Monday, September 8, 2003
Birth of Mary

1st Reading: Mic 5:1-4 or Rom 8:28-30
Gospel: Mt 1:1-16, 18-23 or 1:18-23

This is how Jesus Christ was born. Mary his mother had been given to Joseph in marriage but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her.

While he was pondering over this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a son. You shall call him 'Jesus' for he will save his people from their sins."

All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will be called Emmanuel which means: God-with-us.

Commentary

"Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit." God did not create the world out of chance. He has a plan for the world and for mankind. But sin came in to frustrate that plan. God's response was not of condemnation but the making of another plan: the plan of salvation. And Mary was part of this great plan. She was chosen to be the mother of the messiah, the savior of the world. The birth of Mary by St. Ann was an affirmation of God's loving commitment to save mankind. God does not give up on us. He continues to challenge us so as to respond in freedom to his invitation of living our lives in responsible loving.

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