And the Lord spoke again to Achaz, saying: “Ask a sign of the Lord your God, either to the depth of Hell, or to the height above.” And Achaz said: “I will not ask, and I will not tempt the Lord.” And he said: “Hear ye, therefore, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also? Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, a Virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and his name will be called Emmanuel.”Thanks be to God.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
Let our hearts be filled with hope and joy at hearing this fair and sweet prophecy: “A Virgin will conceive and bear a Son.” These words contain the salvation of the world, as these others express its perdition: “The woman took of the fruit of the tree, and did eat, and gave to her husband.” This Virgin promised to us is at length come: the divine Fruit is in her womb. By her, Eve’s disobedience is repaired, the world is raised from its fall, the head of the serpent is crushed, God Himself is more glorified by the fidelity of this second Virgin than He had been outraged by the disobedience of the first. The consent of Mary exercises an immense influence in the saving of the world. It is true that the Word Himself is coming, “but,” says Saint Bernard, “Mary is the way by which He comes. It is from her virginal womb He issues, as the Bridegroom from the nuptial chamber. Let us endeavour, therefore, to go up to Jesus by Mary, for Jesus came down to us by her. By you, O Blessed one that found Grace, O Parent of Life, Mother of Saltation, may we have access to your Son! May He who was given to us by you, receive us by you. May He admit your purity and, for its sake, forgive our impurities. May He give us the pardon of our pride, because of the pleasure He took in your humility. May your abundant charity cover the multitude of our sins. May your glorious fruitfulness get us fruitfulness of merit. Our Lady! Our Mediatrix! Our Advocate! Reconcile us to your Son, commend us to your Son, present us to your Son. By the grace you found, by the prerogative you merited, by the Mercy you brought forth, grant, O Blessed Virgin, that Jesus who deigned to become, through your maternity, partaker of our weakness and misery, may through your intercession make us partakers of His glory and bliss.”
