My Dear Friends,

In life I'm sure that many times we can ask ourselves, 'what is the right thing to do?' How should we act? I think this is especially true in the world today when so many people are confused with the tremendous changes and the upheaval that this world has gone through in our own lifetime. But the idea that always stays with me whenever I'm not sure of what to do is what would Jesus do in my place? I've always come out on top when I ask that question. 

In the same way it's another thought that John Paul suggests to us. As members of the church walking to meet the Lord face to face, how should we walk? Pope John Paul says, let's walk along this path that already was trodden by the Virgin Mary who advanced in a pilgrimage of faith and loyalty, persevered in a union with the Son even unto the cross. Clearly, Mary should be an inspiration for us. When we think of all the difficulties she underwent, all the trials that she had, all the obstacles that were placed in the course of the life of Jesus Christ, and yet she stayed with him, faithful even unto the Cross of Calvary and unto death. 

So we have a reason to walk with Mary, because she is without doubt that beloved Mother, a model in faith. She is a woman of hope, looking constantly ahead to the promises made to her by the Angel Gabriel, and she is a woman of love, the love that she has for Jesus and for each and every one of us. 

Many beautiful things have been written about Mary. To see how Mary fits in the plan of God, I would encourage you to study the writings of Pope Paul VI or Pope John Paul II. These documents are knitted with scripture in helping us to a deeper understanding perhaps never seen before. As we prepare for the celebration of the year 2000, the great jubilee, an idea foremost in the mind of Pope John Paul II. History teaches us that the mother came before the Son. So it is fitting that we perceive the two thousandth birthday of Jesus Christ by a jubilee in celebration of the birth of Mary. It's as simple as that, because we know that Mary appeared on the horizon of salvation history before Jesus Christ did. It’s a fact that in the fullness of time when Christ came into the world, Mary had been living in this world nearly fifteen years or so. We are invited to look at Mary again, because when God decided to save the world, fifteen years or so before his Son came, he had chosen Mary. He had predestined her in a special way, and then he sent his angel to her. So this is why it's fitting from now until the year 2000 to walk with Mary. In the darkness of this world, we look to Mary shining bright like a morning star. She is as you know, the star that preceeded the rising of the Son, Jesus Christ. From the time that Mary was conceived, Immaculate in her conception, she began to shine like the true morning star. Then Jesus the Son of justice was born. Put the two together. Do not bring a divorce in the plan of God. Do not separate the Son from the Mother, because then you will not see so clearly. Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. We need to have a clear understanding of the relationship between Jesus and Mary in God's plan. 

It was the decision of God. None of us thought about it, planned it, or invented it. It's God who decided that the daughter of Zion would be the Mother of his Beloved Son. It was His plan, and we could say it was the central reality of revelation of faith in understanding how crucial the coming of Jesus Christ was. We could say for thousands of years that people were prepared by the prophets, again and again, for the turning point, the coming of the Messiah. But when we look at the coming of the Messiah, he came born of a woman. If we realize that the coming of Jesus Christ was crucial, the central reality of revelation of our faith, then we need to emphasize the unique presence of the mother of Jesus at that moment in history. This is why in the last years leading us to the year 2000 it would be good to understand the place of Mary before the birth of Jesus Christ.

'And the word was made flesh.' It's only in the coming of Jesus Christ into the world that we can understand who we are. When we think of ourselves as human beings, creatures of God, if we want to understand the real nature of our being, we have to look at Jesus. It's only as Pope John Paul says in the mystery of the coming of Jesus into this world that the mystery of our own life takes on light; it's only where we understand how precious we are. If we look at human beings walking around us, maybe we're too nearsighted and we do not comprehend the value of one single human being in the mind of Jesus Christ. In the same way it's only in Jesus Christ that we can understand the place of Mary, that her mystery can be made clear. So that if you want to understand clearly who you are, you need to look at Jesus Christ. If you want to understand clearly who is your brother, your sister, your neighbor, your coworker, your employer, the person you don't like, the person who hurt you, if you want to understand who they are you have to look at them in Jesus Christ. If you want to look at Mary to understand who she is, you have to look at the mystery of Jesus Christ. 

In the year 431, the Council of Ephesus declared clearly without doubt that Mary is the Mother of God. Now, this declaration is very important and unfortunately, everyone does not believe it. But I believe that Jesus is God. Do you? And I believe that Mary is the Mother of Jesus and therefore, she's the Mother of God. From that moment on we could see that Jesus is One with Father. And the Word, in the beginning was the Word and the Word was God and Word was made flesh. We see how Mary is so important, because when we say that Mary is the Mother of God, we're saying also that Jesus is God. The Council of Ephesus said it clearly, putting its seal on the Incarnation, "The Word was made flesh." Who is Jesus Christ? He's God with us. He's the Emmanuel, our Brother, our Friend, our Savior and Mary's His Mother. It ties in so well. 

We need to recognize this plan of God and be clear about these things. This is why many people who are not clear about it - people who swear, take the name of God in vain, use the name of Jesus profanely - they do not understand. We need to inform them so that they never talk that way about Jesus anymore. 

Let us pray. 

Heavenly Father, we adore You and we love You and we adore You in Your great wisdom, in the plan that You made to save the world. It's so beautiful sending Your Son, born of Mary, the Morning Star.