I love that in the midst of Lent we have this wonderful feast day! The readings for today are so familiar that we may not really hear them anymore. But listen to what they say: Isaiah promises that a young girl will bring forth “God is With Us”! With us! Not distant, but with us! The lovely Psalm 40 urges me to proclaim that good news, because it is not just for me, it is for all! The letter to the Hebrews asserts that Christ is the replacement of goat and sheep sacrifice. The acceptable sacrifice is Jesus, once and always. The Gospel from Luke of the Annunciation can almost be recited by heart, we’ve heard it so many times. But think about what is happening here, God is asking a regular person, not a queen or anyone like that, just an ordinary person like you or me, to do something extraordinary, because with God, nothing is impossible. With our humble, anonymous lives, God can do amazing things. We have great potential, if we are open to it. My ordinary can be extraordinary in God’s hands. Happy Feast Day!!
