MARY, OUR MOTHER

THE FIRST ADORERS

2. The Joy of Our Lady.

What joy would flood the heart of Our Lady when She saw and heard their story! In order to reward the faith and simplicity of those humble shepherds Mary takes Jesus and shows Him to them and hands Him over to their affectionate embrace and caresses. To possess Jesus is the reward of simplicity and obedience. Note, however, that Mary is the one who gives them Jesus.

This, His first manifestation to mankind, Jesus wants done through His Mother. This is the first surrender of Himself to men. But He is given to us through Mary. Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, showed it to Adam, gave it to him and so we were lost. Mary shows the fruit of Her most pure womb to the shepherds and in them to all men. She hands Jesus to them and we are saved.

Jesus is the Savior, but He is so through Our Blessed Lady. Jesus receives us through our Heavenly Mother. There is no other way to Him than through Mary. "You will never find Jesus without Mary," says St. Bonaventure. You cannot, therefore, put Jesus and Mary asunder. We shall find Him in the arms of Mary, just as the shepherds did. When we fall as they did at the feet of Jesus we shall find that we have also fallen at the feet of Mary.

[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]