Brother Knights,
This month on September 8, we celebrate the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When we celebrate a birthday, it is usually a time when we honor the person who has just reached this milestone.
We honor the Blessed Virgin Mary for many reasons. The Blessed Mother was called by God to give a human nature to Jesus. Mary, of course, did not create God, for she is a creature. But she did give birth to Jesus, and human mothers give birth to persons, and so this title is fitting and appropriate, and that is at the heart of what we celebrate here today.
We honor the Blessed Mother beyond her title as Mother of God. It wasn’t by pure luck that she happened to give birth to the savior of the world. We can look as to why God would have chosen Mary as the fitting womb as the first tabernacle, giving shelter to God made man.
As we celebrate in the feast of the Immaculate Conception, we believe that Mary was conceived without Original Sin and lived her life without personal sin.
Because of her goodness, Mary is also the example of the perfect disciple, the perfect Christian. She is called by the angel Gabriel, “full of grace,” and by her cousin “blessed among women.” Why is she “full of grace,” why is she “blessed among women”? Because she does the will of God without hesitation. That’s what disciples of Jesus do.
As we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary’s birthday, let us look to her in her example of discipleship, and follow in her footsteps.
May God bless you and your families,
Father Kipper
