My Gift to Mary on Her Birthday


On Mary's birthday I want to give her something special this year -- not just something for today, but for the entire year. But what do you give to a Mother who has everything? She truly has it all -- She's in Heaven with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. She has no sin on her soul, and possesses a glorified body. She's beautiful, intelligent, and wise and possesses every virtue anyone could ever desire. She has no need for material things.

Of course, she has my heart. Several years ago, I made my Consecration to Mary, entrusting my heart to her. Then, when I made my Oblature with the Community of St. John a few years ago, I offered up my life to Jesus through Mary, making promises of poverty, chastity, and obedience. So what's left?

Well, I am certainly far from being perfect and have miles to go before I could ever begin to love her Son and others the way she loves them. I can't ever expect to acquire the level of holiness that she has, but I can do my best to use the gifts and virtues that God has given me and work toward being my ideal self, modeling myself after her. There are many virtues I could choose to work on, but the one that is most in need of improvement at this time is the virtue of trust. There are many uncertainties and frightening things going on in our world today -- genocide, innocent babies being slaughtered both before and after birth, Christian/Catholic intolerance and persecution, family and friends losing their faith, their families, their health, their jobs, and their homes.

Like so many others, the Lord has given me new crosses to bear this year. I have a tendency to spend too much time thinking about these things, worrying about them, analyzing them, and making possible projections into the future rather than talking to the One I should and trusting in the deep love that He has for me. I go to Mass and Communion daily, recite the liturgy of the hours, and pray at least one decade of the rosary each day, but I don't pray as intimately to Our Lady as I once did, asking for her protection and placing myself under her Motherly care.

I must allow myself more quiet time alone with Our Mother and her Son. Eucharistic Adoration is ideal, but when that's not possible, I need to just stop what I am doing and have a chat with her, then listen, and be open to what God's will is for me in my life, knowing that "all things work for good who love the Lord" (Romans 8:28). I need to remind myself that I have a Mother who loves me and intercedes for me, who will always be there for me when I need her. This is my gift to Mary this year -- to draw closer to her Immaculate Heart so that she can bring me closer to her to the Heart of her Son, Jesus, where I can be immersed in His unending graces and His eternal love.
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Comments

  1. ukok9/8/08, 4:53 PM

    Jean this is an incredibly beautiful reflection. Thank you for sharing it
    :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jean Heimann9/8/08, 9:43 PM

    Thank you, Deb, for the compliment. This means a lot to me,coming from you.

    God bless you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous9/29/08, 11:17 PM

    Thank you Jean. You put into words what my heart has felt and so I thank you for your clarity and leading my path to my Mother, who more than anyone wants us to be as close to her Son as she is.

    ReplyDelete

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