Reflection for March 25th, 2020

​Today’s Readings:   Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10,  Psalm 40,  Hebrews 10:4-10,  Gospel – Luke 1:26-38   (Look them Up!)
 
The prophecy in today’s Old Testament reading from the Book of Isaiah states that “the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us!”  As Christians, we find fulfillment to this prophecy in the virgin birth of Jesus.
 
Psalm 40 states:  “Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.”    This certainly describes the immediate response that Mary gives the Angel when asked to be the mother of our Lord.
 
In our gospel today,  the angel Gabriel appears to Mary to announce that she has been prepared and chosen to bring the Savior of the World into being.  Did you ever wonder why it was the angel Gabriel who was sent by God?  After all, there are other angels.   Gabriel appears in scripture twice;  first in the Book of Daniel, chapter 9, when Gabriel speaks to Daniel about the Messiah who will come.  There are 322 Old Testament prophecies telling about the Anointed One who will come.  But Gabriel’s prophecy to Daniel tells not only that the Messiah WILL come, but Gabriel gives Daniel a timeline for WHEN the Messiah will come.  Gabriel’s timeline places the Messiah’s coming at approximately 33 AD.  All faithful Jews knew this prophecy, and they were expecting the Messiah at that time. In fact, because everyone was expecting the Messiah during that time, some men proclaimed publically that they were the Messiah.  Of course, the Romans stopped them immediately.  And then, Gabriel announced to Mary that the time had come, and that she had a part to play in the plan of God.  As a faithful Jewish woman, Mary was aware of the prophecy too, and this may have been one reason that she was able to respond immediately to God’s invitation.  But, in addition to being aware that the time had come, Mary must have had a relationship with God in order to recognize the personal invitation that came to her.
 
How about you?  Are you aware of the promises God has made and how they can affect your life?  Do you have a personal relationship with God, and will you recognize His voice when He calls on you to work for Him?
 
Spend some time today speaking to God about this... And see what He says.
 
In Christ’s Peace!
Carol Mullins