Today the Church remembers the birth of Mary (nine months after the Immaculate Conception.) The gospel readings tell the story of the birth of Jesus and the ancestry of Joseph — nothing about the birth of Mary since the Bible doesn’t say anything about her birth! Perhaps the alternative lesson from St. Paul provides the genuine meaning of this day. “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Mary is our model since from the first moment of her existence she had a purpose, she was part of the divine plan. So with us, we too are part of the divine plan. Our role is to cooperate with divine grace just as Mary did.
