Therefore the Lord Himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name Him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us!”
Isaiah 7:14
Day 37: The Annunciation of the Lord – Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name Him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us!”
Additional Reading(s) today: Is. 7:10-14; 8:10; Heb 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38
Today’s Lenten Reflection
Today on the Feast of the Annunciation, we are reminded that what we have planned for ourselves and what God has in store for us are often two very different things. No matter how much we prepare and plan, map out and strategize, in the end what we often face is a very different reality from the one we had set out to achieve. Mary experiences that multiple times over in today’s Gospel. A poor, young Jewish girl, betrothed to a local man. Her life trajectory was set. And then an angel appears in her home, introducing a seemingly impossible suggestion. This was definitely not in the “plan.” Mary must have felt a surge of panic as she contemplated what was being set before her, asking the angel, “How can this be …?” (Lk 1:34). Despite whatever fears she had, above all, Mary trusted God’s plan over her own and gave her fiat — “Let it be done” — a response that would change mankind’s eternal destiny forever. Thanks be to God for that! How often have you found yourself in a place you never expected and asked, “How can this be?” What we must remember is that God is with us today, just as He was with Mary then. When He comes to you the next time with an assignment, with a change in plans, what will your answer be? Will you have the courage like Mary to say Yes?
Day 37 Lenten Meditation
When was the last time you saw one of your carefully laid-out plans unravel in front of your eyes? Perhaps it was something simple but disappointing like a vacation plan thwarted by an airline snafus. Maybe it was something much more serious like an unforeseen medical diagnosis or a loss of a job that brought your world to a standstill. We may intellectually know that no matter how much we plan life is not guaranteed. But oftentimes we don’t live like we understand that. Instead, we do all we can to keep the fact of us having little to no control buried and away from our consciousness. Every once in awhile, however, an event will rear its head in our lives and remind us that we are (still) very much not in control. Take a few moments today to meditate on this fact of life and, if you are able, make a decision to embrace the possibility of what is rather than what you think it should be. In so doing, your faith in God will grow … and this is the point where worry ends and blessings begin.
Lenten Prayer
All-knowing God, so often we want to control our lives and direct our own future. Help us to relinquish the reins and let You take the lead so that we may journey to the place You have prepared for us. Heavenly Father, help us to imitate Mary’s confidence in Your loving providence for our future. Amen.
Today’s suggested penance
*Pray a rosary prayer and give gratitude for the Mother of God’s “Yes.”
“Stand fast in the faith and love one another” –Saint Perpetua’s last words before her martyrdom.
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