THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN HUMAN NATURE


SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD

Isa 7:10-14,8:10; Ps 40:7-11; Heb 10:4-10; Lk 1:26-38

The Mystery of God’s Presence with Us

The Church puts her Lenten observances aside to celebrate the solemn feast of the Annunciation of the Lord. We celebrate the reception of the reality promised to our ancestors in faith, the presence of God in the human flesh. A few days ago, we celebrated Saint Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as the guardian of this divine treasure. Today’s solemnity surpasses that, for we celebrate the reality of the heavenly gift. What was given to Moses for the people of Israel as a symbol in the divine name: 'I Am who I Am’, is realised in human flesh in what the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived. God made known his reason for giving his sacred name to the children of Israel for all; the gift of his holy name was a pointer to his intention to live among us, his people who believe in him. We slight God when we fail to match his desire to be with us with our thirst for his living and life-giving presence. The prophet Isaiah reprimanded Ahaz, the king of Judah, for his tardiness in believing in God. “Listen now, House of David: are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men without trying the patience of my God, too? The Lord himself, therefore, will give you a sign. It is this: the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’” The signs of God’s desire to live with us are everywhere for those with eyes of faith to see.

The signs beckon us to faith, his divine will, and loving care. The whole creation itself is a grand sign speaking to us about God’s presence with us and educating us on how to enter the Promised Land or the presence of God. Thus, it is not the House of David alone that is trying divine patience, but all of us, in our refusal to believe in God’s sacred name, indicating his ever-abiding presence, also try his patience. His appearance in our flesh and blood is the last attempt of God to banish our weakness and sinfulness as our perennial excuses for not entering his communion. The Son, therefore, on putting on our human nature, expresses what the Father wants from us, to be pleasing to him. “You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings, but an open ear. You do not ask for holocaust and victim. Instead, here am I.” God’s sacred name is ‘I Am.’ He is the presence we must present ourselves to live in communion with him. The holy and acceptable worship of God is our attendance to his presence and will. Thus, the author of Hebrews explains: “Notice that he says first: You did not want what the Law lays down as the things to be offered, that is: the sacrifices, the oblations, the holocausts and the sacrifices for sin, and you took no pleasure in them; and then he says: Here I am! I am coming to obey your will.” So, true religion and spiritual worship entail being present to God, whose name among us is Immanuel, God-is-with-us.

God sent the angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary to help her understand the importance of this great mystery. “Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” The favour is a new and unique one, according to the words of Gabriel. It is a common and unique favour; it is ancient and modern. It is the former in its continuity with the favour granted to all faithful men down the history of man, and the latter because it is a new and unique possession of God’s presence, expressed in human face and nature. Mary was disturbed by the uniqueness of Gabriel’s greeting. The angel calmed her down by throwing more light: “Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.” The unique presence of God with Mary requires that she be present to God and his word in a new and radical way, more than any other person in history. Mary is that for her Immaculate Conception translates to the absence of any distraction from the will of God, which is the source of sin in us. Conceived in and with sin, we implore her intercession to help us pay attention to the Word among us.

Let us pray: O God, who willed that your Word should take on the reality of human flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, that we, who confess our Redeemer to be God and man, may merit to become partakers even in his divine nature. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.  

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