THE angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of David His father, and He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to Your word." Then the angel departed from her.

The three readings of this Mass are all about God’s will. The first one reports the case of King Ahaz who refused to do God’s will manifested to him through the prophet Isaiah. Why? Because Isaiah was advising him not to seek an alliance with a superpower like Assyria during a time of danger but rather to rely on God. By asking God for a sign, he was to receive a confirmation in the sign granted that God would indeed protect him. But Ahaz doubted of God’s protection. To trust God and only God when two neighboring kings were attacking him, was asking him to stretch his faith. This was judged too painful (that is, hazardous) by Ahaz. An alliance with a foreign superpower seemed easier – and safer.

The second and third readings present the opposite reaction, namely, the complete acceptance of God’s will, however demanding and fearsome it might appear at first sight. In the second reading it is Christ who offers to God His body and will as a sacrifice: "I have come to do Your will, O God." In the third reading it is Mary who offers to God her body and will: "May it be done to me according to Your word." Thus both accept to be stretched by God – until Jesus is stretched on the Cross and Mary is standing at the foot of the Cross, fully entering into the painful stretching of her Son. Yet, in both these cases their painful stretching resulted in nothing less than the salvation of the world and eternal happiness with God. "And in His will is our peace."

SOURCE: "365 Days with the Lord," ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.