Lesson 13: The Son of God becomes Man
1. Did one of the Persons of the Holy Trinity become man?
Yes, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God became man. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14). Thus Jesus is true God; and Jesus is true man.
When the Son of God became man, his divinity did not change.
Since Jesus is God we adore Him. WE adore even his body, blood, and soul, because it is the body, blood, and soul of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.
2. What do the names “Jesus” and “Christ” mean?
The name Jesus means “God saves.” Jesus saves us from our sins. The name “Christ” (in Greek) and “Messiah” (in Hebrew) Means the “Anointed One.” The Holy Spirit as Prophet, Priest, and King anointed him. His name is holy. We bow our heads when we say or hear his name. When we say His Name with faith, He becomes present.
3. When did the Son of God assume (take on) our human nature?
The Son of God always existed from all eternity. He assumed (took on) our human nature in the womb of Mary a little over 2000 years ago. Through the archangel St. Gabriel God invited Mary to become the Mother of His Son. Mary said “Yes” on behalf of all human beings who ever exited and ever will exit, and the Second Person of the Holy Trinity assumed our human nature in her womb. Mary became the Mother of God.
4. Where was Jesus born?
Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem on the first Christmas day a little over 2000 years ago.
He was born in a poor stable because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7)
His birth as a miraculous birth. Mary remained a virgin during his birth. He passed through Mary like light through glass. This is called the virginity of Mary “in partu.” (During the birth)
Mary was always a virgin, before, during and after the birth of Jesus.
5. Where did Jesus grow up and live until about the age of 30?
Jesus grew up and lived in Nazareth until about the age of 30.
Jesus learned to be a carpenter like is foster father St. Joseph. He worked well. He worked hard.
There at Nazareth Jesus was always obedient to St. Joseph and Mary.
Jesus was very humble. Although He was God, He did not tell anyone in those may years at Nazareth. He did not perform miracles and preach until the age of 30.
St Raphaela Mary (1850-1925)
A person who imitated the humility and hiddenness of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph at Nazareth is St. Raphaela Mary. She was the Foundress and the first Superior General of the religious congregation called the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart. She was unjustly treated by a group of 4 advisors, who were to help her in governing the religious congregation. In order to maintain peace, she stepped own from her position as Superior General. The 4 advisors spread false rumors about her, saying that she was mentally unstable. She did not tell anyone the true story of her resignation: “My duty is to be silent, to pray, and to suffer.” One of these 4 advisors, Mother Purisima, eventually became the Superior General for life, and was thought to b the one largely responsible for founding the Congregation. Sr. Rafaela had been well loved by the community. In order to prevent her from telling the rest of the sisters the true story of her resignation she was transferred from Spain, and moved to a house in Rome, Italy. For 33 years she was totally hidden. There in Rome it was not known that she was the one who had really founded the Congregation. She never said a word. She did the simple chores like cleaning and sewing. She practiced constant obedience and accepted in this trial, which lasted the rest of her life. Towards the end of her life, however, God began to manifest her holiness to the hears of those who lived with her. For the last three years of her life, when she was very ill, many sisters visited he to find peace and strength. Still, no words of self-defense or claim that she was really the Foundress came from her lips. Her days were spent in praying, working, and suffering. After her death her was. Wondrous expression of peace and happiness upon her face Thirty years after her death, he body had still ot decayed, and thousands came to see the one who had been so humble and hidden in this world. In 1938, the Superior General elected after the forced resignation of Mother Purisima courageously began an examination of Raphaela’s life. Mother Purisima herself testified in favor of St Raphaela’s virtues. She was canonized in 1977. As Our Lord tells us in the Gospel; “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)
6. What was the public life of Jesus?
The public life of Jesus began when He as about 30 years old. It lasted for 3 years. It would end with Jesus dying on the cross for love of us. He left is home at Nazareth, and was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. He then spent 40 days in the desert, where he prayed, fasted and was tempted by the devil, but did not sin. Then, for three years:
–He preached. He preached beautiful things about the goodness and mercy of God His Father. He revealed that He Himself is God, the Light of the World, and that we are to believe in Him and eat His Body and drink His Blood in order to have eternal life. He spoke like no man had ever spoken before.
–He worked many miracles. His first miracle was performed at Cana in Galilee through the intercession of Mary. (John 2:1-11)
–He was merciful to everyone, but especially to sinners, and to those who were rejected by others. He forgave sins, and healed people of their diseases.
–He founded the Church, making St Peter the first Pope, and the Apostles the first Bishops. HE instituted the Sacrifice of the Mass and the 7 Sacraments. Finally, from the cross He made Mary the Mother of the Church.
During his public ministry:
-Jesus preached
-Jesus showed God’s mercy
-Jesus forgave sins, healed diseases, and performed other miracles.
-Jesus performed the Church
7. What happens when Jesus was 33?
He was crucified on Good Friday. On the cross he gave Mary to each one of us to be our mother. He said to John and to all of us, “Behold your mother.” He died so that our sins could be forgiven. He died so we could get to heaven.
After his death, a Roman soldier, seeing the love with which He died said: “Surely this was the Son of God.” He was buried that Friday evening.
