God chooses a virgin of the royal descendency of David; and this virgin, destined to carry in her womb the fruit of a sacred impregnation, before conceiving corporally her offspring, both divine and human, conceives Him in her spirit. And so that she is not frightened by ignoring the divine designs, upon observing in her body unexpected changes, she gets to know, by the conversation with the Angel, how the Holy Spirit is to operate in her.

The one who is to be the Mother of God confides that in her virginity she is to remain, without any detriment. Why would she need to doubt this new modality of conception, if she is promised that the Most High will put His power into play? Her faith and confidence moreover remain strong, confirmed when the Angel gives her proof of the marvellous efficacy of this Divine Power, by letting her know that Elizabeth has also obtained an unexpected fertility: He who is capable of making a sterile woman conceive can also do this with a virgin woman.

It is so that, the Word of God, which is God, the Son of God, who in the beginning was together with God, through which everything was made, and without whom nothing was made, makes Himself a Man so as to free man from eternal death; He lowers Himself until He assumes our littleness, without lessening for this His majesty, in such a way that, retaining what He was and taking on what He was not, He unites the authentic condition of a slave to His Divine Condition, for which He is identical to the Father; the union that is established between both natures is so admirable, that neither glory nor divinity is absorbed by His humanity, nor does His humanity diminish in any way His divinity.

What remains then is the proper character of each one of these natures and, both united in one person, His majesty assumes humility, power, weakness, eternity, mortality. And, to repay the debt contracted by our sinful condition, the invulnerable nature is united to the passible nature; true God and true Man that harmoniously conjugate in the only, unique person of the Lord; in this manner, just as it was fitting for our remedy, the one and only meditator between God and men could at the same time die and resurrect, by the conjunction in Him of this double condition. It stands to reason therefore that this saving birth had to leave intact the virginity of the mother, since she was the lifesaver of modesty and the illuminator of the Truth.

This was, most beloved, the class of birth that was convenient for Christ, strength and wisdom of God; He showed Himself equal to us by His humanity, superior to us for His Divinity. If He were not true God, if He could have remedied our situation; if He had not been true man, He could not have given us such an effective model and example.

For this reason, by the Lord being born, His Angels sang, full of bliss: Glory to God in the highest, and they proclaimed: and on earth peace to those who are loved by the Lord. They see, in effect, that the celestial Jerusalem is being edified through all the nations of the terrestrial orb. So then, how could not our "small humanity" be overjoyed before this unerring work of Divine Mercy, when the sublime choirs of the Angels found in this work such an intense bliss?

 

Glory be to thee, O holy Mother of God, masterpiece of the universe, shining star, luster of virginity, scepter of faith, indestructible temple, in whom He dwelt Whom immensity cannot contain.

Virgin Mother of Him Who, blessed forever, comes to us in the Name of the Lord, by thee is the Holy Trinity glorified, the Holy Cross praised and adored throughout the world, the heavens are made joyful and the angels to tremble with joy, the devils put to flight, and man enabled to pass from slavery to the freedom of Heaven.

Through thee idolatrous creatures have known incarnate Truth, the faithful have received Baptism, churches have been erected in all parts of the earth.

By thine assistance the Gentiles have been brought to repentance. And finally, through thee, the only Son of God, source of all light, has shone upon the eyes of the blind, who were sitting in the shadow of death.

O Virgin Mother, who can speak thy praises? But let us make our laud of them according to such powers as are given us, at the same time adoring God thy Son, the chaste Spouse of the Church, to Whom are due all honor and glory now and forever. Amen