Incarnation and Resurrection in relation to Mary

It appears that the provided text contains placeholders or markers for a content management system (possibly related to “BSF” – Bible Study Tools or similar). Since no actual content is present, I cannot provide a translation. Please provide the actual text to be translated.The Primitive Kerigma and the Centrality of Mary: From Pentecost (Acts 2) to the Testimony of the “Great Things” of the LordThe Holy Spirit, poured out by the risen Christ on Pentecost, led the early Christian community to a deeper understanding of Jesus’ teachings. Thanks to this decisive divine pneumatical illumination, the Church came to grasp (among other things) that the Mother of Jesus was a constitutive and indispensable element of the faith. Thus, she also became the subject and object of catechesis and evangelization. The announcement of the Gospel involved testifying to the “great things” the Lord had done in the person and work of Mary. And such testimony was given by Mary and the Church together, as we will explain. We will now examine how the incarnation and resurrection of Christ are considered the two essential poles that define His salvific work.Paul’s Synthesis: Incarnation and Resurrection – Rom 1:3-4, Gal 4:4-6, 1 Tim 3:16, 2 Tim 2:8In the context of the New Testament messages, the incarnation of the Word and His resurrection from the dead are regarded as the two fundamental poles that synthesize Christ’s person and mission as Savior. Five of the corresponding texts are taken from Paul’s letters (Gal 4:4-6, Rom 1:3-4, 10:6-7, 1 Tim 3:16, 2 Tim 2:8), and two from the Gospels (Lk 1:31-33, Jn 1:13, read in the singular). In the following section, we will focus on Gal 4:4-6 and Lk 1:31-33. Here, we will summarize the three Pauline texts from Rom 1:3-4, 1 Tim 3:16, and 2 Tim 2:8.In the beginning of his magnificent letter to the Romans, Paul introduces himself as an “apostle,” that is, as a chosen messenger sent to proclaim the Gospel of God (v. 1). This Gospel, which the Lord had announced through His prophets in the Old Testament, concerns His Son (v. 2). And, in attempting to summarize the characteristics of this Son, Paul mentions His incarnation and resurrection.Incarnation: Therefore, He descends from the lineage of David “according to the flesh” (v. 3), that is, regarding His human origin, His dimension as the Son of Man.Resurrection: For the Father, by raising the Son from the dead by the Holy Spirit, empowers Him to manifest His “power.” The life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit invested the person of the risen Jesus and transformed Him into an active agent of sanctification. Now seated at the right hand of the Father, having been revealed as equal to God as His Son, He can pour out the power of the Spirit upon all creation (cf. Rom 4:25b), and thus becomes our “Lord” (v. 4).”To the ‘weakness’ or kenosis of His pre-Paschal state, now succeeds His ‘power’ as the Risen One.”In the First Letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul declares: “We must confess that the mystery of piety is great: He appeared in the flesh, was justified in the Spirit, appeared to angels, was preached among the Gentiles, was believed in the world, and was received in glory” (3:16). The “mystery of piety” about which the Apostle speaks is the divine plan of our salvation. It is the object of our piety, that is, our faith in what we believe.By nature, this mystery or plan focuses on the person of Christ, summarized in the Incarnation and the Resurrection. In the Incarnation, the Son of God manifested Himself in human form, taking on our flesh (cf. Rom 1:3, John 1:14). In the Resurrection, He was “justified in the Spirit.” This means that the Holy Spirit demonstrated that Jesus’ resurrection (His “ascension to the Father”) is a “triumphant victory” over the forces of evil (John 16:8-10).Through the Holy Spirit, the Christ who was killed was exalted in the glory of the Resurrection. From the humility of “flesh,” He passes to “glory” as the Risen One, through the transformative power of the Spirit (cf. Rom 1:4). And the Resurrection is an event that transcends heaven and earth, the celestial and the terrestrial:– Christ appeared to the angels (Phil 2:11, Eph 1:20-23, 3:10, 1 Peter 3:22…). – He was preached to the Gentiles (Rom 10:18, Col 1:6, 23… ). – In the world, He is believed by those who receive the message of His Gospel (Mark 16:15-16, Rom 10:11-15… ). – In heaven, He is seated at the right hand of God (Acts 1:2, 2:32-33, Rom 1:4).In the Second Letter to Timothy (2:8), Paul reminds us: “Remember that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, of the lineage of David, according to my gospel.” Traditionally, this letter is considered Paul’s last. As such, it can be seen as his spiritual