The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary present us with the prompting of the Spirit to contemplate our response to the invitation to surrender to the plan of God for our lives.
The reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans declares God’s Indomitable Love in Christ.
* [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.
* [8:28] We know that all things work for good for those who love God: a few ancient authorities have God as the subject of the verb, and some translators render: “We know that God makes everything work for good for those who love God….” (Romans, CHAPTER 8, n.d.)
The reading from the Prophet Micah foresees the Ruler from Bethlehem.
* [5:1–6] Salvation will come through a “messiah,” an anointed ruler. The Book of Micah shares with Isaiah the expectation that God will deliver Israel through a king in the line of David. Bethlehem-Ephrathah is the home of the Davidic line.
* [5:2] These words are sometimes understood as a reference to Isaiah’s Emmanuel oracle, given some thirty years earlier (Is 7:14). The Gospel of Matthew reports that the chief priests and scribes cite this passage as the ancient promise of a messiah in the line of David to be born in Bethlehem (Mt 2:5–6). (Micah, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)
Psalm 13 is a prayer for deliverance from enemies.
* [Psalm 13] A typical lament, in which the psalmist feels forgotten by God (Ps 13:2–3)—note the force of the repetition of “How long.” The references to enemies may suggest some have wished evil on the psalmist. The heartfelt prayer (Ps 13:4–5) passes on a statement of trust (Ps 13:6a), intended to reinforce the prayer, and a vow to thank God when deliverance has come (Ps 13:6b). (Psalms, PSALM 13, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew presents the Genealogy of Jesus leading to the Birth of Jesus the Messiah.
* [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. (Matthew, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)
Mirielle Mason comments that by saying yes to God, Joseph drastically changed the course of his own life, and those of the whole world by helping to care for Mary and Jesus. She asks how could the things that are asked of her possibly compare to such a great sacrifice?
While I certainly do not have the answers to the questions I just asked myself, they do make me feel somewhat ashamed of my shortcomings. There are times that I could have been a better child of God, but I failed. Now, without getting despondent, I think that shame can have the positive effect of being a powerful motivator. What prayerful practices could I engage in to help me hear the Lord’s call? What good am I being called to do, but am holding back from because I fear it will put me at a disadvantage?
I must remind myself that God’s will never puts us at a disadvantage. My perspective on things is limited because I am only human.
God the Father, help me to heed your call as Joseph did, even when the very thought of doing so is terrifying. By trusting in You, I pray the fruits of such actions will be spread throughout my life and the lives of those around me. (Mason, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Jesus' humanity revealed in the genealogy,” by Severus of Antioch (488-538 AD).
"One must bear in mind therefore that the Evangelists, or rather the Spirit speaking through them, took pains to ensure that their readers believed that Christ was truly God and truly human. Because of what they wrote, no one could possibly doubt that he is God by nature, beyond all variation, mutation or illusion, and that according to the ordered plan of God he was truly human. This is why John could say, on the one hand, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' John immediately adds, 'The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us' (John 1:1-2,14). Hence Matthew wrote appropriately, 'The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.' On the one hand he is not able to be counted simply from natural generation among families, since it is written, 'Who shall declare his generation'? (Isaiah 53:8)
"He is before the centuries and of one substance with the Father himself, from the standpoint of eternity. But by this genealogy he is also numbered among the families of humanity according to the flesh. For in truth, while remaining God, Christ became man without ceasing to be God, unaltered till the end of time. This is why there is also mention of the ancient patriarchs in the lineage, the narrative and observation of the times and vicissitudes that are indeed proper to human history. Through all this Matthew made it clear that Christ participates in our human generation and in our nature. Otherwise some might claim that he appeared in illusion and in imagination only, rather than by becoming genuinely human. Think of what might have been said if none of this had been written?" (excerpt from CATHEDRAL SERMONS, HOMILY 94) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 comments that Mary and Joseph would have also known that obeying God does not guarantee a problem-free life. In fact, it could open them up to rejection and ridicule. Yet they were willing to follow him because what they were receiving was so much greater than the risk at hand. The promise of salvation for all mankind was worth the hardships they would face. And so they accepted his will, with its high points and its low points, and held fast to him through it all.
When you face misunderstanding or even hostility because of your faith, remember Mary and Joseph and the courage it took for them to yield to God’s plan for them. Remember that your reward will be much greater than any opposition you might face, starting with the peace that comes from being in the plan and will of God.
“Hail Mary, full of grace, pray for me to say yes to God’s plan for me.” (Meditation on Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the disdain of Micah for Jerusalem and his prophecy of a Messiah from Bethlehem. Different understanding of predestination contrasts with God having a plan for each of us to which we are called and we may reject. Friar Jude reminds us of the role of the Holy Spirit in identifying the unusual women and symbology in Jesus' genealogy and connecting Jesus' birth to the Virgin Mary.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that a powerful spiritual experience challenges us to find a way of holding the paradox of living in the everyday world while knowing there is something beyond it. A peak experience can be disconcerting. Sometimes we might even be ungrateful for it. We don’t fit in anymore. We live the rest of our lives at a tilt. We might feel a bit off-center. We can’t get excited about things most people get excited about. We just don’t believe they’re important anymore.
Once we have experienced the Grail—our soul, our True Self, God-in-us—we still fall short. We betray others and ourselves. We fail to live our own truth. We act contrary to our values and beliefs. We are hypocritical, lazy, lustful, and all the rest. But we are also trapped in the truth. As Jeremiah says, it burns within us (20:9). We know it’s the truth, even though we can never live up to it. Henceforward the only sin would be to deny that it is the truth. Trying to live up to it is the rest of the Grail journey.
Now the quest is real because the Grail is real. God is real. (Rohr, 2022)
As we journey in the experience of life we may be aware that our relationship with God reveals our deep connection to a Divine Plan for peace and love.
References
Mason, M. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved September 8, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/090822.html
Matthew, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 8, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/1?1
Meditation on Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 8, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/09/08/484685/
Micah, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 8, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/micah/5?1
Psalms, PSALM 13. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 8, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/13?6
Rohr, R. (2022, September 8). Living with a Grail Experience — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 8, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/living-with-a-grail-experience-2022-09-08/
Romans, CHAPTER 8. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 8, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/romans/8?28
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved September 8, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=sep8a
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