Prelude to the Nativity of Mary

"And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse,
and a flower shall rise up out of the root." Isaias xi. I

 

In a few days we celebrate the birth of our Blessed Mother Mary.  I thought I'd give us something to read and ponder upon til that day. What follows is an opinion from the 17th century.  It is from a book 'Half-hours with the Servants of God', printed in English in 1891.  The author is Pere Antoine Verjus.  More on him later.

It seems to be just and reasonable that the Church should celebrate a great feast on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin; for one may say, with St. Augustine, that this day is the natal day of the Redemption of mankind.  The Church looks upon this Virgin as the powerful and beneficial morning star, which arises for the benefit of the world--like a beautiful orb which begins to shine in the midst of the dreadful turmoil of the universe, which begins to calm the storm, dissipate the darkness, and promises to guide us safely into port.

She looks upon her as the blessed Aurora which is to be soon followed by the Sun of justice, to enlighten every nation by the glory of her graces.

In reality, the birth of Mary is a glorious pledge of the reconciliation of the Creator with the creature; it is a sure sign of God's mercy for us; it is assuredly a precious omen of our salvation.

The new-born Virgin is, so to speak, a mysterious rainbow formed by the clouds of nature and the light of grace which God brings forth to assure us that henceforth it is His will to change the deluge of His wrath into the gentle rain of grace and benediction.

It is, then, most proper that the Church should rejoice greatly on this her natal day, and she wishes that we should render unto Mary due honors and gratitude.

It was the birth of the Holy Virgin that the chosen people had expected for ages. that the prophets had foretold with joy, for which the saints of the Old Testament had sighed with so much fervency.

We have almost a right to believe that the angels--in token of the joy of heaven--brought down the news to Joachim and Anne, since the parents of Isaac, Samson, and St. John the Baptist had received a similar favor.

It need not be doubted but that the news may have been accompanied by numerous marvels throughout the land, that in a short time there would be a mighty and glorious change.  What a motive for joy for the world when it sees that come forth which was to give it its Saviour, Redeemer, and its King!  What a subject for wrath for the devils when they see that beautiful star of Jacob arise, of which one of their prophets had even threatened them.  "A star shall rise out of Jacob," says Balaam in the book of Numbers, xxiv. 17.  they took her for a fatal comet which foretold the ruin of their empire and the end of their tyranny.

It is true that Mary is still a weak child, to whom nature has but given sobs and tears, in order to bewail the miseries of a life into which she enters, and in this respect she is inferior to the angels who enjoy eternal happiness.

But, she is destined to bear in her bosom He Whom the heavens and earth cannot contain; she is chosen to give birth to that God on whom the Seraphim cannot gaze without trembling.  It is this that places her infinitely higher than all the choirs of angels, and it can be said of her, as was said of her Son:  "Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they." Hebrews i.4

Yes, this sacred quality of Mother of God to which she is destined, raises her above all that is glorious in the nature of all the celestial choir.

Also, it is from this beauteous title of Mother of God that she derives all the advantages and inherits the grandeur of being above all other creatures, and it is with this view, that God causes her to be born this day.

Of every outward blessing which the world calls fortune, the Blessed Virgin was almost entirely destitute.  She was not born in  a fine palace, neither was she clothed in purple; she did not make her entry into the world under a canopy; around her bed you did not see a crowd of officers and servants.

She was born lowly and obscure.  She begins the lessons which her divine Son would finish in the crib at Bethlehem.  She teaches us to despise the vanities of the world, since man in his cradle is more miserable and prouder than all animals.  She plainly tells us that outward pomp and fine clothing serve only to feed our pride without decreasing our misery.

Oh! how well does poverty sit on the Mother of that God-man, Who by His humility will overthrow the pride of the devil; who by His nakedness, weakness, and poverty will shame the vanity of the world, with its luxuries and superfluities!

The riches of our Lady are all in her soul.  "All the glory of the King's daughter is within." Psalms xliv. 14  It is within her that God shows His generosity; it is therein He has displayed all the treasures of His grace.

Verjus
Panegyriques

 

Antoine Verjus descended from a rich and noble family; he was brother of the Count of Crecy, and was born in Paris in 1652.  Despising all the world's honors and dignities, he joined the Society of Jesus, and this zealous missionary died in 1706.  He wrote a life of St. Francis Borgia, which, although considered a little diffuse, is nevertheless esteemed.  He translated the Catechism of the Blessed Canisius (now a Saint),S.J., and also wrote a life of Nobletz, a Breton missionary.  Pere Verjus had another brother, who was Bishop of Grasse.