testament. While the sword is already at his throat (4:7), Paul, aware that his “race” (4:7) is nearly over, reaffirms the core of the gospel he preached and that Timothy must “remember.” This is composed of the person of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead and of the lineage of David. This double connotation seems to refer to Rom 1:4. However, with a difference: the “resurrection” is mentioned before the “Davidic lineage.” Almost as if Easter is the prism through which Christmas must be reinterpreted. The second birth of Christ (resurrection) points to His first (incarnation).Mary in the key texts of the Kerigma: Galatians 4:4-6 (c. 50 AD) and Luke 1:31-33We have seen that the kerigma of the New Testament often immediately associates the mystery of the Incarnation with that of the Resurrection, considering them as a synthesis of the Word incarnate and the divine Messiah. Now we must observe that the same kerigma connects the person of Mary to both the moment of the Incarnation and that of the Resurrection of this great unique mystery.Mary in Galatians 4:4-6 and Luke 1:31-33: the woman of the Fiat and the birth of the Son of GodThe two texts of Galatians 4:4-6 and Luke 1:31-33, on the one hand, testify to the incarnate and risen Son of God, and on the other hand, imply Mary in the event of the Incarnation.Galatians 4:4-6 is one of the earliest texts of the New Testament, dating back to around the year 50 AD. Here, Paul refers to the two constitutive elements of the person of Christ. Firstly, there is the memory of the Incarnation. The Son of God, as the “sent One” (v. 4), came to us: he was born of a woman, within a well-defined social context, the people of Israel, under the laws of Moses’ Law.Just as any human being, the incarnate Son of God has an individual and social dimension, he is a singular person and a member of a community. The woman from whom he was born is not mentioned, but it is evident that she is Mary of Nazareth. We do not know for certain if the apostle Paul met her personally, but within the apostolic community, he certainly must have learned that Miriam of Nazareth was the mother of Jesus.Secondly, the resurrection of Christ. Paul alludes to it indirectly when he states that we receive the adoption as sons, since God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, who cries out: “Abba, Father!” (v. 6). In Paul’s theology, it is a established point that the Holy Spirit is the overall fruit of Jesus’ mission. Only as a result of the resurrection of the dead, Christ becomes the giver of the Spirit (cf. Romans 1:4), becoming the “living Spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45). He, as the Son of God from eternity, possesses the Spirit uniquely, but he communicates it to us, so that all, becoming “children in the Son“, we can cry out: “Abba, Father!” (Galatians 4:6, Romans 8:15-17).Luke 1:31-33, moreover, makes an explicit reference to Jesus’ mother. The virgin of Nazareth, Mary, is the woman God chose to conceive, give birth to, and name Jesus, the Son of the Most High, who is about to be born (v. 31). This One, rising from the dead, will inherit the throne of his father David and reign forever over the house of Jacob (vv. 32-33). These words of the angel Gabriel echo the promise made centuries earlier by the prophet Nathan to King David (2 Samuel 7:11-15). The early Christian community understood that this oracle was fully realized in the paschal mystery of Christ. The Father, by raising Jesus of Nazareth from the dead, the Son of David, reveals him as his divine Son (cf. Psalm 2:7 and Acts 13:16-33), enthrones him at his right hand, giving him an eternal kingdom over all the new House of Israel, which is the Church (cf. Psalm 110:1 and Acts 2:25-36, 20:28).Mary and the Paschal Mystery in Luke and John: Seven Passages Linked to the Hour of Jesus (John 13:1)The Gospel traditions, especially the Gospels of Luke and John, frequently connect Mary, the Mother of Jesus, with the Paschal Mystery, understood as the passion, death, and resurrection of the Lord. Many of the episodes related to the Virgin clearly bear a paschal tone. Without claiming to be exhaustive, I will now mention seven passages in which, in various ways, Mary is at the center of the hour of Jesus, as he transitions from this world to the Father (cf. John 13:1).The “Virgin Womb” of Mary and the New Tomb of Jesus: Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:34-35, and Matthew 27:60– Between the “virgin womb” of Mary (cf. Matthew 1:18-25. Luke 1:34-35. John 1:13, read in the singular, with Matthew 27:60. Luke 23:53. John 19:41). – Between the bands with which Mary wrapped her newborn (Luke 2:7b) and the mortal cloth in which Joseph of Arimathea wrapped Jesus’ body from the cross (Luke 23:53a). – Between the manger in which Mary laid