Meditate on and celebrate the birth of Mary. For she is the person who, in saying "yes", showed us what it means to give our entire body, mind, and spirit to God. As it is written in one of the hymns for celebrating this feast in the Church:
"Your nativity, O Virgin, Has proclaimed joy to the whole universe! The Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, has shone from You, O Theotokos! By annulling the curse, He bestowed a blessing. By destroying death, He has granted us eternal life."
In other words, Mary offered herself up to become the mother of God, who, in turn, offers Himself up for our redemption and sanctification.
Think about that for a moment. She allowed herself to become the vehicle by which God was born into the world. Mary gave her life to become "the bridal chamber of the heavenly bridegroom" (as it says in another hymn of the day).
Can you imagine that? Can you imagine saying to God, "‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).
Given how little each of us gives every day to God and to each other, let us take time to meditate deep within our hearts on the one person in all of humanity who can teach us what it means to talk to God, listen to Him, and to truly do what He asks, in an act of pure love.
