The Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

God do come to us in a humble way.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Friday 8th September 2023
Texts: Micah 5:2-5; Palms 13:6-7; Matthew 1:1-16.18-23 

Birth is an important moment in life: it is the moment of entry into the world of possibilities. We celebrate today the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The possibility of salvation dawns on us with her birth.  Prophet Micah reveals that Virgin Mary will be of a humble family. Bethlehem is the image of Virgin Mary. Hence, we read, “You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel”. This means that God is reckoned with those with humble background.

God do come to us in a humble way, that His majesty and glory might not scare us or puts us away. It is not only to show association with the humbled but to make it comfortable drawing close to Him. God wants us to be comfortable with Him. This is clear in the birth of Virgin Mary. She is from a humble family, that we may find it easy to approach her. God also wants us to be comfortable with Virgin Mary. Let us, therefore, come near to the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ, for salvation. She will always encourage us to do what God tells us. 

Giving us the mother of Christ from a humble family is for availability. A humble background encourages availability and remove barriers that hinder availability. Riches and royalty come with barriers that reduce availability to all. Virgin Mary is to be available because of God’s grace upon her. Her availability to all is to make God’s grace upon her available to all. Let us not fail to avail ourselves the grace she holds for us. We also have the grace of God upon us. Just like Virgin Mary, God also wants us to be available, that His grace upon us might be available to all. 

Today’s gospel reading shows the connection of the Virgin Mary to our Saviour. The birth of the Virgin Mary is the birth of the mother of Christ. Virgin Mary is the one whose seed is the Christ. The birth of the Virgin Mary is like planting a tree whose seed saves. The Gospel reading also underscores the prophecy that the origin of her seed comes from ancient days. His ancestors are both Jews and the Gentiles. Hence, both Jews and Gentiles are the brothers of the Saviour. No of us is alien to Him. Let us, therefore, be confident to come close to Him

Prayer  

Impart to your servants, we pray, O Lord, the gift of heavenly grace, that the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin may bring deeper peace to those for whom the birth of her Son was the dawning of salvation. Amen  

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke