God and not being proclaimed with an honorific title. Friar Jude concludes that in fact Mary, the handmaid of the Lord, has Jesus become present through an act of surrender, a free will act, presenting her to be totally available to God’s plan.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:26-38 invites us to imagine the relief as Mary tells the angel, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). God, in his mysterious providence, invited her to participate in his awesome plan of salvation. He could have accomplished his plan without her, but he didn’t want to. Instead, he desired the free and willing assent of this blessed woman who was full of grace.

We, too, are invited to say yes to God throughout our lives so that we can build a habit of cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Each of us is vital to God’s plan taking on flesh in our world. Every time we say, “May it be done to me” as Mary did, we become blessed participants in God’s plan of salvation. When we are criticized and want to respond in kind but we say yes to the Spirit’s invitation to hold our tongue, heaven rejoices. When we see someone who is hurting and feel the call to stop what we’re doing and listen to their story, we bring Jesus to them. When we respond to the Spirit and welcome a needy child into our home, our choice changes the world around us. Jesus is made visible with our every yes to God!

“Blessed Mother, Mary, help me to bring Christ into the world around me!” (Meditation on Luke 1:26-38, n.d.)

Brian McLaren uses a psalm of Exile, Psalm 137, as an example of the importance of how we read the Bible—as the literal word of God or as an expression of God’s people and their experience of God—makes a significant difference in who we think God is.

We dare to listen deeply, to understand and empathize, to put ourselves in the shoes of those who suffer and feel their fury and despair.  

And we don’t stop there either: then we see how oppression and revenge, if we let them take over, create vicious cycles that grow uglier and more catastrophic. We imagine how in our future, we could repeat the worst mistakes of our past.

Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites

the day of Jerusalem’s fall,

how they said, “Tear it down! Tear it down!

Down to its foundations!”

O daughter Babylon, you devastator!

Happy shall they be who pay you back

what you have done to us!

Happy shall they be who take your little ones

and dash them against the rock!(Psalm 137:7–9)

Then we are ready to take our stand: If we want to break out of the vicious, violent cycles of our history, we must develop a new way of reading the Bible, a new way of seeing, a new way of being.

That’s why, in a sense, Psalm 137 is like an eye exam: What we see there tells us how well we see. (McLaren, n.d.)

 

We seek the wisdom of the Spirit to guide our understanding of surrender to the Will of God as that of Mary who prayed “Let it be done to me, according to Your Will”

References

Gillick, L. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved March 25, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-march-25-2026 

Hebrews, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/10? 

Isaiah, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/7?10 

Luke, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/1? 

McLaren, B. (n.d.). Psalms of Exile: An Eye Exam. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved March 25, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/psalms-of-exile-an-eye-exam/ 

Meditation on Luke 1:26-38. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved March 25, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/03/25/1525811/ 

Psalms, PSALM 40 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 25, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/40? 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). You Have Found Favor with God. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 25, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Treachery and Responsibility

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with situations we witness today where misinformation and propaganda are daily challenges to efforts to support efforts to bring responsibility, truth, and compassion to our relationships with the people in our environment.

Under a Tree of Responsibility

The Reading from the Book of Daniel alerts us to a tendency of the powerful to abuse their positions.

* [13:1–14:42] The short stories in these two chapters exist now only in Greek and other translations, but probably were first composed in Hebrew or Aramaic. They were never part of the Hebrew-Aramaic Book of Daniel, or of the Hebrew Bible. They are excluded from the Protestant canon of Scripture, but the Catholic Church has always included them among the inspired writings; they existed in the Septuagint, which was used as its Bible by the early church.

* [13:55–59] The contrast between the mastic tree, which is small, and the majestic oak emphasizes the contradiction between the statements of the two elders. In the Greek text there is a play on words between the names of these two trees and the mortal punishment decreed by Daniel for the elders. The mastic tree (schinon) sounds like the verb “to split” (schisai). The oak tree (prinon) suggests a play on poisai (to saw). (Daniel, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 23 presents God as a good shepherd.

* [Psalm 23] God’s loving care for the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Ps 23:1–4) and a host’s generosity toward a guest (Ps 23:5–6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Is 40:11; 49:10; Jer 31:10).

* [23:1] My shepherd: God as good shepherd is common in both the Old Testament and the New Testament (Ez 34:11–16; Jn 10:11–18).

* [23:3] Right paths: connotes “right way” and “way of righteousness.”

* [23:5] You set a table before me: this expression occurs in an exodus context in Ps 78:19. In front of my enemies: my enemies see that I am God’s friend and guest. Oil: a perfumed ointment made from olive oil, used especially at banquets (Ps 104:15; Mt 26:7; Lk 7:37, 46; Jn 12:2).

* [23:6] Goodness and mercy: the blessings of God’s covenant with Israel. (Psalms, PSALM 23 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus responds to a Woman Caught in Adultery.

