How was Jesus like us? The word ‘incarnation’ comes from the Latin roots ‘in’ and ‘carne’, meaning literally ‘into the flesh’. The Son of God came down from heaven and became human without losing his divine nature.
God became one of us in Jesus Jesus had a human body and a human soul, a human intellect and a human will.
Mary’s ‘Yes’ The New Testament account of the Incarnation begins with the Annunciation. (See Luke 1:26–38.) The Annunciation event includes the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that God had chosen her to become the mother of the Son of God and Mary’s ‘Yes’ to God.
Perpetual virginity of Mary The Church honors Mary as the ‘Blessed Virgin’. Mary was a virgin in conceiving Jesus, in giving birth to him, and in remaining always a virgin ever after. —USCCA, 523 This mystery of faith and teaching of the Catholic Church is known as the ‘perpetual virginity of Mary’.
Hail Mary The first part of the Hail Mary is based on the angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary. The second part is a Prayer of petition to Mary, the Mother of God. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Mary, the Virgin Mother The Church honors Mary as the ‘Mother of God’, ‘Mother of Jesus’, ‘Mother of the Church’ and ‘mother of all believers’. Praying the Hail Mary is the most widely used Catholic devotion honoring Mary.
Mary, the Virgin Mother The Hail Mary has two parts: Angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary in Luke 1:28 and Elizabeth’s greeting of Mary in Luke 1:42. Prayer of petition acknowledging Mary to be the Mother of God.
Joseph, husband and foster-father Joseph was Mary’s husband and the earthly father of Jesus. Because Mary conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit, we call Joseph the foster-father of Jesus. The Hebrew name ‘Joseph’ means ‘one who fulfills’.
Joseph, husband and foster-father Matthew’s Gospel account describes Joseph to be: a righteous man who strove to live in right relationship with God; an obedient man who sought to conform to God’s will; a man of great courage who was committed to caring for Mary and Jesus.
The Old Testament foreshadows the coming of Jesus There are many Old Testament passages that foreshadow or prefigure Jesus Christ.- Messianic prophecies ‘Look, the virgin is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. —Isaiah 7:14
The Old Testament foreshadows the coming of Jesus Throughout the Old Testament the Messiah promised by God is a descendant of David. (See Luke 2:1012.) Wise men from the East will travel to Bethlehem: Micah 5:2
God chooses the powerless Against all human expectation God chooses those who were considered powerless and weak to show forth his faithfulness to his promises. —CCC, no. 489
Jesus came to set things right ‘Expiate’ means ‘to restore a situation of complete harmony’ or ‘to set things right’.- EXPIATION Jesus’ obedience to God erased the disorder caused by our sins and set the universe right.
The teaching of St. Anselm St. Anselm taught: When people sin, God’s order within the universe is disrupted. Human good deeds alone cannot make up for sins. Only God is powerful enough to set things right again. God became one of us in Jesus to represent us as man, and, as God, to be capable of paying our debt. Jesus brought about our at-one-ment (atonement) with God.
Expiation The act of redemption and atonement for sin which Christ won for us by the pouring out of his blood on the Cross, by his obedient love even ‘to the end’ (John 13:1).
Atonement By his suffering and death on the Cross, Jesus freed us from our sins and brought about our reconciliation with God the Father. —USCCA, 505
The mission of Jesus Jesus redeemed us. Jesus saved us. Jesus came to bring us to eternal life. Jesus liberated us from sin. Jesus came to open us to the divine life within us. Jesus came to be our model of holiness.
Names for Jesus Christ / Messiah: ‘Anointed one’; Christos in Greek and Christ in English. LORD: Used in place of the divine name YHWH. Son of God: Steadfastly loyal and faithful in his love for God. Jesus revealed himself to be uniquely the ‘only Son of the Father’. (see pp. 9394)
The Jesus Prayer The Jesus Prayer is based on Matthew 20:31. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
The story of Saint Perpetua and Saint Felicity Saints Perpetua and Felicity lived in the third century. In the year 203, the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus made it a crime for anyone to convert to Christianity. Perpetua was the daughter of a prominent Roman citizen. Felicity was her servant. Perpetua and Felicity were both sentenced to death for giving bold witness of their faith in Christ. These two martyrs represent steadfast loyalty to Christ, freedom of conscience and courageous resistance to public pressure.