annuntiation, bungkag lalaw 2015

Let us reflect on our first reading from the Book of the prophet Isaiah.  King Ahaz was the King of Judah.  The kingdoms of Syria and Israel made an alliance to wage war on King Ahaz of Judah. When King Ahaz saw this he became so afraid and instead of heeding the prophet’s plea to trust only in God who would deliver Judah from its enemies, the king instead made an alliance to the superpower of those days, the kingdom of Assyria. Instead of trusting God he trusted Assyria.  It was easier it seems to trust on weapons, arms, horses and armies.  It was hard to believe merely on words of assurance, when there is no basis for belief, when there are no signs indicating that God’s promises will indeed be fulfilled.  It’s like some of you making promises in your application letters – I will become better, I will improve next year, I will study harder next year.  Do you expect me to just believe it outright? No.  I will ask - But where is the sign?  What sign can you give me that your promise is true?

This was also the difficulty of King Ahaz.  How can I believe God, how will I know that God would indeed help us against our enemies?  What sign can you give me?

And so the prophet Isaiah gave him a sign.  Her young wife will bear a son and the son will be called Immanuel which means God is with us.   

This birth is a sign that God is not abandoning King Ahaz and the kingdom of Judah.  The birth of a son is a sign that the line of David now in King Ahaz will continue in his son.  It is a sign that God is not abandoning his people, and he will be to them the Immanuel – God is with us.  This was fulfilled when in the son of Ahaz, the would be king Hezekiah was born and became ruler of Judah.  But the real and final fulfillment is heard in our gospel today when the angel of the Lord declared to Mary that she will bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel.  God is with us, he is with us now in the person of Jesus.

This is the day when my mother died a year ago.  In Filipino tradition this is bungkag lalaw – lalaw means mourning and bungkag means to destroy, to drive out, to end.  After one year the mourning is over – the veil of sadness is now removed - the grieving for the dead is now taken away.

Every event can become a sign.  Bungkag lalaw can be a sign, just as the Annunciation is a sign.  It is a sign that life has to move on, that we cannot forever wallow in our sorrows and grief.  It is a sign that the grieving must come to an end.  It is a sign that the final goodbyes have to be said and there is no point in prolonging the hanging about.  It is a sign that the farewell is somewhat permanent and there is no point in waiting further, except to expect the reunion in the life to come.  Buncag lalaw is a sign that God is immanuel that despite the impermanence of things, despite the changing of the guards, and despite the ebb and flow of life there is always the One that stays for ever, the unmoved Mover – and he is Immanuel he is God who is with us forever.