The sign by surrender to scandal

The Roman Catholic Lectionary for today, about 9 months from Christmas, presents texts that highlight the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. The prophet Isaiah presents to Ahaz the promise of Immanuel, or “God is with us” which is the realization of the deep communion of the Divine with humanity. The Incarnation, the Word becomes flesh, is a scandalous idea to the understanding of the Divine as remote and detached from human reality. The letter to the Hebrews, addressed to people of a tradition very familiar with making sacrifices for sin, presents the overwhelming sacrifice to God of Jesus, Divine Son, as the offering willed by God to make reparations for all sin, for all time. The psalmist proclaims the joy of knowing and doing the will of God. Jesus in the Easter Events of the New Passover, the Crucifixion and Resurrection completes the will of the Father. The great movement of love from the Divine to be Present within humanity is exercised through the “Yes” of a young Hebrew girl to be the “virgin who gives birth” and incorporates the Divine. The promise described by Isaiah is realized the description in Luke’s Gospel of Mary’s faith and trust, beyond what her senses could provide reassurance, the she was to be the joy of doing the will of God, in the face of the real step beyond the norms of a society which was not kind to unwed mothers who were following the instructions of a message delivered by an angel from God. The Mystery of the means by which the Divine acts in the lives of people is always keeping us in awe and wonder.