The Conception of Christ

To save us from damnation, God conceived a plan—and in this conception comes Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life. This masterful plan, flawless in every detail, is God’s loving gift to each of us—ours to accept or reject. A choice made possible by Mary who chose to accept Christ’s conception within her—body and soul.

With Mary’s acceptance came Mary’s willingness to face all the risks of bringing Jesus into the world. Risks that many of us are not willing to take; risks that come with living our faith in a growing secular world and rejecting temptations in the midst of peer pressure to do otherwise.

God’s Merciful Love

Let us not forget that Mary was not alone in making her decision. With faith, hope, and love, Mary humbly put herself in God’s hands. Then in perfect unity, the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and the power of the Most High overshadowed Mary; Christ was conceived—manifesting God’s merciful love for each of us.

In his greatness, our Lord truly became little for our sake. Entering His mother’s womb—and as we all begin—becoming a microscopic cell that divides and multiplies, develops and grows. From that humble beginning, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

From conception to birth, through living and dying, Christ experienced every phase and took every step to become one with us on earth. That is how much God loves humanity and sees our lives as worth saving. “Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows,” said our Lord [Matthew 10:30-31].

For Heaven’s Sake

Therefore isn’t it fitting that each of us experiences every phase—the joys, the works, the sorrows, and the glories—and follows every step of our Lord’s to become one with Him for eternal life in Heaven? Or at the very least, lead better and less sinful lives than we do right now? Because our Lord started life as we all do and lived life among us, He knows every doubt, every fear, and every anxious moment that can tempt us and stop us on our journey toward Heaven.

Christ met every challenge with faith, hope, love and mercy even in His darkest hour. And by rising again, Jesus conquered sin and death for us so that we too may experience the loving intimacy of the Trinitarian life. To live in unity with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is God’s plan for us—a plan that we can accept or reject.

With Mary to guide us with that choice, may we choose to live for God’s sake with every cell in our body and every fiber of our being just as Christ lived for our sake. Then with faith, hope, and merciful love emanating from our souls, may God’s plan live within us and through us all the days of our lives.