Additional
Information about the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
 |
“Birth of the Virgin” (detail)
by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1660 |
Readings
for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary [1]
Readings from
the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1
First Option: Micah 5:1-4a
The LORD says:You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,too small to be among the clans
of Judah,From you shall come forth for meone who is to be ruler in Israel;Whose origin is from of old,from ancient times.(Therefore the Lord will give
them up, until the timewhen she who is to give birth has
borne,And the rest of his brethren
shall returnto the children of Israel.)He shall stand firm and shepherd
his flockby the strength of the LORD,in the majestic name of the LORD,
his God;And they shall remain, for now
his greatnessshall reach to the ends of the
earth;he shall be peace. -------------------------------------------Commentary on Mi 5:1-4a
The Prophet Micah, a contemporary of the Prophet Isaiah,
speaks in the voice of God (“Thus says the Lord”) prophesying that the
Messiah will come from the clan of Ephrathah. At that time, this group
was synonymous with the town of Bethlehem which was roughly 5 miles south of
Jerusalem (see Joshua 15:59 and Ruth 4:11). The
reference to the origin of the ruler as being “of old” is a reference to
the ancient line of King David.
Eight centuries before Christ, Micah foresees that Israel’s
domination by foreign powers will end only with the Messiah. The intervening
years are seen by the prophet as analogous to the labor pains of childbirth.
His prophecy is consistent with the Emmanuel oracle from Isaiah 7:15.
The passage concludes with the attributes of the future monarch, that he will
not only bring peace: but “he shall be peace” (even clearer in the
Jerusalem translation “He himself will be peace”).
-------------------------------------------Or :
Second Option: Romans 8:28-30
Brothers and sisters:We know that all things work for
good for those who love God,who are called according to his
purpose. For those he foreknew he also
predestinedto be conformed to the image of
his Son,so that he might be the firstbornamong many brothers.And those he predestined he also
called;and those he called he also
justified;and those he justified he also
glorified.-------------------------------------------Commentary on Rom
8:28-30
St. Paul outlines the call to a life in Christ.
He reflects that God so loves his children. He called some individuals to
participate in his redemptive plan at a deeper level. Because Christ existed
eternally, those called to him were carefully chosen, or elected from the
beginning of time, to be called to salvation. These “elect,” because of their
unwavering service to God, will also be glorified. The Church recognizes this
call to holiness. It also recognizes that, while all are called, those
who accept this call must do it from the heart (ongoing conversion) in order to
be justified and glorified.
Created with free will, many will choose an
easier path. This passage is among several that are central to the
Calvinist idea of predestination. (Note: This reading used on the Feast of the
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary clearly points to her glorious vocation and
the honored place she has in heaven and on earth.)
CCC: Rom 8:26-39 2739; Rom
8:28-30 1821,
2012; Rom 8:28 313, 395;
Rom 8:29 257,
381, 501, 1161, 1272, 2790
-------------------------------------------Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 13:6ab, 6c
R. (Isaiah 61:10) With
delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Though I trusted in your mercy,let my heart rejoice in your
salvation.R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
Let me sing of the LORD, “He has
been good to me.”R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
-------------------------------------------Commentary on Ps 13:6ab,
6c
Psalm
13 begins as an individual lament. However, the final strophe captures the hope
in the mercy of God and the faith to accept his call.
-------------------------------------------Gospel
Long Form: Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23
The Book of the genealogy of
Jesus Christ,the son of David, the son of
Abraham.
Abraham became the father of
Isaac,Isaac the father of Jacob,Jacob the father of Judah and his
brothers.Judah became the father of Perez
and Zerah,whose mother was Tamar.Perez became the father of
Hezron,Hezron the father of Ram,Ram the father of Amminadab.Amminadab became the father of
Nahshon,Nahshon the father of Salmon,Salmon the father of Boaz,whose mother was Rahab.Boaz became the father of Obed,whose mother was Ruth.Obed became the father of Jesse,Jesse the father of David the
king.
David became the father of
Solomon,whose mother had been the wife of
Uriah.Solomon became the father of
Rehoboam,Rehoboam the father of Abijah,Abijah the father of Asaph.Asaph became the father of
Jehoshaphat,Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,Joram the father of Uzziah.Uzziah became the father of
Jotham,Jotham the father of Ahaz,Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.Hezekiah became the father of
Manasseh,Manasseh the father of Amos,Amos the father of Josiah.Josiah became the father of
Jechoniah and his brothersat the time of the Babylonian
exile.
After the Babylonian exile,Jechoniah became the father of
Shealtiel,Shealtiel the father of
Zerubbabel,Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.Abiud became the father of
Eliakim,Eliakim the father of Azor,Azor the father of Zadok.Zadok became the father of Achim,Achim the father of Eliud,Eliud the father of Eleazar.Eleazar became the father of
Matthan,Matthan the father of Jacob,Jacob the father of Joseph, the
husband of Mary.Of her was born Jesus who is
called the Christ.
