Additional Information about the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“Birth of the Virgin” (detail) by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1660 |
First Option: Micah 5:1-4a
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.
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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.
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Or :
Second Option: Romans 8:28-30
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.
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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.)
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 13:6ab, 6c
let my heart rejoice in your salvation.
R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord.
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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 son of David, the son of Abraham.
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.
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.
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.
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:
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
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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]
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Or
Short Form: Matthew 1:18-23
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:
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”
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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.
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Reflection:
(Lumen Gentium n. 61)
[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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