the Child (Luke 2:7c) and the tomb in which Joseph of Arimathea placed Jesus (Luke 23:53b).It is important to note that these three correspondences were consistently recognized by Christian tradition.The Passage of the Shepherds from Bethlehem to the Manger (Luke 2:8-20)This passage undoubtedly involves the memory of a visit these shepherds made to the newborn, possibly born in a cave on Mary’s property. However, in terms of Luke’s narrative, these shepherds also become a figure of the shepherds of the Church. They are the apostles and all those who collaborated with them in proclaiming the Word after the risen Lord sent them as witnesses. Their activity of announcement is primarily documented in the Book of Acts, also by Luke.The ecclesial dimension of the Bethlehem shepherds was universally recognized by the ancient patristic tradition, both Eastern and Western, from Origen.Within this typological and ecclesial context, Mary is part of those in the community of Jerusalem who hear the message proclaimed by the shepherd-evangelists, primarily the twelve (cf. Lk 2:17-18). She does not rest content with the “wonderful amazement” that the words and wonders performed by the apostles stir up in all (cf. Lk 2:18 and Acts 2:6-7, 3:10-12).Mary, in turn, “kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk 2:19). This suggests that she, in the light of the paschal message proclaimed by the apostles, reflects anew on the circumstances of Jesus’ birth, of which she was a witness and exceptional protagonist. She makes an exegesis of this, understanding its full meaning now that the glories of the resurrection shine upon the Church. Even the “Magnificat“, for example, would be the result of the pascal meditation of the Mother of Jesus.The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Lk 2:22-40)This pericope only tangentially mentions Mary’s purification (Lk 2:22, 24). The main focus of the narrative lies on the Boy, who is “presented“, as a firstborn male according to Moses’ Law (Lk 2:22-23, 27). However, many exegetes observe that the scene described by Luke emphasizes not so much the redemption of the Boy, but his consecration to the Lord. More than a firstborn to be redeemed, the Boy seems to be an offering presented to the Lord, as if he were a sacrificial victim. Indeed, the evangelist does not mention the price paid for the redemption.In other words, Jesus is “the Consecrated of the Lord” (Lk 2:23). From the beginning, in his mother’s womb, he belonged to God in a unique and special way, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, he was “holy“, that is, dedicated to the Lord, entirely given to Him. The angel had told Mary this (Lk 1:35). And Mary, who kept all these things in her heart (Lk 2:19, 51), knew that Jesus, her firstborn (Lk 2:7), belonged to the Lord in a way that no other did. His whole life would be entirely dedicated to the Father.Therefore, when fulfilling her personal purification, Mary finds reason to present, offer to the Lord, the fruit of her womb. Her gesture recalls that of Hannah, who, centuries before, offered little Samuel to the Lord, saying: “I offer him to the Lord for all the days of his life. He is dedicated to the Lord” (1 Sm 1:28). Mary’s action, joined by Joseph, her husband and the Boy’s father, has the value of a consecration of the Son. A consecration to which she associates herself, as if she were one with him. Thus, the evangelist can speak of “her purification” (Lk 2:22). It was an offering that involved both the Son and the Mother.This foreshadowed the drama of the Passion.For now, it is merely a gesture of donation, the first sacrificial offering made by the Redeemer through the Mother, to the Mother, is the first direct association with the work of redemption, a distant foreshadowing of her future collaboration in the sacrificial offering of the Son.And also to you a sword shall pierce your soul, prophesied Simeon to Mary (Lk 2:35).In this “sword,” numerous contemporary exegetes, referring to the Fathers of the East and West from the 4th-5th centuries, see the symbol of God’s Word, which would announce Jesus. He, according to Simeon’s oracle, is the Servant of the Lord, the light of the nations and the glory of Israel (Lk 2:32. Cf. Is 42:6. 49:6). The Lord made his mouth like a sharp sword (Is 49:2).Therefore, Jesus’ Word would be compared to a Sword that “… *penetrates even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart*” (Heb 4:12). Mary allowed her thoughts to be illuminated and judged by the glow of that mystical sword, which was the Word of the Son. She kept his words and events (Lk 2:19. 51b. Cf. Lk 8:19-21. 