September 8, 2005
Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Psalm: Thursday 39
Reading IMi 5:1-4a
The LORD says:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
From you shall come forth for me
one 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 time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
And the rest of his brethren shall return
to the children of Israel.)
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
And they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace.
or
Rom 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 predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers.
And those he predestined he also called;
and those he called he also justified;
and those he justified he also glorified.
Responsorial PsalmPs 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.
GospelMt 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 brothers
at 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 Spirit
that 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 fulfill
what 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.”
or
Mt 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 Spirit
that 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 fulfill
what 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.”
From: Romans 8:28-30
Christians are Children of God (Continuation)
[28] We know that in everything God works for good with those who love
him, who are called according to his purpose. [29] For those whom he
foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in
order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. [30] And
those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he
also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Commentary:
28. Awareness of God as Father helps us see all the events of our life
as orchestrated by the lovable Will of God. Our Father gives us what is
best for us and expects us to discover his paternal love in adverse as
well as in favorable events. "Notice", St Bernard points out, "that he
does not say that things suit our whims but that they work for our good.
They serve not caprice but usefulness; not pleasure but salvation; not
what we desire but what is good for us. In that sense everything works
for our good, even death itself, even sin [...]. Is it not the case that
sins do good to him who on their account becomes more humble, more
fervent, more solicitous, more on guard, more prudent?" ("De Fallacia Et
Brevitate Vitae", 6). If we have this optimistic, hopeful attitude, we
will overcome every difficulty we meet: "The whole world seems to be
coming down on top of you. Whichever way you turn you find no way out.
This time, it is impossible to overcome the difficulties.
"But, have you again forgotten that God is your Father?--all-powerful,
infinitely wise, full of mercy. He would never send you anything evil.
That thing that is worrying you is good for you, even though those
earthbound eyes of yours may not be able to see it now.
"'Omnia in bonum!' Lord, once again and always, may your most wise Will
be done!" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way of the Cross", IX, 4).
29. Christ is called the "first-born" for many reasons. He is "the
first-born of all creation" (Col 1:15) because he is eternally begotten
and because "all things were made through him" (Jn 1:3). He is also the
new Adam and therefore the head of the human race in the work of
redemption (cf. 1 Cor 15:22, 45). He is "the first-born from the dead"
(cf. Col 1:18; Rev 1:5) and therefore is the head of all those who have
reached heaven and all who are awaiting their future resurrection (1 Cor
15:20, 23). Finally, he is the "first-born among many brethren" because,
in the order of grace, he gives us a share in his divine sonship: by
means of habitual grace--"sanctifying" grace--we become children of God
and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. "For, just as God chose to
communicate to others his natural goodness, giving them a share in that
goodness, so that he might be not only good but also the author of good
things; so the Son of God chose to communicate to others a sonship like
his own, so that he might be not only a son, but the first-born of many
sons" (St Thomas Aquinas, "Commentary on Rom, ad loc.").
This remarkable fact is what leads the Christian to imitate Christ: our
divine sonship moves us to reflect the words and gestures of his
Only-begotten Son.
"Lord, help me decide to tear off, through penance, this pitiful mask I
have fashioned with my wretched doings.... Then, and only then, by
following the path of contemplation and atonement, will my life begin to
copy faithfully the features of your life. We will find ourselves
becoming more and more like you.
"We will be other Christs, Christ himself, 'ipse Christus'" ([St] J. Escriva,
"The Way of the Cross", VI).
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.
From: Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23
The Ancestry of Jesus Christ
[1] The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the
son of Abraham.
[2] Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, [3] and Judah the father of
Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron
the father of Ram, [4] and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab
the father of Nahson, and Nahson the father of Salmon, [5] and Salmon
the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz due father of Obed by Ruth, and
Obed the father of Jesse, [6] and Jesse the father of David the king.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, [7] and
Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and
Abijah the father of Asa, [8] and Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, and
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, [9]
and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, [10] and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, [11]
and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the
deportation to Babylon.
[12] And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of
Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, [13] and Zerubbabel
the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the
father of Azor, [14] and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father
of Aching and Achim the father of Eliud, [15] and Eliud the father of
Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of
Jacob, [16] and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom
Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
The Virginal Conception of Jesus, and His Birth
[18] Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His
mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she
was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; [19] and her husband
Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to
send her away quietly. [20] But as he considered this, behold, an
angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of
David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived
in her is of the Holy Spirit; [21] she will bear a son, and you shall
call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." [22]
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
[23] "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and His name shall
be called Emmanuel" (which means God with us).
