The heritage of Incarnation

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today are selected to celebrate the birth of Mary.

Our Lady of Lebanon

These texts invite reflection on how they illuminate our spiritual heritage. The verses from the Letter of Paul to the Romans outline the Christian vocation as it was designed by God.

* [8:28–30] These verses outline the Christian vocation as it was designed by God: to be conformed to the image of his Son, who is to be the firstborn among many brothers (Rom 8:29). God’s redemptive action on behalf of the believers has been in process before the beginning of the world. Those whom God chooses are those he foreknew (Rom 8:29) or elected. Those who are called (Rom 8:30) are predestined or predetermined. These expressions do not mean that God is arbitrary. Rather, Paul uses them to emphasize the thought and care that God has taken for the Christian’s salvation.

The Gospel from Matthew leads to the virginal conception of Jesus as the work of the Spirit of God. Joseph’s decision to divorce Mary is overcome by the heavenly command that he take her into his home and accept the child as his own.

* [1:18–25] This first story of the infancy narrative spells out what is summarily indicated in Mt 1:16. The virginal conception of Jesus is the work of the Spirit of God. Joseph’s decision to divorce Mary is overcome by the heavenly command that he take her into his home and accept the child as his own. The natural genealogical line is broken but the promises to David are fulfilled; through Joseph’s adoption the child belongs to the family of David. Matthew sees the virginal conception as the fulfillment of Is 7:14.

Mary Lee Brock reflects that today we celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Her birth has profound impact on our lives as Christians.   Mary made the ultimate leap of faith and gave us the gift of the birth of Jesus.  She embodies the line in today’s reading from Romans: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
The story of the birth of Jesus draws us together as Christians.  Today’s readings do not directly address the birth of Mary. I am left wondering about her birth.  I wonder about the emotions felt by her parents Joachim and Anne. How did her community react to her birth?

Don Schwager meditates on how we rejoice in the promises of God and trust in his saving plan for our life.

There is a long venerable tradition among many Christians of celebrating the birth of Mary, the mother of Jesus our Savior, on this day. Her birth prepared for our redemption in Jesus Christ. Matthew begins his Gospel account with the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham's lineage through the line of David, King of Israel. Matthew concludes his genealogy by indicating that both Mary, Jesus' mother and Joseph, his legal foster father, came from the line of David.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 takes a look at what makes her family so special.

Mary was born of the line of David into a devout Jewish home. God prepared her to be the bearer of his Son by keeping her free from original sin. But Mary’s claim to fame isn’t her credentials. It’s the fact that she said yes. She welcomed the Son of God into her womb. She gave him a home in this world. She nurtured and nourished him both physically and spiritually. This is why every generation has called her blessed—it’s why we celebrate her today.

Friar Jude Winkler opens the interpretation of the Gospel using the numerical value of the name of David.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, notes that many of the desert fathers and mothers, as well as the collected texts of the Philokalia in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, have described prayer as bringing your thinking down into your heart. was often puzzled by the continued return to heart imagery, such as Jesus pointing to his “Sacred Heart” and Mary pointing to her “Immaculate Heart.”

Love lives and thrives in the heart space. It has kept me from wanting to hurt people who have hurt me. It keeps me every day from obsessive, repetitive, or compulsive head games. It can make the difference between being happy and being miserable and negative. Could this be what we are really doing when we say we are praying for someone? Yes, we are holding them in our heart space. Do this in an almost physical sense, and you will see how calmly and quickly it works.

The Genealogy (Genesis) of Jesus is celebrated as the Word becomes flesh in the “yes” of Mary and we find that contemplation of the description by the Evangelist Matthew opens our heart to reconsideration of relationship to others.

References


(n.d.). Romans 8:28-30. Retrieved September 8, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/Romans/8:28
(n.d.). Matthew 1:18-25. Retrieved September 8, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/matthew1.htm
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved September 8, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.htm
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 8, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/
(n.d.). 22nd Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved September 8, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 8, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/