In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin’s name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: Good morning! You’re beautiful with God’s beauty, beautiful inside and out! God be with you. (Luke 1: 26 – 28)

Miracles and childbirth seem to go hand in hand. It is a miracle people are courageous enough to bear children given all that can go wrong. It is a miracle anyone conceives a child given the biological precision required. It is a miracle that the baby survives its time in the womb given all the possible genetic and healthcare threats. It is a miracle that the trauma of childbirth doesn’t overwhelm the baby and its parents more than it usually does. It is a miracle that more often than not, even in remote areas, the mother doesn’t die from infection. It is a miracle that despite even the most incredible odds, most babies thrive and grow. Conception and childbirth are miracles. Period.

Jesus’ conception and birth are no exception. They point to a truth that anyone who watches a child come into the world knows as the truth: that love exists – as a separate, all-powerful being outside ourselves, and we are graced with its presence everyday of our lives. Hail Mary, for her role in bringing this truth to life.