Heavenly birthday parties?

Sermon for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Why do we celebrate birthdays?

They seem quite arbitrary,

just another complete circuit

of the Earth around the Sun.

We celebrate anniversaries 

like wedding anniversaries 

or ordination anniversaries 

because we remember them.

We remember the sights

the sounds,

the various little mishaps 

and their resolutions.

We remember the joy

and the thrill 

of being with our families and friends.

We remember achieving something.

But birthdays aren't like that.

[PAUSE]

Do you remember your birthday?

The actual moment of your birth?

Do you remember the sights

and sounds?

Do you remember 

what you achieved that day?

But it wasn't you 

putting in all the work.

It was your mother 

labouring to give birth to you,

and delivering you

safely into the cold light

of day.

Surely it's not we 

who should celebrate our birthday.

Rather it is we who should be

celebrating our mothers

on our birthday.

They should get

the cards,

the presents,

the cake.

Birthdays should be

about the mothers.

So should today

be more in honour

of St Anne 

rather than Our Lady?

[PAUSE]

Well, this is the funny thing.

Our Lady's birthday 

is a cause of celebration 

for us

because of 

who she becomes.

She is born Mary;

she leaves this world

Mother of God.

She would not be

the Mother of God

if she had not been born,

and yet, she is the same person 

throughout her life.

It is because of Jesus

that she becomes the Mother of God

in the same way that

God the Father

can only be called Father

because of His Son Jesus.

Mary becomes 

Mother of God

because of Jesus.

Even when she is born,

even when she is conceived,

Mary is the Mother of God

because of Jesus

regardless of Christmas Day.

From Eternity,

being the Mother of God

is part of Our Lady's identity 

written by the very Person

of her Son.

[PAUSE]

Today,

we celebrate what that means for us.

It's something we can rejoice in,

because we have the benefit

of hindsight 

seeing the truth 

of Our Lord's Incarnation 

even in the birth 

of His Mother.

Even at her birth,

we still hear the words,

"where she is,

He is."

[PAUSE]

Our Lord says that

whoever does the will of His Father

is His brother and sister and mother.

He opens up 

His family to us

to participate in the joy

of family celebrations.

Just as He joys

in the birth of His Mother,

so He invites us to share in that joy

by following Him

being obedient to the Father's will

which seeks

the flourishing of mankind

in love through 

His salvation.

We participate in the Holy Family 

by being one with the Church

and labouring for its good,

for its spreading of the Gospel 

for the giving of grace

for the redemption of souls 

to joy.

Is there a heavenly birthday party

for Mary?

Given the love that Jesus has for her,

we can't rule it out.

In fact,

we are invited to it!