today we celebrate the birthday of the Blessed Virgin we first of all reflect
on the rejoicing that there must have been in heaven when finally the promised
woman of Genesis had come a human person who was without original sin a human
person who loved God absolutely and perfectly as much as she could at every
single moment of her life even as a child in the womb
you
she loved God completely and at every instant with every beat of her heart she
loved God even more yet at the same time we reflect upon the the glory of this
feast we also hear st. Paul say those he predestined
he also called and those he called he justified and those he justified he also
glorified and so on one level you know we could say that the birth of the
Blessed Virgin had in earnest you know begun the work of the Blessed Virgin and
again we're still here in this quiser becomes when that the most
powerful woman i believe and 호
the world. Yet at the same time, we can see that God for centuries had already been working
on this whole notion of salvation. We read the genealogy of our Lord. The Jews were familiar
with every person in this genealogy, and it was like recalling the whole history of salvation.
From the first moment that Adam and Eve fell, God was right there to promise a Redeemer.
And the promise of a Redeemer had
been
made. One other point that was promised with it, that is, that there would be a woman who would be
intimately involved, and that woman would crush the head of the serpent. So, right from the very
beginning, not only did God promise that this would be the case, but
he began working with humanity to try to
lead us toward that salvation.
Now, you know, when we hear
in the Gospel reading this
genealogy of our Lord, we see
some of the most
abominable characters that ever lived
in the history of Israel.
Yet, this was precisely the way
God chose to prepare the people of Israel
for the Messiah.
In a hidden way.
In an unexpected way.
Who would expect with a cast of characters
characters
like these
that the Messiah could possibly
come from that?
And yet, when we just simply
look at Our Lady,
it was once again
in a hidden way,
in an unexpected way
that God
chose to bring the Messiah
into the world.
Who would have expected
that there would be a Messiah
and wären apostolic
and that there would be a Woman
without sin
and a Woman who is the most
humble of all the creatures
they ever created.
TH's in these unexpected ways
that God will work
so that we have to have faith.
Bells and whistles and neon signs flashing, you know, that wouldn't take much faith.
Wouldn't require much faith.
And that's the reason why our Lord, you know, would silence the demons who would try to speak and tell people who he was.
And that's why he'd even tell people, you know, to not tell anyone of the miracles that he worked for them.
Because they needed faith.
And it was why he called himself the son of man rather than calling himself the son of God.
Because we have to have faith.
So as we celebrate today this glorious feast of Our Lady, it's the same thing, you know, that we would see on a natural level would be a beautiful baby girl.
No one would be able to look at her.
And say that she doesn't have original sin.
You know, she wasn't doing extraordinary things from the time she was born.
But like her son, she lived an ordinary life in a most extraordinary manner.
In complete union.
With God.
In the seclusion of her heart.
Now, you know, obviously, some of that would manifest itself, you know, just as it did with Jesus.
But the fact of the matter is that what most people would have seen is just a normal little girl.
God had hidden everything from the eyes.
of most of the people so that that they would have to have faith that they would
have to have trust in God and they would have to see in the example of Our Lady
the way that God would also work in our lives in a hidden unexpected manner
although for us it's different it's not just all humanity that would not be
expecting anything but it's we ourselves who would not be
you know who would not be you know who would not be
you know who would not be you know who would not be
expecting any of the things that that God is doing in us and that's good but we
have to have faith and we have to cooperate with the graces that Our Lady
obtains for us with the work that Our Lord has chosen us
He's begun in us each one of us this work because you know He's also called
each one of us which means you know He's also predestined us which means that He
is justified us which means that He has also glorified us according to what is
according to the very words that we heard from St. Paul in today's first reading.
Now, you know, many people want to fight against that.
Our Lady didn't fight against what God was doing in her.
However, it's time that we stop to realize that God chooses to work with a very unlikely cast of characters.
He chooses to work in ways that are hidden and unexpected.
We need to cooperate with him so that we can be justified in Christ,
so that we can be glorified in Christ,
so that right now, at this very moment,
and for all eternity,
we can join Our Lady in giving greater glory to God.