(Audio)
Today we celebrate the birth of Mary. The Church calls us to this celebration because Mary's life itself is a gift and blessing to all peoples. We already celebrate her at her birth because it is not through any merit of hers that she has this special place in salvation history.
The archangel Gabriel called Mary full of grace. This described her so completely that he used it as a title in place of her name, saying "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you" (see Luke 1:28). This grammar itself conveys that this favor was not something that only described Mary after the Annunciation. It already marked her from her birth.
"The grace given to Mary is at once permanent and of a unique kind. Kecharitomene is a perfect passive participle of charitoo, meaning “to fill or endow with grace.” Since this term is in the perfect tense, it indicates that Mary was graced in the past but with continuing effects in the present." (see Catholic Answers)
Mary was filled with grace from her birth not for her own sake, but for ours, who would together receive our savior from her.
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.
The choice of Mary by God was made before her birth. She was not an mere accident of chance in God's plan, but a part of it from the beginning.
(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
And the rest of his brethren shall return
to the children of Israel.)
The prophecy refers to the mother but also speaks about the brethren. This shows that it was already in God's mind that Mary would not only be the mother of Jesus, but also of all the beloved disciples to whom he gave her (see John 19:27) all who bear his name and keep the commandments (see Revelation 12:17).
We were predestined to be conformed to the image of the Son, so that he might be the firstborn of among many brothers. When we wonder to what end God chose to give us Mary we might find some answer here. Precisely as we embrace Mary as our mother we find ourselves conformed more and more to the image of her Son. We become like her, open to the Holy Spirit. Like her we learn to make our wholehearted response to God.
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word (see Luke 1:38).
In the world birthdays are larger about cake, presents, and the celebration of an individual. But the Church celebrates birthdays to point out to us the grace given by God to certain individuals so that they can be a blessing to us. This birthday is a reminder not to ignore the fullness of grace that comes to us through Mary as a gift that really can bring us closer to her Son.
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us!
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