Honoring Mary on Her Birthday

Sally D. Faderan

Birthdays are occasions for joyful celebrations. Our Blessed Mother Mary’s birthday makes us reflect on her many titles as “Mother of God,” “Mother of the Redeemed,” “Mother Thrice Admirable,” “Queen of Heaven and Earth” and scores of other beautiful attributes. This is the day that reminds us of the awesome words of God in Genesis 3:15 when he said to the serpent, “ I will set up enmity between you and the woman.”

Those words tell us that the battle between God’s children and the followers of the devil is going on and He promised us Mary, the Mother of God – and our Mother – to be the woman whose foot would crush the head of the serpent.

Immaculately conceived, she bore no stain of sin. She was called many beautiful names by people who recognized in her being the true embodiment of Christ, higher than “the angels and the archangels.”

St Louis de Montfort wrote, “Because Mary remained hidden during her life, she is called by the Holy Spirit and the Church, ALMA MATER, Mother hidden and unknown”. (In Is, Proph 3, 7) Her humility dictated that she would leave nothing more on earth than to remain unknown to herself and to others, and to be known only to God.

Many saints had marvelous praises upon her.

“Mary is the supreme masterpiece of the Almighty God and he had reserved the knowledge and possession of her for himself.” St Bernardine of Siena

In the words of St Paul, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man understood “(1 Cor 2:9) “the beauty, the grandeur, the excellence of Mary” ( St. Isidore) “who is indeed a miracle of miracles of grace, nature and glory.” St John of Damascene.

“If you wish to understand the mother,” says a saint. “then understand the son. She is the worthy Mother of God.”

“God the Father gathered all the waters together and called them the seas. He gathered all his graces together and called them MARY.” (Francis Poire, S.S. “The Triple Crown of Mary).

“Anyone who does not have Mary for his mother does not have God for his father.” St Cyprian.

It is written that St Augustine affirmed that in order to be conformed to the image of the Son of God, all the predestinate, while in the world, are hidden in the womb of the

Blessed Virgin where they are protected, cared for and developed by this good Mother until the day she brings them forth to a life of glory after death – which is called the birthday of the just.

Referring to the enmity of Genesis – it is written that God has established only one enmity – an irreconcilable one which will go on increasingly to the end of time. That enmity is between Mary and the devil, between the children of Mary and the children of Lucifer. We, who live during these dangerous times, have to be alert to the wiles of the enemy.

The Schoenstatt founder, Fr. Joseph Kentenich, believed deeply in the power of the Blessed Mother to educate us and to learn ways to become more holy, to be like Christ. We have been moved to make the Covenant of Love. We continue to be learn from her, to discover and uphold our personal ideal and our personal mission in life. We are encouraged to have a character-building process under the guidance of Our Blessed Mother and the Holy Spirit by following a Spiritual Daily Order – a program one makes everyday, of self-analysis as to what specific weaknesses we know we need to correct by developing the virtue that would banish that vice or weakness. It is a pathway to daily sanctity. This is fortified by prayers, the sacraments, and the discipline of faithfulness to the program. (Detailed explanation was given in a Schoenstatt newsletter sometime ago.)

Here are very strong advices and truths that Fr. Kentenich taught us in his book, “The Jewel of Purity.” These are words as powerful as a two-edged sword, the sword of Truth.

“When evil desires are around us, the picture of the Immaculate purifies, elevates, transfigures, attracts, and enraptures us.”

“The Catholic woman who does not reverently honor our Blessed Virgin Mother by serving and loving her, will sooner or later become insecure about her own personal God-willed destiny. Her ideal, instead, will be determined by the prevailing spirit of the time, by fashion, the media, and man’s lust.”

“A woman who most perfectly resembles the Blessed Mother awakens in a noble man deepest respect and devotion.”

“The mortality, idealism, and fruitfulness of a nation rise and fall with its women.”