Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
(Isaiah 7:10-14.8:10; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke
1:26-38)
Last week one of the editors of the Wall
Street Journal reviewed a book on the Bible. He criticized the author’s suggestion that
people make their own sense about what the Bible says. The author wrote that in today’s gospel
passage, the word for virgin should be translated as young woman
because the original Hebrew would have it that way. The reviewer questioned that interpretation
as well as the author’s push for reading Scripture as one likes. The reviewed found that the original Hebrew
word, found in today’s first reading, does usually refer to a virgin.
Like the author of the book under review,
many today would like to dismiss the apostolic belief that Jesus had a virgin
mother. The reality is unheard of except
for the gospel, but so also is Jesus’ resurrection from death unheard of. Both of these truths, however, pale in
comparison with the core Christian belief that God became human. If one accepts the incarnation, there should
be no difficulty in holding the other two.
One should expect God to be born in a unique way and also not to be
constrained by human death.
Today, of course, we celebrate the
incarnation, the Son of God’s generation as a human being. It is duly announced by the angel who
interprets the event’s significance. He
will be called Yeshua or God saves. He will also assume the kingdom of David, but
this reign will extend not only for a lifetime and over Israel. Rather he will rule for all eternity and throughout
the universe. There is good reason today
to forget about Lenten penance as we celebrate the coming of the Son of God.
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