The very greatest theologian of the Incarnation, of God made flesh, was not St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Bonaventure, nor St. Anthony, nor was it even St. Athanasius, who wrote masterfully on the Incarnation. It was not St. Irenaeus, nor was it St. John the Apostle, who gave us the Gospel and Epistles of Love incarnate. No, it was not any of these, as exceptionally brilliant as they definitely were. For all their knowledge of Divine things, these would most certainly agree that the very greatest and first theologian of the Incarnation was the Blessed Virgin Mary, Immaculate Mother of God. She was first one to ponder and penetrate deeply into the mystery of God become man. Indeed, it was in her that the Eternal Word became man and dwelt among us. He descended into her holy home; it was her flesh, which she readily donated to him, that he took to himself. The Son of God, God Himself, really and truly became the son of Mary and this is why we can boldly and confidently state that Holy Mary is in fact the Mother of God.

According to the natural order of things, does not an expectant mother contemplate her child growing in her womb? Does she not eagerly anticipate the birth of her child? Doesn’t she long to see his face and hold him in her arms? The Mother of God contemplated the birth of her Son more than all mothers combined contemplate the births of their children. Because of her deep and abiding union with the Holy Spirit, the Immaculata enjoyed heightened powers of soul, of memory, intellect, and will. She had the maximum capacity to penetrate deeply into the mystery which occurred in her and of her.

We too are called to ponder this mystery with the help of Our Blessed mother Mary, to be transformed from glory to glory by gazing upon his face. (2 Cor. 3–18). This is to say that we are called to actively enter into the mystery of the Incarnation with the help of Mary, spouse of the Holy Spirit who caused her to conceive Jesus. The Father wants us to receive the gift of his Only Begotten Son so that we might be born, “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:11-13). Christ was given to us, he came to us, that in him we might be regenerated. Christ came to give us second birth by being born in us. Mary gives birth to him in us by the will of God. The Son of God became man through the virgin Mary, so that man might become sons of God through Mary.

At the beginning of the new year, invitation to grow even deeper in love of God. How do we accept it? By letting him be born in us, by letting him live his life in us that we may grow into the full stature of his perfect manhood. Jesus is satisfied with being God with us, he wants to be God within us. He wants to grow within us so that we might become more and more a devoted, loving and obedient son of the Father. The Mother of our God, Jesus Christ, wants to form us into her Son. She is in labor pains until Christ is fully formed in us. (Galatians 4:19). And so we pray to her that we may act and live as her sons and resemble Jesus – – to become Jesus, to become a new humanity for Christ to live in, as St. Elizabeth of the Trinity would say. This oneness with Jesus through his being born and growing in us, is made possible through the Divine Life bestowed to us at Christmas.

There is a program that we may follow called “My Ideal: Jesus, the Son of Mary.” This beautiful book written by Marist priest, Emile Neubert, presents Our Blessed Mother addressing us and instructing us, that by being obedient to her, we might become Jesus, Our Ideal. I’ve been reading the book and I highly recommend it to all. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the best instructor, trainer, coach, for us this year. Please pray that I – – we – – may live her instructions fully according to our capability of doing so.