Daily Readings - Mon Mar 25 2019
Isaiah
10Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz,11"Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights."12But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test."13Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also?14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Hebrews
4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;6with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.7Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll--I have come to do your will, O God.'"8First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made).9Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second.10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Luke
26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.37For nothing is impossible with God."38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left 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.