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December 20, 2023In today’s readings, Gabriel’s announcement to Mary in the Gospel is contrasted with the first reading where Isaiah prophesies to Ahaz, King of Judah, bearing a familiar message: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son. While the messages are similar, the dispositions of its recipients, Ahaz and Mary, are notably different. Ahaz, dealing with the serious threat of Assyrian invasion in Judah, does not accept the Lord’s offer of salvation from his enemies, but instead places his hope in strategic and powerful political alliances. Mary, on the other hand, places her trust in God out of her poverty, and proclaims herself the handmaid of the Lord.
This difference between Ahaz and Mary highlights an important aspect of our faith: God offers us salvation, but not through the powerful and impressive. Rather, God’s saving message has been delivered to us through an unknown young woman in a remote part of the world. The recipient of the message herself reveals something about God’s salvation, namely, that it cannot be grasped or purchased through power, but must be accepted, humbly, in our weakness. It is easy, especially in times of deep stress and fear, to turn to security, money, or status to save us from darkness. But as this Advent season teaches us in preparation for Christmas, true salvation comes through turning to God as we are and asking him to open our eyes to the grace he shows us each day, even if it is not what we would expect. By shedding the desire to control our destinies, we will truly see that nothing is impossible for God.
