Daily Catholic Lectio
Mon, 8 September ‘25
Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time, Monday
Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast
Micah 5:2-5 or Romans 8:28-30. Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23
Born for God’s Purpose
1. God’s Purpose Shapes Every Birth
Scripture: The prophet Micah announces that from little Bethlehem will come a ruler who will shepherd Israel in God’s strength (Mic 5:2–4). A small, hidden village becomes the birthplace of God’s plan for salvation.
Church’s Teaching: The Catechism (CCC 488) teaches that God chose Mary from all eternity to be the Mother of His Son, a mission uniquely hers but part of His plan for the whole world.
Reflection: The birth of Mary tells us that no life is accidental. Each of us is born with a divine purpose, even if hidden or small in the world’s eyes. Bethlehem was small, Mary was humble, yet God’s plan unfolded through them.
Pastoral Application: Today is an invitation to ask: What is God’s purpose in my life, my family, my vocation? Do I see myself as chosen to play a part in His larger plan?
2. Surrender Opens the Way for God
Scripture: Matthew’s genealogy shows that God works through history—both saints and sinners—to bring forth the Savior (Mt 1:1–16). Mary, in this story, stands out as the one who freely surrenders: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord” (Lk 1:38, anticipated in today’s Gospel).
Church’s Teaching: Lumen Gentium (no. 56) calls Mary’s “yes” the moment of obedient faith that undid Eve’s disobedience.
Reflection: God’s plan unfolds not through force but through human cooperation. Mary’s surrender—her openness to God’s will—allowed the Word to become flesh.
Pastoral Application: We may not control the circumstances of our birth or past, but we can control our response. When we surrender our will to God’s will, His grace takes flesh in our lives.
3. Synergy: God and Humanity Working Together
Scripture: Paul affirms: “All things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). This synergy—God’s grace and our cooperation—brings about salvation history.
Church’s Teaching: The Catechism (CCC 2008) explains that while our merits come from God’s grace, He allows us to truly cooperate in His plan.
Reflection: The Nativity of Mary is a feast of divine-human synergy. God chose, Mary responded. God called, she cooperated. Through this partnership, salvation entered the world.
Pastoral Application: Our daily fidelity—small acts of love, patience, service—becomes part of God’s larger work. Synergy means that God does not act without us, and we cannot succeed without Him.
Conclusion
The birth of Mary is not only about her—it is about God’s purpose for every life, the power of surrender, and the synergy of grace and human freedom. Just as Bethlehem was chosen, and Mary was chosen, so too are we chosen to let Christ be born anew in our world. Today, let us celebrate life as a gift with purpose, surrender our will to God, and live in synergy with His saving plan.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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