The Nativity of Our Lady
Most parents believe that their newborn child is the most perfect in the whole wide world. This, I'm sure was true of St Joachim and St Anne, the parents of the Virgin Mary. But in their case it was actually true. From the very beginning God had chosen Mary to be the Mother of his son. He gave her all the gifts and graces she would need to fulfill the specific task he had for her. It is no different for each of us. God has entrusted to us the gifts and talents we need to to establish his mission here on earth. But perhaps Mary fulfilled her potential In a way that some of us may fail to realize we are being called too.
The bible reveals very little to us about Mary's early life. Hidden in obscurity in a small town, probably Nazareth, her parents had been unable to conceive a child and this pained them greatly. Tradition states that Joachim went off into the dessert and fasted for forty days and forty nights and Anne too mourned and lamented crying out to God to bless her with a child as he had done for Sarah when he gave her Issac.
God heard their prayers and sending an angel to both of them, promised that they would have a child. Can you imagine the joy they must have felt upon hearing this news?
I am sure nothing spectacular accompanied Mary's birth, no shepherds, no angels in the sky, no Kings arriving on camels with amazing gifts. Just a simple woman going through the birthing process and the world carrying on completely unaware of what turns out to be a most momentous event, second only to the birth of her son. Yet here in this tiny child was the one,who, all of Israel was waiting for. I'm sure she looked no different from any of the other little girls in her village, yet hidden deep inside her was the desire to do the will of God.
If you get an opportunity to read the The Protoevangelium of James, which you can find on the internet, it makes fascinating reading on the birth of Mary. Though not accepted by the Church Fathers to gain entry into the bible it is a very ancient document believed to have been written early in the second Century around 145 AD. In it we find the description of Joachim and Anne praying for their child, the birth of Our Lady and her subsequent marriage to St. Joseph.
Mary deserves our prayers and our praise. It was through her that we have hope and salvation. Her "fiat" to God's will being done in her life means that we can rejoice, like Mary, and cry out " My soul glorifies The Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. Because he looks upon his servants in their lowliness..The Almighty works marvels for me. Holy is His name.."
Celebrating this feast day in the family can be done in many ways, here are a few ideas; first and foremost, the mass, Mary's role is always to draw us closer to her Son, and at mass we cannot get any closer. Secondly pick a posy of flowers and have the children make birthday cards, and take them to visit a statue of Our a Lady and leave the flowers and cards as a birthday offering. Honoring Our Lady with a rosary will always please her, and finally something that always works in our house a cake for tea!
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