Daily Readings - Mon Mar 25 2019
Isaiah
10Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying,11Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.12But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.13And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?14Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Hebrews
4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.5Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:6In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.7Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.8Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;9Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Luke
26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.36And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.37For with God nothing shall be impossible.38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the profound mystery of God’s plan of salvation and our response to it. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear the prophet offering King Ahaz a sign of God’s presence and fidelity—a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, Immanuel, “God with us.” This prophecy, spoken in a time of crisis, points to the hope of divine intervention and the promise of Emmanuel, who would later be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The second reading from Hebrews emphasizes that the sacrifices of the old covenant could not fully take away sins, but Christ’s self-offering, in obedience to the Father’s will, accomplishes what the law could not. This highlights the uniqueness of Christ’s sacrifice and the grace it brings to humanity. In the Gospel, Luke presents the Annunciation, where Mary, in humility and faith, accepts God’s plan to bear the Son of God. Her “Yes” to God’s will becomes the pivotal moment that changes the course of history.
These readings are deeply interconnected. Isaiah’s prophecy of Emmanuel finds its fulfillment in the Gospel, where Mary’s womb bears the Son of God. The letter to the Hebrews bridges the Old and New Testaments, showing how Christ’s sacrifice is the ultimate expression of God’s will and love. Together, they reveal the continuity of God’s plan and the central role of faith and obedience in receiving His grace. Mary’s response—“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word”—stands as a model of trust and surrender to God’s plan.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to reflect on our own response to God’s will. Like Mary, we are invited to embrace God’s plan, even when it seems uncertain or challenging. The readings remind us that faith is not about understanding every detail but about trusting in God’s providence. Just as Mary’s “Yes” brought Emmanuel into the world, our “Yes” to God can allow His grace to flow through us, transforming our lives and the lives of those around us. Let us, like Mary, open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and allow God’s will to be done in us. In doing so, we become part of the ongoing story of salvation, living as children of God who trust in His love and provision.