Commentary:
1. This verse is a kind of title to St Matthew's entire Gospel. The
promises God made to Abraham for the salvation of mankind (Gen 12:3)
are fulfilled in Jesus Christ, as is Nathan's prophecy to King David
of an everlasting kingdom (2 Sam 7:12-16).
The genealogy presented here by St Matthew shows Jesus' human ancestry
and also indicates that salvation history has reached its climax with
the birth of the Son of God through the working of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ, true God and true man, is the expected Messiah.
The genealogy is presented in a framework of three series, each
consisting of fourteen links which show the progressive development of
salvation history.
For the Jews (and for other Eastern peoples of nomadic origin)
genealogical trees were of great importance because a person's
identity was especially linked to family and tribe, with place of
birth taking secondary importance. In the case of the Jewish people
there was the added religious significance of belonging by blood to
the chosen people.
In Christ's time each family still kept a careful record of its
genealogical tree, since because of it people acquired rights and
duties.
6. Four women are named in these genealogies--Tamar (cf. Gen 38; 1
Chron 2:4), Rahab (cf. Josh 2:6,17), Bathsheba (cf. 2 Sam 11:12, 24)
and Ruth (cf. Book of Ruth). These four foreign women, who in one way
or another are brought into the history of Israel, are one sign among
many others of God's design to save all men.
By mentioning sinful people, God's ways are shown to be different from
man's. God will sometimes carry out his plan of salvation by means of
people whose conduct has not been just. God saves us, sanctifies us and
chooses us to do good despite our sins and infidelities--and he chose
to leave evidence of this at various stages in the history of our
salvation.
11. The deportation to Babylon, described in 2 Kings 24-25, fulfilled
the prophets' warning to the people of Israel and their kings that
they would be punished for their infidelity to the commandments of the
Law of God, especially the first commandment.
16. Jewish genealogies followed the male line. Joseph, being Mary's
husband, was the legal father of Jesus. The legal father is on a par
with the real father as regards rights and duties. This fact provides a
sound basis for recognizing St Joseph as Patron of the whole Church,
since he was chosen to play a very special role in God's plan for our
salvation; with St Joseph as his legal father, Jesus the Messiah has
David as his ancestor.
Since it was quite usual for people to marry within their clan, it can
be concluded that Mary belonged to the house of David. Several early
Fathers of the Church testify to this--for example, St Ignatius of
Antioch, St Irenaeus, St Justin and Tertullian, who base their
testimony on an unbroken oral tradition.
It should also be pointed out that when St Matthew comes to speak of
the birth of Jesus, he uses an _expression which is completely different
from that used for the other people in the genealogy. With these words
the text positively teaches that Mary conceived Jesus while still a
virgin, without the intervention of man.
18. St. Matthew relates here how Christ was conceived (cf. Luke
1:25-38): "We truly honor and venerate (Mary) as Mother of God, because
she gave birth to a person who is at the same time both God and man"
("St. Pius V Catechism", I, 4, 7).
According to the provisions of the Law of Moses, engagement took place
about one year before marriage and enjoyed almost the same legal
validity. The marriage proper consisted, among other ceremonies, in
the bride being brought solemnly and joyously to her husband's house
(cf. Deuteronomy 20:7).
From the moment of engagement onwards, a certificate of divorce was
needed in the event of a break in the relationship between the couple.
The entire account of Jesus' birth teaches, through the fulfillment of
the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 (which is expressly quoted in verses 22-23)
that: 1) Jesus has David as His ancestor since Joseph is His legal
father; 2) Mary is the Virgin who gives birth according to the prophecy;
3) the Child's conception without the intervention of man was miraculous.
19. "St. Joseph was an ordinary sort of man on whom God relied to do
great things. He did exactly what the Lord wanted him to do, in each
and every event that went to make up his life. That is why Scripture
praises Joseph as `a just man'. In Hebrew a just man means a good and
faithful servant of God, someone who fulfills the divine will (cf.
