The birth of Jesus
JACOB [became] 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. 21She 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.”
REFLECTION BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD… Mary’s birth is taken from the “Protoevangelium of James” (a Christian writing of early second century). It describes Mary’s father Joachim as a wealthy member of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Joachim was deeply grieved, along with his wife Anne, by their childlessness. “He called to mind Abraham that in the last day God gave him a son Isaac.” Joachim and Anne began to devote themselves extensively and rigorously to prayer and fasting and consequently were blessed even more abundantly than Abraham and Sarah, as an angel revealed to Anne when he appeared to her and prophesied that all generations would honor their future child: “The Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth, and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world.” After Mary’s birth, Anne “made a sanctuary” in the infant girl’s room, and “allowed nothing common or unclean” on account of the special holiness of the child. When she was one year old, her father “made a great feast, and invited the priests, and the scribes, and the elders, and all the people of Israel.” Later, Joachim and Anne decided that Mary would be offered to God as a consecrated Virgin for the rest of her life, and enter a chaste marriage with the carpenter Joseph. “Mary is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley” (St. Augustine).
SOURCE: “366 Days with the Lord 2016,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: books@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www. stpauls.ph.