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Why
was Mary chosen to give birth to the Messiah???
From
the Catechism para. 64:
Through the prophets, God forms his people in
the hope of salvation, in the expectation of a
new and everlasting Covenant intended for all,
to be written on their hearts (cf. Isaiah 2:2-4 ;
Jer 31:31-34;
Heb 10:16).
The prophets proclaim a radical redemption of
the People of God, purification from all their
infidelities, a salvation which will include all
the nations (cf. Ezek 36;
Isaiah 49:5-6;
Isaiah 53:11).
Above all, the poor and humble of the Lord will
bear this hope. Such holy women as Sarah, Rebecca,
Rachel, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Judith and Esther
kept alive the hope of Israel's salvation. The
purest figure among them is Mary (cf. Ezek 2:3;
Luke 1:38).
From
the Catechism para. 488:
"God sent forth his Son", but to prepare
a body for him (Gal 4:4;
Heb 10:5),
he wanted the free co-operation of a creature.
For this, from all eternity God chose for the
mother of his Son a daughter of Israel, a young
Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, "a virgin
betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the
house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary"
(Luke 1:26-27):
The Father of mercies willed that the Incarnation
should be preceded by assent on the part of the
predestined [i.e., chosen] mother, so that just
as a woman [i.e., Eve] had a share in the coming
of death, so also should a woman contribute to
the coming of life.
How
does Mary's assent illumine our faith in Christ?
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