The Word became flesh,
he lived among us,
and we saw his glory. JN 1:14
ISAIAH 7:10-14,8:10 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
How often we make a fatuous show of piety like Ahaz, the great prophet Isaiah is speaking God's word to him and telling him to ask for a sign and he is too great a coward to ask for one because God desires to give him this sign.
When God gives us signs we have to sit up and take notice. We have to discern what it means and act accordingly.
Even though Ahaz refuses to ask for a sign, the prophet reveals it anyway. Despite our stupidity, God pities us and does everything to reach out and deliver us from the traps we set for ourselves. Finally, God will make good on all His promises. The time will come when the veil between God and humans will be parted and the Son of God will descend in the tiniest, frailest, most vulnerable way into the womb of a Virgin that He Himself contemplated, designed, and created and desired to be the ultimate Woman and His Mother, His Mama, His Mom, His Ma - Mary, immaculately conceived and set apart for the Son who took flesh in her and became Immanuel for us.
PSALM 40:7-11 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
God did not ask human beings to become the sacrifice, the holocaust, the victim for the sins that they have committed. He did not ask His creatures to pay the price for their iniquity - they couldn't make atonement for their own sins. To do this He needed a Lamb without stain or blemish. A perfect Lamb. Perfection could not be found in tainted human flesh and so He sent You, His Son, to become one like us in all things save our tainted human nature.
You knew Your Father's loving heart. You were aware of His unfathomable love for the frail creatures He created with such passion and the wonderful future He desired for them and in that wordless look that You exchanged with Him, You said, 'Here am I,' You willingly became the Sacrifice, the Holocaust, the Victim because doing Your Father's will was food and drink to You. It delighted You to say, yes to Him. Just as it delighted Your Mother to say yes to Him.
We thank You Beloved, and we thank Your Mama and ours on this great feast of the Annunciation of Your Birth, for revealing to us the Face of the Father, the Word of the Father, the Love of the Father for His little ones.
HEBREWS 10:4-10 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
Non-Christians cannot wrap their heads around a God of flesh and blood. A God who would willingly become a frail human being giving up His glory in heaven in order to save sinful creatures. It takes faith which is God's free gift to those who believe and by believing we are saved.
Ever since humanity's separation from God because of sin, they have tried to appease Him with all kinds of bloody sacrifices but St. Paul tells us succinctly and bluntly, Bulls’ blood and goats’ blood are useless for taking away sins, and this is what Christ said, on coming into the world:
You who wanted no sacrifice or oblation,
prepared a body for me.
You took no pleasure in holocausts or sacrifices for sin;
then I said,
just as I was commanded in the scroll of the book,
‘God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will.’
prepared a body for me.
You took no pleasure in holocausts or sacrifices for sin;
then I said,
just as I was commanded in the scroll of the book,
‘God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will.’
The one, holy, perfect sacrifice made once-for-all on Calvary in the only Sacrifice pleasing and acceptable to the Father for the forgiveness of our sins. It is this Sacrifice that You instituted at the Last Supper and commanded us to offer in remembrance of Your that atones for the sins of all humanity.
There is no other Way for us to be saved except in and through You. Except by eating Your Flesh and drinking Your Blood without which we can never have Life, and unless we accept the Truth of God that You revealed in Your incarnation - we can neither know the Way nor receive Your Life.
And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of his body made once and for all by Jesus Christ.
Wrapped in perfect silence,
She was immersed in prayer,
Quite unaware an angel of
The Lord was standing there.
He called her name out softly,
“Hail Mary, full of grace.”
His greeting filled her with alarm,
As she returned his gaze.
“Be not afraid dear Mary,
You're chosen to fulfill,
God's plan to bear the Saviour,
Naming Him Emmanuel.”
“You know I am a virgin,
How then can this be true?”
“By the Spirit’s powerful presence,
And God overshadowing you.”
“I am the Lord’s handmaiden,
As you’ve said, so may it be,
According to God’s Holy Word
And His plan for me.”
Not even for an instant,
Did she contemplate,
Refusal to the angel’s plea,
Nor did she hesitate.
Heaven's gates flew open,
Angelic choirs sang,
With her fiat, Divinity,
Took on the Flesh of Man.
Today we honor Mary,
As the Mother of our race,
God’s exquisite masterpiece,
Adorned with matchless grace.
MYRA D’SOUZA / 11.1.1999
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