4 April 2014 - asking rightly

[ Today's Readings ]

Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”

You tell us to ask, LORD. You have blessings you are waiting to unleash. You have abundance you want to give us.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you (see Matthew 7:7).

So why are we afraid to ask? Ahaz is used to asking for things wrongly. He is so used to it he has forgotten that there is a right way to ask.

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions (see James 4:3).

This is the kind of sign for which is is wrong to ask. This is the sort of sign that Herod wants to see when Jesus is sent to him by Pilate.

When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him (see Luke 23:8).

These are the sorts of signs that put you to the test, LORD. But again, there is a right way to ask. There are things for which you want us to ask. And we are guilty of omission when you tell us what they are and we fail to ask.

Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us!” 

Mary shows us how to ask for the blessings you have for us. Her yes to your will is what ultimately brings you to us as the Word made flesh, LORD. To ask for this if it wasn't in your will would be presumptuous and even blasphemous. But you make it clear that this is your plan.

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.

Mary does not understand at first. But she does not allow her understanding to limit you the way that Zechariah does when he is struck dumb until he names John the Baptist. Her humility allows her to accept your will even when she doesn't understand. She and Ahaz and Zechariah are all afraid when you make your will known to them Jesus. But only the humility of Mary is able remain open in spite of her own frailty and fear. And her humility doesn't make her too meek to ask since it is what you want as well. This is holy boldness!

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”

Help us to sit at Mary's feet until her yes becomes our yes and all of the blessings you have for the world are unleashed!