Genesis 7:1; 18:23-32; Ezekiel 18:5ff.; Proverbs 12:10), or who is
honorable and charitable toward his neighbor (cf. Tobias 7:6; 9:6). So
a just man is someone who loves God and proves his love by keeping
God's commandments and directing his whole life towards the service of
his brothers, his fellow men" ([St] J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 40).
Joseph considered his spouse to be holy despite the signs that she was
going to have a child. He was therefore faced with a situation he
could not explain. Precisely because he was trying to do God's will,
he felt obliged to put her away; but to shield her from public shame he
decided to send her away quietly.
Mary's silence is admirable. Her perfect surrender to God even leads
her to the extreme of not defending her honor or innocence. She
prefers to suffer suspicion and shame rather than reveal the work of
grace in her. Faced with a fact which was inexplicable in human terms
she abandons herself confidently to the love and providence of God.
God certainly submitted the holy souls of Joseph and Mary to a severe
trial. We ought not to be surprised if we also undergo difficult
trials in the course of our lives. We ought to trust in God during
them, and remain faithful to Him, following the example they gave us.
20. God gives His light to those who act in an upright way and who
trust in His power and wisdom when faced with situations which exceed
human understanding. By calling him the son of David, the angel
reminds Joseph that he is the providential link which joins Jesus with
the family of David, according to Nathan's messianic prophecy (cf. 2
Samuel 7:12). As St. John Chrysostom says: "At the very start he
straightaway reminds him of David, of whom the Christ was to spring,
and he does not wish him to be worried from the moment he reminds him,
through naming his most illustrious ancestor, of the promise made to
all his lineage" ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 4).
"The same Jesus Christ, our only Lord, the Son of God, when He assumed
human flesh for us in the womb of the Virgin, was not conceived like
other men, from the seed of man, but in a manner transcending the order
of nature, that is, by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that the same
person, remaining God as He was from eternity, became man, which He was
not before" ("St. Pius V Catechism", I, 4, 1).
21. According to the Hebrew root, the name Jesus means "savior". After
our Lady, St. Joseph is the first person to be told by God that
salvation has begun.
"Jesus is the proper name of the God-man and signifies `Savior'--a name
given Him not accidentally, or by the judgment or will of man, but by
the counsel and command of God" [...]. All other names which prophecy
gave to the Son of God--Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace (cf. Isaiah 9:6)--are comprised in this one
name Jesus; for while they partially signified the salvation which He
was to bestow on us, this name included the force and meaning of all
human salvation" ("St. Pius V Catechism", I, 3, 5 and 6).
23. "Emmanuel": the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, quoted in this verse,
foretold about 700 years in advance that God's salvation would be
marked by the extraordinary event of virgin giving birth to a son. The
Gospel here, therefore, reveals two truths.
First, that Jesus is in fact the God-with-us foretold by the prophet.
This is how Christian tradition has always understood it. Indeed the
Church has officially condemned an interpretation denying the messianic
sense of the Isaiah text (cf. Pius VI, Brief, "Divina", 1779). Christ
is truly God-with-us, therefore, not only because of His God-given
mission but because He is God made man (cf. John 1:14). This does not
mean that Jesus should normally be called Emmanuel, for this name
refers more directly to the mystery of His being the Incarnate Word.
At the Annunciation the angel said that He should be called Jesus, that
is, Savior. And that was the name St. Joseph gave Him.
The second truth revealed to us by the sacred text is that Mary, in
whom the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 is fulfilled, was a virgin before and
during the birth itself. The miraculous sign given by God that
salvation had arrived was precisely that a woman would be a virgin and
a mother at the same time.
"Jesus Christ came forth from His mother's womb without injury to her
maternal virginity. This immaculate and perpetual virginity forms,
therefore, the just theme of our eulogy. Such was the work of the Holy
Spirit, who at the conception and birth of the Son so favored the
Virgin Mother as to impart fruitfulness to her while preserving
inviolate her perpetual virginity" ("St. Pius V Catechism", I, 4, 8).
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.
On Our Lady's birthday the Church celebrates the first dawning of redemption with the appearance in the world of the Savior's mother, Mary. The Blessed Virgin occupies a unique place in the history of salvation, and she has the highest mission ever commended to any creature. We rejoice that the Mother of God is our Mother, too. Let us often call upon the Blessed Virgin as "Cause of our joy", one of the most beautiful titles in her litany. 
