It always amazes me how God communicates with people in the Old Testament, either with His audible voice or through His messengers, the angels. In any case, when we see God communicating to people, it is never just a message, or an instruction. We see a God who communicates and gives a chance for questions and even for clarification. 

If we put ourselves in Ahaz's shoes, maybe we would respond differently. The people of Israel have heard so many prophecies and messages about the new Messiah, the king of glory, who was about to come, but it seemed those were never enough, so they wanted to have a sign, some visuals to go along with the prophecies. Why are signs a big deal then? It can be hard to trust based on what we hear.  So, it isn’t surprising to tell someone "I love you" and be asked for a sign to prove or confirm that.

It was not hard for God to give the sign, which by the way, puzzled so many. It does not take a degree in gynecology to understand how children are conceived and born.  Now we are confronted with the fact that a virgin shall conceive a son and name him Jesus. What a hard sign to grasp? 

Let us pause for a moment and think about the conversation between Mary and the angel Gabriel. Mary is a young lady who has her own ambitions and plans for her life. She is already engaged with Joseph.  However, Joseph has never come first in Mary's life. He has a very important place in Mary's life, as her fiancé.  But, since early age, Mary had made the noble decision to put God first and the center of her life. This is reflected in her reaction and answers to the angel's message. Although troubled, with very little understanding of how she is going to conceive without knowing any man yet, she is still able to say a big YES to what the Angel had just communicated, and she meant it. 

So many lessons to learn from the Virgin Mary. This simple but yet meaningful YES from Mary changed humanity. She demonstrated to us that the Word of God does not necessarily require understanding, but it needs to be TRUSTED. Now is a favorable time for us to say out loud our Yes to God on those assignments to which He is calling us. They may seem big for us, but NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE to God.

Frediane Nzosaba is married to Aime. They are blessed with three beautiful girls whom they are raising in the Catholic faith. The family is gifted in so many ways but mostly in hospitality and service. We love being part of the Holy Family community.