11:27-28). With wisdom, she was concerned to understand its depth, even when it caused her suffering and she did not immediately grasp its meaning (Lk 2:48-50). The apex of this piercing of the soul would occur at the hour of the Passion. Especially in moments of dense darkness, Mary allowed the sword of God’s Word to penetrate the fibers of her spirit. She persevered in faith, with a suffering abandonment and confident in the Son’s words when he spoke of death and resurrection.Other authors, referring to a line of Greco-Latin patristic exegesis that began in the 5th century, also recognize in the “sword” prophesied by Simeon the intense pain that Mary experienced whenever the Son was rejected by his people. This occurred during his public ministry (cf. Lk 4:16-30), in the Passion and death (Lk 22:47-23:1-56), and later in the life of the nascent Church, which was the target of continuous persecution by the Jews (cf. Acts 4:1-31. 12:1-17. 13:45. 14:1-7. 28:22). It should not be forgotten that Mary was a member of this Church (Acts 1:14). As seen, both of these interpretations point towards the paschal mystery, as the conclusive apex of Simeon’s prophecy.The pilgrimage of Jesus of twelve years to the Temple with his parents (Lk 2:41-51a)This episode is marked by numerous pascal reasons. What Mary and Joseph experienced during the course of this story of the boy Jesus, first lost, then sought among relatives and acquaintances and finally found in the Temple, the house of the Father, was an event open to the future revelation of the paschal mystery.It was, therefore, a distant prelude and a prophetic anticipation of what would happen to the disciples in the days of Christ’s death and resurrection. Another Passover would come, during which, even in Jerusalem, the disciples, sad and weeping, would lose their Master and seek Him among the dead. But “after three days” (that is, “on the third day”), they would discover that Christ is in His Father’s house: there He ascended, for He entered into His glory, was exalted to the right of the Father. There we must “seek Him” if we want to live our Passover.The Wedding at Cana (Jn 2:1-12): Mary, Mother of Jesus, on the “third day” and the Paschal prefigurationWith this observation, the Evangelist also confers a “Paschal” dynamic on the first of Jesus’ signs. That is, what is recounted in this episode is a figure and an anticipatory prenouncement of what the Church will live steadily and continuously in the era inaugurated by the “third day” of Jesus’ resurrection. And this is the era that encompasses the entire duration of the Church, in which the wedding of the new Covenant with the risen Lord is celebrated (cf. Jn 3:29 and Rev 19:7). Thus, the presence and the role that the Mother of Jesus plays on the “third day” of Cana continue in the present “third day” of the Church. As “Mother of Jesus” (Jn 2:1.3.5.12. 19:25.26.27) and “Mother of the Church” (Jn 2:4. 19:26), the Virgin is always alert to awaken in us, the servants of the Son, obedience to the Gospel: “Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5). The reception of the Word promotes the union of the Church-bride around the Christ-Spouse (cf. Jn 2:12. 10:16. 15:14).Jesus’ Testament on the Cross: Mary and the Beloved Disciple (Jn 19:25-27)This episode is set within the events of “His hour,” when He passes from this world to the Father (cf. Jn 13:1). Even His last words addressed to His Mother (“Woman, behold your Son”) and to the disciple (“Behold your Mother”) (v. 26, 27a) make His entire work as Messiah-Savior complete (cf. Jn 19:28: “After that…”). If, hypothetically, this gesture had been lacking, something essential would have been left out of the redemptive project witnessed by Scripture. Not everything would have been fulfilled (cf. Jn 19:30). In response to the Master’s will, the disciple “from that hour took her into his home” (Jn 19:27b), as his own Mother. From that “hour,” by Christ’s will, begins Mary’s spiritual motherhood for all the disciples of the Son, and even for all humanity. Note, however, that it is a “Paschal” motherhood, as it also springs from the passion and resurrection of Lord Jesus.The Virgin of Nazareth in the Horizon of Salvation History: Incarnation, Resurrection, and the Magnificat (Lk 1:49)In summary, the contents presented in this article, we can affirm that the person of Mary of Nazareth is closely linked to both the Incarnation of the Word and His resurrection from the dead. The Church of the first Christians, in the face of these supreme events in salvation history, realized that God had done “great things” in the Mother of His Son: “He has done great things in me,” as the Virgin herself will sing in her hymn (Lk 1:49a).Deepen your studies: explore Mariology, Mariana Theology, Marian Apparitions, and the Graduate Program in Mariology.Regarding the relationship between the Incarnation, Resurrection, and Mary in Catholic theology, consult the Encyclical Redemptoris Mater by Pope John Paul II.