* [7:53–8:11] The story of the woman caught in adultery is a later insertion here, missing from all early Greek manuscripts. A Western text-type insertion, attested mainly in Old Latin translations, it is found in different places in different manuscripts: here, or after Jn 7:36 or at the end of this gospel, or after Lk 21:38, or at the end of that gospel. There are many non-Johannine features in the language, and there are also many doubtful readings within the passage. The style and motifs are similar to those of Luke, and it fits better with the general situation at the end of Lk 21: but it was probably inserted here because of the allusion to Jer 17:13 (cf. note on Jn 8:6) and the statement, “I do not judge anyone,” in Jn 8:15. The Catholic Church accepts this passage as canonical scripture. (John, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Rashmi Fernando, SJ, comments that we throw stones with our words, our assumptions, our silence in the face of injustice. In a world filled with public accusations, political polarization, wars, and deep divisions—where people are judged instantly in the courts of social media and public opinion, and the temptation to condemn is strong and convenient— Jesus bends down and writes on the ground, almost giving humanity a moment to pause, breathe, and look inward.

Lent invites us precisely into this space of examination. It reminds us not only of “giving things up” but also of “loving the way Jesus does” because justice without mercy becomes cruelty, and truth without humility becomes arrogance.

Hence, let’s ask ourselves,

When have I stood among the crowd, quick to judge others without examining my own conscience?

In moments of injustice or false accusation in the world around me, do I remain silent, or do I dare to be a voice like Daniel?

During this Lenten journey, what “stones” of judgment, resentment, or pride is Christ inviting me to drop so that mercy may take their place? (Fernando, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Aided by Christ's grace,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"No one of us does anything good unless aided by Christ's grace. What we do badly comes from ourselves; what we do well, we do with the help of God. Therefore, let us give thanks to God who made it possible. And when we do well, let us not insult anyone who does not act in the same way. Let us not extol ourselves above such a person." (excerpt from Commentary on Psalm 93,15) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in Daniel today, a chapter only in Greek and is not accepted in the Jewish or Protestant Canon, Suzanna encounters two judges who decide to trap her in a plan to have sex with her. She is a woman of integrity and she calls the crowd who believe what the old men have said. Daniel is inspired by the Spirit in his heart and he tricks them to expose the truth and they receive the punishment of death they had intended for Suzanna. Jesus meets the woman caught in adultery and Jesus rejects the trap of the religious leaders and challenges whoever is without sin to cast the first stone. Many have speculated about what Jesus wrote? Perhaps it makes no difference. “Go and sin no more” is an act of mercy and wisdom. Friar Jude comments that in John there is only one sin, of rejection of Jesus, as evidence that this passage is not by the author of John’s Gospel. It may have been copied into John and it is not found in older manuscripts. It is a beautiful story, perhaps like Luke in theme, and in John is a lesson of mercy.

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 8:1-11 comments that in this brief but tender exchange, Jesus shows that he “did not come to condemn the world but to save the world” (John 12:47). He wasn’t interested in the voices of condemnation then, and he isn’t interested in them now.

The men wanted a heated confrontation with Jesus, but he wanted a saving encounter with the woman. Jesus wants the same for you today. He knows everything about you—good and bad—and he opens his arms to you in welcome. So let him forgive you. Let him silence the accusations. Let him set you free and give you confidence in his love so that you, too, can “not sin any more” (John 8:11).

“Thank you, Jesus, for setting me free and refusing to condemn me!” (Meditation on John 8:1-11, n.d.)

Brian McLaren considers the stories of empire and exile that appear in the Bible and continue to this day. He proposes that the English words liberate and liberation would be better translations for the Hebrew and Greek words commonly translated as save or salvation.

Many of the psalms are intense poems of pain from the Exile period. One of the best known is Psalm 137. You feel the pathos as the Judean exiles feel they have been dehumanized, turned into entertainment for their oppressors.

By the rivers of Babylon—

    there we sat down, and there we wept 

    when we remembered Zion.

On the willows there

    we hung up our harps.

For there our captors

    asked us for songs,

and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,

    “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

How could we sing the Lord’s song

    in a foreign land?

If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

    let my right hand wither!

Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,

    if I do not remember you,

if I do not set Jerusalem

    above my highest joy. (Psalm 137:1–6)

In this psalm, the refugees in exile refuse to sing. They refuse to sacrifice their own dignity and humanity for the entertainment of their oppressor. Their pain echoes through the centuries and asks us: Where are people experiencing exile today? Dare we humanize them and feel their pain? Dare we take their story seriously—even if doing so offends the elites of today’s empires of violence and domination? (McLaren, n.d.)

We seek the guidance of the Spirit in our practice of S.T.O.P. [ Stop. Take a Breath. Observe. Proceed. ] before taking impulsive action. 

References

Daniel, CHAPTER 13 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 23, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/daniel/13?1 

Fernando, R. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved March 23, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-march-23-2026 

John, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March , 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/8?1 

McLaren, B. (n.d.). Exile: An Ongoing Reality. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved March 23, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/exile-an-ongoing-reality/ 

Meditation on John 8:1-11. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved March 23, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/03/23/1522816/ 

Psalms, PSALM 23 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 23, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/23?1 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Go, and Do Not Sin Again. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 23, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/