How does one respond to an invitation to join God in a holy journey of faith?

A reflection on the daily readings, for the Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent, by Father Perry.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

+ “Oh, so now you think you know more than God?” Ahaz had his nerve.

Imagine that God invited him to ask for a sign from God, and even suggested a very big and impressive sign, “Let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!”

And Ahaz had the nerve to answer back to God in the negative.

On one level, though, it could be seen as a compliment to Ahaz that, in his own words, he said, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!”

“Is there ever a reason imaginable in which one could or should properly say no to God?” one might ask.

And so Isaiah jumped into action and said what had to be said.

Isaiah made it clear that Ahaz’s response was like comparing “my fingerpainting to the Mona Lisa.”

And Isaiah uttered the Lord’s response, that “the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”

These words were clearly a prophecy, but not just any prophecy.

This was messianic language. This promised a king and an heir to David — the Davidic line.

And this king would bring salvation to God’s people.

This was, indeed, hope with a capital H.

And, indeed, a promise from God himself!

+ Therefore, the angelic visitor brings it about in this Lucan story of the Annunciation.

Mary (the virgin) was invited by God to bring God into the world in a human way through the birthing of his own Son.

But even the mention of a young virgin being pregnant without ever having had relations with a man was perplexing at best, and downright unimaginable at worst.

And Mary displayed her unimaginable response to the angel with a simple and simply put question, “How can this be?”

And who could have imagined the angelic response she was about to hear; namely, that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and overshadow her.

There would be, in essence, a holy impregnation.

What?! How?! OMG!

Something, “as deep as the nether world, or high as the sky,” was indeed happening to Mary, through Mary, and eventually by Mary.

God was inviting Mary into a holy journey of faith, and inviting Mary to be a central figure in an amazing unfolding story of nothing less than a messianic and salvific journey of faith.

How does one respond to such an invite?

How did Mary respond to this invite?

She did not respond like Ahaz.

No, indeed; rather, Mary said it simply, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

And at that, the angel departed.

I mean, really, what more needed to be said?

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Father Perry Dean Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com.