It is 20th December 2016. The readings are from Isaiah 7:10-14; and the Gospel from Luke 1:26-38. The first readings once again presents the prophecy of Isaiah about the Messiah. God expects response from us no matter what the situation we are in. We cannot refuse God’s help believing in the support of human resources. There is no one cares for the humanity just like the Lord. King Ahaz fell in the hands of Assyrians believing that they would be the Saviour of Israel. The history proves that the northern kingdom came to an end because of the refusal to listen and obey the Word of God. Often we too pacify and behave like the king of Israel not ready to listen what the Lord truly wants us to hear; we have so many excuses not to communicate with God. We begin to believe in human calculations and logic than in the wisdom of God. It is all about the question of humility to listen and trust totally in the Lord that brings salvation. We keep trusting in money, wealth and human power ignoring or refusing to accept the loving intervention of God in our lives. Just like the king, we fail to submit and surrender, and walk by faith. The responsorial Psalm praises, “Let the Lord enter! God is the king of glory!” (Ps.23:10). The Gospel speaks of the Annunciation to Mary. Her humble and uncalculated Yes is indeed the attitude and the response God was waiting for. She was completely opened and receptive to the plan of God even though it was humanly illogical and not tallying in every human understanding. “Mary said: ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord, may it be to me as you have said.” (Lk.1:38). God wants the same kind of cooperation and response from every one of us when God wants to perform something in our lives. God wants to save us by intervening in our lives whenever we are in deep waters of sin and shame. God went out of God’s way in the lives of Sara, Hannah, the anonymous mother of Samson, and Elizabeth to show God’s grace is amazing and humanly incomprehensible. God will surely go out of God’s way to save us. Let us trust God like our Mother Mary. May you have a good day.