Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary…Mary’s birthday! Now, we don’t really know the exact day, date or year that Mary was born. We really don’t even know where she was born. In fact, we have no certainty at all about the details of Mary’s life before the Annunciation. Some people scoff at that. But the details are not really important. The important thing is that Mary was born, chosen from all time to be the Mother of the Savior.
The Church has always held Mary in the highest regard. Many non-Catholics hold a different view. They see any honor given to Mary as honor taken away from Christ. But this a flawed attitude. The men who began the Reformation, Luther, Calvin and Zwingli, all had a great devotion to Mary. It was only later that those who followed them began to “discredit” Mary. But why?
Mary is considered the first Christian. It was she who consented to bearing the Son of God in her womb. She who opened the door to our salvation. She said “yes” to God at every moment of her life. Should we not only honor but also imitate her? As the mother of Christ, Mary is also the mother of us all. I don’t know about you, but I would feel pretty foolish if I didn’t remember and celebrate my mom’s birthday. How much more so the mother of all Christians?
Father, thank you for the gift of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As we celebrate her birth today, we celebrate her example every day. Amen.
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