The notorious American author, professor and philosopher, whose writings particularly deal with questions of love, life, religion and being a man in contemporary society, Sam Keen, wrote: “Call it ‘womb awe’ or even ‘womb worship’ but it’s not simple envy. I don’t remember even wanting to be a woman. But each of the three times I have been present at the birth of one of my children, I have been overwhelmed by a sense of reverence... It was quite suddenly, the first day of creation; the Goddess giving birth to a world... Like men since the beginning of time I wondered: What can I ever create that will equal the magnificence of this new life?” Joining forces with this spiritual mentor, I dare exclaim: ‘Can any human birth be equalled to that of the Mother of God herself’!?
The reverent unparalleled magnificence that the Saviour’s Mother birth echoed throughout human history is beautifully portrayed by the grandeur of the Byzantine Daily Worship: “Come, all you faithful, let us hasten to the Virgin: for long before her conception in the womb, the one who was to be born of the stem of Jesse was destined to be the Mother of God. The one who is the treasury of virginity, the flowering Rod of Aaron, the object of the prophecies, the child of Joachim and Anne, is born today and the world is renewed in her. Through her birth, she floods the church with her splendor. O holy Temple, Vessel of the Godhead, Model of virgins and Strength of kings: in you the wondrous union of the two natures of Christ was realised. We worship Him and glorify your most pure birth, and we magnify you”. The Roman liturgy furthers the reasons for the Church’s exaltation at Mary’s birth. “Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Virgin Mary, of whom was born the Sun of Justice... Her birth constitutes the hope and the light of salvation for the whole world... Her image is light for the whole Christian people”.
Yes, Mary is not only the one who bore in the flesh God’s Incarnate Son, but, first and foremost, she bore Him in her spirit. She was the shinning example of those “who hear the word of God and do it... and keep it!” (Luke 8, 21; 11, 28). Mary is Jesus’ Mother on the virtue of being the first human being (and woman) who lived intensely Her Son’s transforming words: “He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit” (John 15, 5). She is the archetype of the five wise maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. As the wise maidens, from eternity Mary took flasks of oil with her lamps (see Matt 25, 1-4) to welcome Him, “God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father”.
Mary’s birth demonstrates that when “the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal 4, 4-5). As the Dogmatic Constitution ‘On the Church’, Lumen Gentium, profoundly explains, through Mary’s assent God’s salvific plan could be finally accomplished. “The Sacred Scriptures of both the Old and the New Testament, as well as ancient Tradition... , bring the figure of the woman, Mother of the Redeemer, into a gradually clearer light. When it is looked at in this way, she is already prophetically foreshadowed in the promise of victory over the serpent which was given to our first parents after their fall into sin. Likewise she is the Virgin who shall conceive and bear a son, whose name will be called Emmanuel. She stands out among the poor and humble of the Lord, who confidently hope for and receive salvation from Him. With her the exalted Daughter of Sion, and after a long expectation of the promise, the times are fulfilled and the new Economy established, when the Son of God took a human nature from her, that He might in the mysteries of His flesh free man from sin” (§ 55). Her joyous birth is the confirmation of God’s everlasting faithfulness towards sinful humanity.
8 September is the feast of the Immaculate Woman and Mother who gently accompanies our gaze to Christ. After God Almighty, no other person in the whole universe can successfully guide our path to Jesus better than her. This is certainly logical since, in Saint Francis’ view, Mary is “Holy Queen, ... holy Mother of God, ... the Virgin made Church, ... in whom there was and is all fullness of grace and every good, ... His Palace! ... His Tabernacle ... His Dwelling ... His Robe! ... His Servant! ... His Mother”.
Happy birthday O Mother of Christ, Mother of humanity, My beloved Mother!
Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap
San Gwann