God has a plan to save us. This plan starts long before Jesus is born. From the book of Micah, written 700 years before Jesus' birth, we hear that God is already preparing the birth of the Messiah. The Messiah will not come with thunder and lightning. Rather, this great person will enter the world through a small town - Bethlehem - born of 'a woman' unnamed here. Micah expresses that God chooses to bless us through what appears weak and insignificant.

In Jesus' genealogy, we hear the names of many people, some of them with great sins and others with great virtues. Among these are the names of four women, including the mother of Jesus - Mary.

For Jesus Christ to come into the world in an appropriately holy way, God the Father chose to prepare 'a woman'. So even before Mary's birth, from her conception, Mary was preserved from the stain of original sin so as to be pure, a spotless Ark, an immaculate Tabernacle for Jesus.

Mary's role in God's plan was far from easy, yet she chose to live each day with deep commitment and surrender to God. Today we celebrate Mary's birthday and her loving cooperation with God.