FR. JUSTIN’S HOMILY FOR THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
THEME: GOD’S LOVE FOR HUMANITY
BY: Fr. Justin Nzekwe
HOMILY FOR THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 8 2022
Today is the celebration of God’s love for humanity, which started with the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. This feast became popular in the Church since the sixth century. However, there is no scriptural record about the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our first encounter with Mary in the New Testament was when angel Gabriel visited her and delivered to her the message from God about the birth of Jesus, and she asked the angel how it will be possible since she was still a virgin. Tradition has it that the parents of Mary, Ann and Joachim, had no children at old age. They prayed and were told that they will have a child who will be important in the history of salvation. Hence, the birth of Mary was a part of God’s plan of redemption. Mary was chosen by God to be the earthly mother of Jesus. And since Jesus was God, Mary was born immaculate in preparation for the role she was going to play as the mother of the Savior of the world. In Mary, the human nature is exalted, that a mere human being through the power of the Holy Spirit was able to bring forth into the world, Jesus the Eternal Son of God.
The gospel reading of today presents us with the genealogy of Jesus, which was filled with a list of imperfect people. However, Mary’s genealogy will not be different. God writes on crooked lines, and he made perfect those whom he has chosen to be instrument of his grace. He chose Mary as the new Eve, who will become a path to the restoration of the hope of redemption to the fallen humanity who are guilty of the sin of their first parents, Adam and Eve. Mary opens up for humanity a new era of grace, and no longer of perpetual damnation. However, the mystery of today’s feast is so important because without the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, there will be no INCARNATION.
Today, we also celebrate Mary’s obedience to the will of God for her life, in spite of the uncertainties of what such obedience might cost her, yet Mary accepted the virginal conception of Jesus. We pray in this holy mass through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that God will grant us His grace, to enable us to serve Him in holiness and justice all the days of our lives, Amen.