“With delight we rejoice in what the Lord has done” – we proclaimed in the Psalm. Saint Andrew of Crete said all creation sings with joy, exults, and participates in the joy of this day....for this is, in fact, the day on which the Creator of the world constructed His temple; today is the day on which by a stupendous project a creature becomes the preferred dwelling of the Creator"
Joy comes from recognizing the importance, meaning, and weight what God has done for us. Considering the truly miserable state of humanity without God, broken, fallen, enslaved, divided, self-destructive; without God, separated from God, we are in darkness. Joy breaks into our souls when we truly appreciate His love for us, in saving us from the darkness.
Today is a feast of joy, because it is part of the story of salvation—God’s light breaking into the darkness of the history of humanity’s sin. The liturgy tells us: “Let us celebrate with joy the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for from her arose the sun of justice, Christ our God.”
There is an ancient hymn about Mary and Christ in which this beautiful theology of salvation is expressed:
1. Mary the dawn, Christ the Perfect Day; Mary the gate, Christ the Heavenly Way!
2. Mary the root, Christ the Mystic Vine; Mary the grape, Christ the Sacred Wine!
3. Mary the wheat, Christ the Living Bread; Mary the stem, Christ the Rose blood-red!
4. Mary the font, Christ the Cleansing Flood; Mary the cup, Christ the Saving Blood!
5. Mary the temple, Christ the temple’s Lord; Mary the shrine, Christ the God adored!
6. Mary the beacon, Christ the Haven’s Rest; Mary the mirror, Christ the Vision Blest!
7. Mary the mother, Christ the mother’s Son. Both ever blest while endless ages run. Amen.
On this side of eternity, in each one of us there is always still some darkness. And we know all too well, how this darkness continues to pervade our world. This feast reminds us to turn to Mary every day, pray to her, that the light of Christ will banish the darkness of selfishness and sin in us; that as God used her as the Gate to bring salvation into the world, God continues to use her to bring grace into our souls.
If we want joy we need to turn to her devoutly for joy, if we want peace we need to turn to her earnestly for peace, if we want to be with God forever in heaven, we need to turn to Mary fervently for help in following Christ faithfully for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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