Now this is how the birth of
Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was
betrothed to Joseph,but before they lived together,she was found with child through
the Holy Spirit.Joseph her husband, since he was
a righteous man,yet unwilling to expose her to
shame,decided to divorce her quietly.Such was his intention when,
behold,the angel of the Lord appeared to
him in a dream and said,“Joseph, son of David,do not be afraid to take Mary
your wife into your home.For it is through the Holy Spiritthat this child has been
conceived in her.She will bear a son and you are
to name him Jesus,because he will save his people
from their sins.”All this took place to fulfillwhat the Lord had said through
the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with
child and bear a son,and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.” -------------------------------------------Commentary on Mt
1:1-16, 18-23
The
“genesis” of Jesus introduces us to the canonical New Testament. It
demonstrates immediately the unknowable depth of God’s plan to introduce his
Son for the salvation of mankind. Beginning with Abraham, this passage from
Matthew’s Gospel traces the ancestry of Jesus through thirty-eight generations.
From a scriptural standpoint this family tree was necessary, especially the
final 14 generations (twice 7 the perfect number) from the birth of King David
on. The oracles of the prophets that the Lord fulfilled in his birth spoke of
the Messiah as coming from the stump of Jesse (King David’s father), and of
being of the house and line of David. The lineage described insures that the
Gospel reader will know that Jesus indeed fulfilled what had been promised by
God.
The
passage continues with a description of the quandary of St. Joseph. He is yet
another example of God’s use of the unsuspecting to take on a role they could
never have expected. St. Joseph is not called the “father of Jesus,” rather
always it is the Blessed Virgin who is called “the Mother of God.” “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 Isaiah 7:14.” [4]
CCC: Mt 1:16 437; Mt
1:18-25 497;
Mt 1:20 333,
437, 486, 497; Mt 1:21 430, 437, 452,
1507, 1846, 2666, 2812; Mt 1:23 497, 744
-------------------------------------------Or
Short Form: Matthew
1:18-23
This is how the birth of Jesus
Christ came about.When his mother Mary was
betrothed to Joseph,but before they lived together,she was found with child through
the Holy Spirit.Joseph her husband, since he was
a righteous man,yet unwilling to expose her to
shame,decided to divorce her quietly.Such was his intention when,
behold,the angel of the Lord appeared to
him in a dream and said,“Joseph, son of David,do not be afraid to take Mary
your wife into your home.For it is through the Holy Spiritthat this child has been
conceived in her.She will bear a son and you are
to name him Jesus,because he will save his people
from their sins.”All this took place to fulfillwhat the Lord had said through
the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”-------------------------------------------Commentary on Mt 1:
18-23
Following
the genealogy, St. Matthew presents a shortened narrative about the nativity of
Jesus (relative to those in Mark and Luke). While more is said of St. Joseph’s
encounter with the messenger from God, the story of Mary’s virginal conception
through the Holy Spirit is described. In the account of St. Matthew, a sense of
fulfillment is communicated most clearly as he quotes Isaiah as predicting the
conception of Christ in Isaiah 7:14.
CCC: Mt 1:18-25 497; Mt
1:20 333,
437, 486, 497; Mt 1:21 430, 437, 452,
1507, 1846, 2666, 2812; Mt 1:23 497, 744
-------------------------------------------Reflection:
“The Blessed Virgin
was predestined to be the Mother of God in the eternal plan for the incarnation
of God’s Word. By decree of God’s providence she was, here on earth, the loving
mother of the divine Redeemer, the noblest of all his companions, and the
humble servant of the Lord. In conceiving Christ, in bearing him, in nursing
him, in presenting him to the Father in the temple, in sharing her Son’s
passion as he was dying on the cross by her obedience, her faith, her hope and
burning love, she cooperated in a way that was unique, in the work of the
savior in restoring supernatural life to souls. She is therefore a mother to us
in the order of grace.”
From the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church of the
Second Vatican Council
(Lumen Gentium n. 61)
One of the nuances that make the
Catholic Church unique in the eyes of other Christian sects is our deep
admiration for and dedication to St. Mary. Because much of what we accept about
Mary, the Mother of God, is taken from non-biblical sources, many of these
other communities find it difficult to understand our love of the Queen of
Heaven. Today’s celebration is one more of those occasions where we can help
them understand.
Since the sixth century, the
Church has had a special celebration honoring the birth of St. Mary. She takes
her place at the base of the branch of the limb on the family tree that
included King David, and that produced Jesus of Nazareth, the Savior and
Christ. We join the Lord Jesus, whose mother she became, in thanking God for
the event that would ultimately demonstrate God’s love for us all. God did this
by providing a vessel for Jesus that was pure and free of all worldly
contamination. (Indeed we believe that her conception was immaculate; the
genealogy of original sin was broken for her.)
The birth of the Theotokos (the
Mother of God) is for us like a great chorus of cheers that begins the final
lap of a great race. Using the race analogy, her birth to Saints Anne and Joachim was God’s great burst of energy
that infused his great plan with the final piece needed to complete his act of
sacrifice that would save us all.
Just as we thank God for all his
creation, the earth he made, the life he placed upon the earth, and all that he
has given us since, we thank him especially for the gift of the life of St.
Mary. It was through her obedience and courage that she brought us a child that
would be the revelation of God’s love, Jesus Christ.
Pax
In Other Years: Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
[1]
The picture is “Birth of the Virgin” (detail) by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo,
1660.
[2]
S.S Commemoratio[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the
psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is
for private use only.
[4]
NAB footnote on Matthew 1: 18-25.
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