Prophecy Fulfilled
(Is 7:10-8:10; Ps 24; Lk 1:26-38)
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Scripture tells us that the sign of a true prophet is the fulfillment of that prophecy. There are countless prophecies in the Old Testament that are proved to be true, because they are fulfilled completely by the birth of Jesus among us, the mystery of the Incarnation.
In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah confronts King Ahaz and challenges him to act on faith and ask for a sign, which he refuses to do. Isaiah then gives him a sign, this prophecy: “Look, a virgin is with child and shall bear a son, and name him Immanuel.” What could be simpler and clearer than that, written centuries before the time of Jesus?
Turning to the gospel, we see that prophecy being fulfilled, almost to the letter, as the angel Gabriel appears to the virgin Mary, informs her that she will conceive in her womb and bear a son, who will be named Jesus. The angel adds that he will be the Son of the Most High, rule over the throne of his ancestor David, and his kingdom will be eternal.
Mary, naturally, is perplexed, but not unbelieving. She ponders this news and asks how it could be since she was a virgin. She is told that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and the Most High will overshadow her – so her child will be holy and called Son of God. What is striking here is the inclusion of both the Holy Spirit and the Most High God – an allusion even at the birth of Jesus of God as Trinity – Father, Holy Spirit and Jesus, Son of God.
The key to the whole scene is in the last line – Mary’s “Fiat” or “Yes” – “Let it be with me according to your word.” Upon her acceptance lay the future of the world, and she was able to believe, trust, surrender and allow God’s will to be done in her life, and as the saying goes, “the rest is history.”
Mary’s faith, her fiat, and all the prophecies fulfilled at the birth of Jesus, are invitations for us to not just venerate Mary, but to imitate her, to be like her as much as we can. We can do that especially by pondering and praying with God’s Word, especially through contemplative prayer, and then serving the world through our gifts and talents, as Mary did.
When I was ordained a priest in 1975 by then Bishop Adam Exner OMI, Sr. Connie Piska UdJ of Edmonton gave me a gift that she had made herself, a black and white silhouette of Mary and her “Yes”, her “Fiat” to the Holy Spirit hovering over her. That gift has been hanging in my bathroom ever since then, a daily reminder of God’s invitation to me to give my “Yes” to doing God’s will as she, and her son, did.
The psalm response adds the dimension of opening ourselves up to let the Lord enter our lives as the king of glory. We can do that by striving to have “clean hands” – that is, to live lives that are just and fair to all in all circumstances. For one person who was in business, that meant full disclosure of his financial dealings, which the Word of God challenged him to do.
We can also strive to be “pure of heart,” to be single minded in our service of the Lord, and not let ourselves be drawn into lives of dissipation or sexual impurity of any kind. There is a saying in the 12 Step program that can be helpful to those struggling in this area: “If you don’t want to slip, don’t go where it is slippery.”
The angel Gabriel ends his message to Mary with the reminder that nothing is impossible to God. That too can invite us to an even deeper faith, to let go and let God, to trust that in the end, as Julien of Norwich put it, “All will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of being will be well.”
With every celebration of the Eucharist, what seems to be impossible happens – humble gifts of bread and wine, symbolizing both our sufferings and our joys, the totality of our lives, are transformed by the Holy Spirit that hovered over Mary, into the Body and Blood of Jesus. As Mary gave flesh to Jesus through the Incarnation, Mother Church now gives us the body and blood of Jesus through the Eucharist.
May our celebration, and the knowledge of all these prophecies fulfilled, strengthen our faith in Jesus as Son of God, deepen our trust in the power of God to work the impossible in our lives, and empower us say “Yes” to God’s call to follow his Son Jesus more closely in our lives.
We hear the same messages over and over again on God performing miracles like the Virgin Mary receiving the gift from God . The Holy Spirit conceives inside her and God told her that the child will be Holy and name him Jesus. This is an experience of God performing miracles if we choose to the son of God which is Jesus Christ . We hear this message during the Advent season every time and what a great reminder for people . Thanks for the homilies, Bishop Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We have to be able to trust God and put our faith in God and Jesus Christ.
These prophecies are always fulfilled when the Christ the King is born to save these people from sins and healing all sickness . Homeless, rich and poor even enemies . What a lovely art picture. Blessings!