Welcome back to the Jesse Tree on the Catholic Sprouts podcast. Today is Christmas Eve. My friends,

tomorrow is Christmas. Throughout Advent, we have been journeying through the Jesse tree. We started

in the Garden of Eden, watching Adam and Eve commit the first sin.

And now we are here with Mary in Nazareth, watching her receive the news that she will become the mother of God.

Although these two events might seem so different, they are linked.

Where Eve was disobedient, Mary was obedient.

Therefore, while Eve is the mother of our humanity, Mary is the mother of all Christians.

God's plan of love played out slowly throughout salvation history,

but he has made all things new.

Listen now to the story of the enunciation,

and Mary's profound yes that would change the world forever.

Luke 1. 26 through 38.

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Gatelic called Nazareth,

to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David.

The virgin's name was Mary, and he came to her and said,

Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you. But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered

what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God,

and now you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him, Jesus. He will be

great, and will be called the son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne

of his ancestor, David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom

there will be no end. Mary said to the angel, how can this be, since I am a virgin? The angel said to her,

the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore,

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