Prophecy was fulfilled in the Virgin Mary. The long-awaited Messiah would be conceived and born of her flesh. Jewish mothers to this very day cherish their children as a renewal of the divine promise. Christians know that this promise has been satisfied and that every child is a reflection of the Christ Child. God gave Mary singular graces, not simply to honor her, but to protect the dignity of his Son. The redemptive merits of her Son would reach backward into human history and embrace her at the first moment of her existence in the womb of St. Ann. The mystery of Mary and the incarnation brings to the fore the theme of children and our relationship with one another.
The first child is the new Adam, Jesus Christ. He is God come down from heaven to save us. The second child is the Virgin Mary who said yes to God. She is the Immaculate Conception and the new Eve. The third child is plural for we are also children of God. Our Lord makes possible our spiritual adoption as sons and daughters of the Father, brothers and sisters to our elder brother, Jesus. Further, at the Cross, Mary is given to our emissary John.
The Mother of the Redeemer becomes the Mother of all the redeemed.
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