5th Day of Simbang Gabi (December 20, 2023)

Reflection: “The Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”

We have reached halfway through our Misa de Gallo. For the past days we have heard of the stories that serves to bring us to this day’s Gospel, the Annunciation of the Lord. The mass for this day is called the “Missa Aurea” or the Golden Mass because this day we hear of the Angel’s message and the response of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is brought about the fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation. The Word is now incarnated in the womb of the Virgin Mary as she opened herself to the Lord’s message.

In our 1st Reading, the Prophet Isaiah prophesied of a Virgin bearing a son who would be called Emmanuel, the presence of God in the midst of His people. This is the sign of a new way of relationship between God and man. In the story of Isaiah, King Ahaz was told to ask for a sign from the Lord, so to speak God was assuring the king that He is with him and the people, but fear has made Ahaz obstinate and desperate. In turn, the Prophet Isaiah said, “Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary men, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”

Humanly speaking, we are prone to lose hope and fall into despair. When anxiety and insecurity take hold of us we become paralyzed and no words of assurance would bring relief, not even God’s promises afford us hope. When we make our trials and pains as the center of our lives, we would never be able to stand again. So, God takes the initiative, He does not allow us to fall deeper into our misery, He promises to take the matter Himself to save us from our own misery. He sent us His own Son to be our savior the Emmanuel, God with us.

On the other hand, He would also take one of our own kind, one He prepared for Himself to be vessel of hope to those in despair. He called on a woman, young as she was to be one witb Him in the mission of salvation, one who would be the Mother of the Redeemer and redeemed. God called the Blessed Virgin Mary to be one with Him in this mystery of salvation. Her “fiat” to the Lord’s message brought her to the reality of life, that salvation is a grace that each one has to accept personally. We have to enter into a relationship with God and nurture that relationship with fidelity.

The Annunciation brings to fulfillment the promise of redemption. May we, then, be open to respond to God’s call for each one of us after the example of the Blessed Mother. May we never despair, but always be full of hope. There is always new day ahead, just be ready to face the sun during the darkness of night. Let us always say, “In all things may the most holy, the most just, and the most lovable will of God be done, praised, and exalted above all for ever.” Amen.