Daily Readings - Sat Mar 25 2023
Isaiah
10Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz,11"Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven."12But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test."13And he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also?14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Hebrews
4For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.5Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;6in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.7Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'"8When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law),9then he added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second.10And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Luke
26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.28And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"29But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.30And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."34And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"35And the angel answered her, "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.36And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.37For nothing will be impossible with God."38And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound moments of faith, obedience, and the unfolding of God’s plan for humanity. The first reading from Isaiah presents us with a pivotal moment in the history of God’s people. King Ahaz, faced with the threat of invasion, is offered a sign by God to strengthen his faith. Though Ahaz hesitates, the prophet Isaiah announces one of the most famous prophecies in Scripture: a virgin will conceive and bear a son named Immanuel, “God with us.” This sign is not just for Ahaz but for all people, pointing to the deeper truth that God is always present and active in our lives, even in times of uncertainty.
The second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews shifts our focus to the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan. It explains that the sacrifices of the Old Covenant, though meaningful, could never fully take away sins. Christ, by contrast, enters the world to do God’s will perfectly, offering his own body as the perfect sacrifice. This passage emphasizes that true worship is not about external rituals but about surrendering our will to God’s will. Christ’s obedience makes us holy, and through his sacrifice, we are united to God in a way that transcends the limitations of the old order.
The Gospel reading brings us to the Annunciation, where Mary, a young virgin, is greeted by the Angel Gabriel. Though she is perplexed and even afraid, Mary responds with extraordinary faith and humility: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” Mary’s yes to God’s plan is the model of Christian discipleship. Like Mary, we are called to trust in God’s providence, even when the circumstances seem impossible or unclear. Her faith is not about understanding every detail but about surrendering to God’s will with openness and courage.
These readings are deeply interconnected. Isaiah’s prophecy of Immanuel finds its fulfillment in the Gospel, where Mary’s son Jesus is revealed as the true Emmanuel, “God with us.” The Letter to the Hebrews bridges the two, showing how Christ’s obedience and sacrifice fulfill the hopes of the Old Testament and make us holy. Together, they remind us that faith is not about having all the answers but about trusting in God’s plan, even when the road ahead is uncertain.
In our daily lives, we are often faced with challenges that test our faith. Like Ahaz, we may hesitate to trust in God’s providence. Like Mary, we are called to say yes to God’s will, even when it seems daunting. And like Christ, we are invited to surrender our own desires and ambitions to the Father’s plan. These readings remind us that God is always with us, and his plan is always greater than our own. Let us, then, approach life with the same humility and faith as Mary, trusting that no word of God is impossible.