What does the third article mean?

The third article means that God the Son took a body and soul like ours, in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Explanation

The third article teaches how the Son of God became man. Jesus did not come into existence at His conception, since He is the eternal Son of God. Rather, at the Annunciation, He took to Himself a true human nature through the power of the Holy Spirit. From the very first moment of His conception, Jesus possessed both a complete human nature and a complete divine nature united in one divine Person. The Virgin Mary freely cooperated with Gods plan by accepting the angels message with faith and obedience. Because Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and not by a human father, His conception was entirely miraculous. This article therefore highlights both Christs divinity and His true humanity. It reminds Catholics that salvation began not at the Cross or the Resurrection but at the moment when the eternal Word became flesh in the womb of Mary. Through the Incarnation, God entered human history in order to redeem it from within.