The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

Dear Fathers, Friends in Christ,

 

The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 Matthew 1:18-23

On Mary's birthday, the Church chooses the Gospel reading which tells us about Jesus' birth and the details of the events which lead up to it. God is telling us the purpose of Mary's life in this passage. She was born for this unbelievable and amazing reason, to be the human mother of Jesus Christ, the redeemer of the world; to be His first, totally obedient, contemplative disciple.

 

 God has a purpose for all of our lives. St. Paul tells us that God knew our destiny before we were born, our purpose, what He was calling us to do. Do we contemplate the purpose of our life periodically?

 

 Do we ask ourselves if we are saying "yes" to that purpose as Mary did? God definitely has a plan, a mission for everyone, but what happens to that plan when we say "no" instead of "yes"? Does God have an alternative plan? Does He give our purpose to someone else who will say "yes" to Him? Then what happens to us?

 

 Let us ask Mary, our Mother, our example, our teacher, to help us say "yes," just as she did, and to contemplate everything in our hearts.

 

Mary, Holy Mother of God pray for us,

 

Father Ed Bakker
Anglican Catholic Church / Original Province
Mission of Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne
Launceston on Tasmania
Australia