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“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into
your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has
been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him
Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew
1:20–21
Today we celebrate one of the most consequential birthdays in the
history of the world! Certainly, the only birthday more important
is that of our divine Lord Himself. But today we honor His mother,
and our mother, too.
The Blessed Virgin Mary was born into our world without the stain
of original sin. She was preserved from experiencing fallen human
nature through the gift of her Immaculate Conception. Thus, she was
the first to be born in the perfection of human nature after the
fall, and she continued to experience this grace throughout her
life, responding to God with her free will every step of the
way.
All of us enjoy celebrating our birthdays. Children especially love
it, but most everyone looks forward to that special day each year
when family and friends honor them and celebrate them in a special
way. For that reason, we can be assured that even our Blessed
Mother loved her birthday while here on earth and continues to
enjoy this special celebration in Heaven. Of course, she did not
enjoy her birthday because she wanted to be pampered or given
special attention. She, perhaps more than anyone other than her
divine Son, rejoiced on her birthday because of the deep spiritual
gratitude she had to God for all that He did in her life.
Try to ponder the heart and soul of our Blessed Mother from her
perspective. She would have been intimately united to each person
of the Most Holy Trinity throughout her life. She would have known
God, living in her soul, and would have been in awe of what God had
done to her. She would have pondered these graces with deep
humility and exceptional gratitude. She would have seen her soul
and mission from the perspective of God, keenly aware of all that
He had done for her.
As we honor the birthday of our Blessed Mother, it’s also an
important opportunity for each of us to ponder the incredible
blessings that God has bestowed upon each one of us. No, we are not
Immaculate as Mother Mary was. We were each born into original sin
and have sinned throughout our lives. But the blessings of grace,
given to each one of us, is exceptionally real. We only need to
work to have the eyes to see these graces. Baptism, for example,
bestows upon the soul an eternal transformation. Though our sin may
cloud that transformation at times, the transformation is eternal.
Our souls are changed. We are made new. Grace is poured into our
hearts, and we become children of God. And for the soul who is able
to perceive the countless other ways that God bestows blessings,
gratitude is the only appropriate response.
Reflect, today, upon the glorious celebration of the birthday of
the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. Begin by trying to rejoice
in her life through her eyes. Try to imagine what she saw as she
looked into her own graced soul. From there, try to rejoice, also,
in your soul. Be grateful for all that God has done for you. Work
to have eyes that see these countless graces and allow yourself to
rejoice in God’s blessings with our Blessed Mother.
My dearest Mother, happy birthday! Today I rejoice in the
incredible gift that God gave to you in your Immaculate Conception
and birth into our world. I pray that I may honor you in a fitting
way this day and to especially understand more clearly the beauty
of your graced soul. Pray for me that I may also rejoice in the
countless graces bestowed upon me by our merciful God. I love you,
dear Mother. Precious Jesus, through the heart of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, I trust in You!
Image: Domenico Ghirlandaio, Public domain, via Wikimedia
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