The Mystery of Incarnation: Embrace the Child

How would it be to experience the birth of Jesus through Mary’s eyes? How would it be to see what she saw, feel what she felt, and learned what she learned the day of the annunciation? It must have been literally incredible! It is very difficult to imagine things from her perspective…

But if we try, it is a safe to assume that she wanted, that her desire, her deepest desire, was to embrace the child that was born on Christmas Day. Though it must have not been easy at the beginning. She was a normal girl, who was already engaged to be married to Joseph, the carpenter; perhaps excited about her future, since it was good for a girl to find a husband--there were no many career choices for women in the first century. Yet, she was very young, perhaps too young to deal with the huge responsibility that was about to fall on her lap. An unexpected pregnancy! She was a virgin, yet she was pregnant and had to face her future husband and tell him that she had conceived from the Holy Spirit. Who can blame him if he did not believe her?

But God had spoken to her in an astounding way. Gabriel himself, the archangel, one of the closest to God, came as God’s messenger and spoke to her, the young 12-13 year old girl, from a small village, in the humble province of Galilee. God spoke to her, as she would put it, just a “lowly servant” and called her “highly favored.” And Mary believed and understood. The power of the Most High had overshadowed her. The child in her womb, the precious life in the womb of that humble virgin girl was none other than the Son of God. With the same humility with which she received the calling, she responded: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord, let it be with me according to your word.” And I am sure, absolutely sure, that from that moment on she could only think about embracing the child.

When the moment came, it wasn’t easy either. Mary and Joseph were forced to embark themselves on a long journey to Bethlehem, the city of King David and Joseph’s place of birth. They needed to be there for the census, just for a census, a decree from the emperor, who wouldn’t care about the needs of a young pregnant Jewish girl from nowhere, and was just interested in how much money he would get taxing the people. It must have been hard… but Mary... she wanted to embrace the child.

And when the labor pains began, Mary and Joseph couldn’t find what would have been regular accommodations for travelers those days. There was no room in the Inn. Only in the manger. And there was Mary! Surrounded by chickens, and donkeys, and cows, and sheep. People were watching her: those for whom there was no room in the inn either. Yet, in pain, I believe, she was anxious to embrace the child. Only women can imagine the pain Mary went through on that glorious night. Someone or perhaps more than one person must have assisted her on that long night of labor. Some unknown but blessed midwife must have said, “come on girl, you’re doing great, just one more push!” and finally, she must have heard the cry of the new born baby. It’s a boy! Alleluia! And Mary was ready to embrace the child.

Then the celebration started. The crowd congratulating the parents, shepherds coming from the nearby fields, even strange wise men from the east showed up following an unknown, yet bright and beautiful star. There was dancing and leaping of joy. Choirs of angels sang: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” And Mary? Mary was just embracing the child.

Did Mary understood the mystery of the incarnation, the wonder of God becoming human, the eternal and saving purpose of the creator and sustainer of the world? We don’t know. What we know is that she must have embraced and nursed the child. And by doing so, she was embracing God and she was being embraced by God. For that reason she had sung before: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for he has looked with favor on the loneliness of his servant.” What a perfect time is Christmas to embrace the child.