At the moment of his death, when His Body was still on the cross, his Soul descended to the dead, a place called the “Limbo of the Patriarchs”. He visited the souls of all those who had been sorry for their sins and died before He came, such as Abel, Abraham, Moses, and David. They were waiting and praying for the coming of Jesus. Without His death on the cross no one could enter into heaven. When Jesus came, He took them to heaven.
An Angel announced to Mary Magdalene and the pious women that Jesus had risen from the dead. He rose from the dead on Easter Sunday Morning.
He appeared to his disciples for 40 days with his glorified body. On the 40th day, Ascension Thursday, He went up to heaven in their presence.
He is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will eventually come again to judge the living and the dead.
8. What happened to Mary after the Ascension of Jesus?
Ten days after the Lord’s Ascension, God the Father and Jesus sent the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Mary while at prayer. The Apostles then, filled with the Holy Spirit, went out and began to preach the Gospel. While the Apostles were inspired by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel, Mary was inspired by the Holy Spirit to pray for them and for all those what they would preach to.
Due to her prays and sacrifices the Church began to spread throughout the entire world. Many people came to believe in Jesus and were baptized.
She was so united to Jesus sand so holy that God took her to heaven body and soul. The soul of everyone else who dies in the state of Sanctifying Grace goes to heaven also, but their bodies will not be raised up and be glorified until the end of the world. Mary’s body was glorified and taken up to heaven right away. This is called the Assumption of Mary. We celebrated the Assumption of Mary on August 15th.
The early Church was sad that she was gone, but they realized that her prayers would be even more powerful in heaven. In Heaven the Holy Trinity crowned Mary as Queen of heaven and earth. We celebrate the Queenship of Mary on August 22nd.
The Blessed Virgin Mary continues to pray for us in heaven. God has freely chosen that all graces come to us through her.
Our Lady of Guadalupe (1531) and St. Juan Diego
A well-known manifestation of the power of Our Lady’s prayers and her deep concern for us is found in the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Before the apparitions of Our Lady in 1531 only 200,000 people had been baptized in all of Mexico. Fifteen years later, due to the prays and the influence of the image she left on Juan Diego’s tilma, nine million people had been baptized. This was almost 50% of the total population of Mexico. Never in the history of the Church had a country accepted the Christian Faith so quickly.
She appeared four times to St. Juan Diego and once to his dying uncle Juan Bernardino. When she appeared to Juan Bernardino she healed him of his illness and gave to him her name, “Our Lady of Guadalupe.” Some believed the Aztec word she actually spoke was “Coatlaxopeuh,” which translates, “She who crushes the serpent.” If this is the case, she is referring to the prophecy that God made to Satan in the Garden of Eden, “She shall crush your head, and you shall lie in wait for her heal.” (Genesis 3:15)
In these apparitions she revealed her tremendous love for Juan Diego and for all of us and asked that a church be built in her honor. She stated, “Know for certain dearest of my sons that I am the perfect and perpetual Virgin Mary, Mother of the True God through whom everything lives, the Lord of all things near and far… I desire that a temple be built for me in this place. Here, I will give my love, my help and my protection to the people. I am your merciful Mother, the mother of all who live united in this land, and of all mankind, of all those who love me, of those who cry to me, of those who have confidence in me. Here I will hear their weeping and their sorrows, and will remedy and alleviate all their many sufferings, necessities and misfortunes.”
When Juan Diego was concerned about the health of his dying uncle she stated, “Listen and let it penetrate your heart, my dear little son… Do not be troubled by this illness or by anything else. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and. Protection…” Are you not in the crossing of my arms?… Your uncle is not going to die of this illness. At this very moment, he is cured.” In these words, we find the heart of Our Lady’s message to us, “Do not be worried about anything. Am I not here who am your Mother? … Are you not in the crossing of my arms.”
The bishop needed a sign that these apparitions were really from heaven so Our Lady led Juan Diego to the top of the hill where he found some beautiful roses that did not bloom in December. When he brought the roses to the Bishop Our Lady gave an even greater sign, which remains to this day – an image of herself on Juan Diego’s tilma.
Scientist have recently examined the tilma and its image. Among other things they found an image in her eye of a man with a beard that matches the depictions of Juan Diego that have come down to us. The researchers are able to give no natural explanation for how these reflections in the eye or the rest of the image was formed; nor are they able to understand how the image has been preserved. The tilma was made from cactus fiber that normally falls apart within 20 years and images painted on such fiber become unrecognizable within a few years. The image and the tilma remain intact after more than 470 years. From this image Our Lady continues to give her maternal message, “Listen and let it penetrate your heart… Do not be worried about anything. Am I not here who am your Mother?… Are you not in the crossing of my arms.”
Juan Diego spent the rest of his life living in a room next to the Church with Our Lady’s miraculous image. Led by Our Lady he began to attend daily Mass, spend much time in prayer and penance, took care of the Church, and spoke to the people who came to see the image about Our Lady and the Catholic Faith. Our Lady led him to such a profound holiness that parents began blessing their children saying, “May you become like Juan Diego.”
This beautiful historical event reveals how important Mary is in bringing us closer to Christ.
