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“Birth of the Virgin”
by Nicolò Bambini, 1710-15 |
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 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 five 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”).
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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 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.)
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
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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.
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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. “The expression of confidence (13:6). The confidence is expressed within the tension which exists between past experience and future hope. The past experience of the psalmist has been one of trust in God’s ‘lovingkindness,’ namely the faithful covenant love of God which characterized all his dealings with his chosen people.” [4]
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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 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.”
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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.” [5]
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
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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 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.”
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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. “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.” [6]
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
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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 on September 8th: Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
[1] The picture is “Birth of the Virgin” by Nicolò Bambini, 1710-15.
[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] Peter C. Craigie, Psalms 1–50, 2nd ed., vol. 19, Word Biblical Commentary (Nashville, TN: Nelson Reference & Electronic, 2004), 143.
[5] NAB footnote on Matthew 1: 18-25
[6] NAB footnote on Matthew 1: 18-25
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