Term for the birth or conception of Jesus

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A previous message cleared up the definition of "Immaculate Conception". Now I'm wondering what the conception or the birth of Jesus is called! Do either of these events have a name/term?

-- Anonymous, July 08, 1998

Answers

The "Incarnation", or the "hypostatic union" is the term for the birth of Christ. The Hypostatic Union is the term for God and Man being together in one fleshly body. The Conception is the "Annuciation". The Annunciation as recorded in Luke's Gospel, Records the announcement of St. Gabriel to Mary of the conception in the Virgin Womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary was preserved from Original sin, and we can know this by the Angel's greeting, "Hail Mary, Full of Grace." Mary could not have been full of Grace will having Original Sin, so Christ merits of the Cross were used to transpose time and be used for Mary's Immaculate Conception!

-- Anonymous, July 08, 1998

Robert,

I believe that it would be more accurate to describe Our Lord's birth as the Virgin Birth. To connect the term hypostatic union with the birth would leave the unfortunate and erroneous impression that there was a time that the human nature of Christ existed apart from the Son. The hypostatic or personal union occurs at the point that the Holy Spirit brings about the conception of the Son of God in Mary, it does not await the event in Bethlehem.

-- Anonymous, July 09, 1998


The Terms that you look for are taken from the Liturgy of the Church.

"The Incarnation" which occured with "The Annunciation" and "The Nativity" the" Virgin birth" of our Lord.

-- Anonymous, July 09, 1998


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