What do you give the Blessed Mother for her birthday?
September 8 is the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, sometimes traditionally called “Marymas.” And Mary's birthday is rather unusual on the Church calendar.
For most saints, we celebrate the day of their death, their birth into eternal life. But the Church also celebrates the earthly births of Mary and St. John the Baptist, two lives intimately connected with the coming of Christ.
So Mary's birthday seems like a good excuse to do what we do for anyone we love on a birthday: celebrate her. There are plenty of gifts we can give our Mother in heaven.
1. Give her a Rosary
This may be the most obvious birthday present, but it's a beautiful one. Set aside twenty minutes and pray a Rosary especially in Mary's honor.
And don't rush through it. Remember that the Rosary is ultimately a meditation on the life of Jesus through the eyes of His Mother. On her birthday, spend some time looking at Him with her.
2. Go to Mass
If your schedule allows, attend daily Mass on September 8.
After all, there is no greater prayer of the Church than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Good Catholic recommends attending Mass as one way of offering Our Lady a “birthday gift.”
And there is something especially fitting about celebrating Mary's birth by receiving the Son whom she gave to the world.
3. Bring her flowers
This one can be quite literal.
Place fresh flowers beside an image or statue of Mary in your home. If your parish has a Marian shrine and permits it, bring flowers there instead.
It's a simple gesture, but Catholicism has always understood that physical things can help turn our hearts toward spiritual realities. A vase of flowers beside Our Lady might also keep you thinking about her long after September 8 is over.
4. Do something kind for one of her children
If we really want to give Mary something, we can love someone she loves.
Visit someone who is lonely. Call the relative you've been meaning to call. Bring dinner to someone who is struggling. Give to a pregnancy center or help a mother who could use an extra hand.
Then quietly offer the act to Our Lady in honor of her birthday.
It may be one of the best presents we could give her.
5. Pray the Litany of Loreto
Instead of simply saying “Happy Birthday,” try calling Mary by some of the beautiful names the Church has given her.
Mother of Christ.
Mother of good counsel.
Seat of wisdom.
Cause of our joy.
Morning star.
Comfort of the afflicted.
Help of Christians.
Queen of families.
Queen of peace.
The Litany of Loreto is almost like a birthday card written by centuries of Catholics: one title after another recalling who Mary is and what God has done in her.
6. Learn something new about her
Birthdays are a time to remember someone's life. So spend a few minutes learning something about Mary.
Read the Gospel account of the Annunciation or Visitation. Learn about one of her titles. Read the story behind a Marian apparition you've never studied. Or learn a Marian prayer you don't already know.
You might even choose the Memorare. Its author is unknown, and although it is sometimes attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the prayer appears as part of a longer prayer from the fifteenth century. It later became especially popular through the efforts of a seventeenth-century French priest, Fr. Claude Bernard.
There is almost always something new to discover about a prayer we may have been saying for years.
7. Give something to Jesus for her
Choose one habit, sacrifice, or small act of love that will bring you closer to Christ. Give up complaining for the day. Forgive someone. Make a good Confession. Spend fifteen minutes in Adoration. Finally begin the prayer habit you've been putting off.
Because everything Mary does leads us to her Son.
And if we really want to wish Our Lady a happy birthday, perhaps the best gift we can give her is to let her do what every good mother wants to do: bring her children home to God.
Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother!
Have you seen the beautiful statue The Virgin of Sweet Expectation? It depicts Mary tenderly awaiting the birth of Christ, hands on her expectant womb and eyes lifted in trust. Although today we celebrate the birth of Mary, this sweet statue celebrates that her fiat brought us Jesus Christ! Discover yours today at The Catholic Company!
