Meditation 39
THE EXPECTATION OF CHRIST'S BIRTH
With a feast especially dedicated to the mystery during the holy season of Advent the Church celebrates Our Lady's expectation of the birth of Christ. This feast was probably started by St. Alphonsus, Archbishop of Toledo, who, during the midnight Matins of this feast was favored with an apparition of Our Heavenly Mother Who clothed him with a precious chasuble brought by angels.
1. The Life of Our Lady during this period.
Consider this life under two aspects, one interior, the other external. Under the interior aspect the life of Mary was one of absolute compenetration with Her divine Son. We should not say that Mother and Son were leading similar lives; no, rather they were having the one identical and same life. We cannot imagine a greater dependency than that of Jesus in the most pure womb of Mary. He was receiving all His life from Her. He was dependent on Her for everything. What a mystery! God depending on a creature. Probe the profundity of this divine intimacy between Mary and Her Son and first of all learn the lesson of recollection. Through the virtue of recollection Mary entirely concentrated on Jesus. Learn fervor and love, for through these virtues Mary was living only for Jesus. Through the eyes of Her Son She would see much better than through Her own. She would love with the heart of Her Son. Her only pleasure was to give pleasure to Him. What a perfect and powerful love would She not feel towards that God Who had enclosed Himself in Her bosom! Hers was a life of untold joy, because all things divine are joyful and the possession of God which Mary was enjoying equalled in fact the glory of the Blessed in Heaven.
Finally, Her life was one of intense desire which She would give vent to in prayer, doing violence to the Heart of God that He would hasten as quickly as possible the hour of His manifestation to the world. The Hour of Redemption! This was the thought which transfixed the whole life of Mary in those days. It was sweet to think that as a result of this sublime and fervent prayer the Eternal Father anticipated the hour of the redemption of the world and sent His Son to save us.
[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]
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