Announcing the Intimate Plan

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are aunnicaiation events. The birth of Sampson is announced to his mother by an angel of the Lord in the passage from the Book of Judges. This is an unexpected event because the woman is barren. The child is one who will be part of the plan of God to restore the people to a relationship with God and to free them from oppression from the world around them. Later in salvation history, the birth of another important player in the plan of God for reconciliation with humanity is announced by the angel Gabriel to the father, Zachariah. The response of the father of John the Baptist to the message of the angel is contrasted by Friar Jude Winkler to the response of Mary to the annunciation by Gabriel that she, a virgin, would bear and birth Jesus. Both recipients of the angel's message ask "How can this be?" The response of Gabriel to both is different. Mary, who has not been seeking this specific gift of a child from God, is advised of plan through which she is invited to be the Mother of Jesus. In the case of Zachariah, he is receiving an answer to prayers for a son and heir. His response indicates an underlying doubt that the miraculous event is possible for the Creator. We often seek the intervention of God in our lives. The message that God desires to be in intimate relationship with us comes through the infusion of His Guidance in the person of humans open to be the leaders of the people back to God. The Incarnation of Jesus is the Will that God, Immanuel, is with us in human flesh. It is the intimacy of living within the Body of Christ. Like Zachariah, the miraculous event of Incarnation does not depend on our belief or doubt. The full realization of the the Invitation in our lives is the consequence, like Mary's example, of our "Yes".