As a child I attended a beautiful Catholic Church in Southampton NY. It really was (is) an amazing structure and the ornate detail of each and every carving, painting,stained glass window gave a child much to study and day dream about during the weekly services and countless Catholic school related programs I was required to attend. The statues and impressions of Mary the mother of Jesus were beautiful and saintly often exposing her bleeding heart for the world to see.
I admired her but I did not 'get her' until many years later. When I was carrying my youngest daughter Melody. She was due in November so I was 'great with child' when all the Christmas activities started to get underway. And then, holding this precious babe in my arms so fresh from the heart of God at Christmas time caused me to have this wonderful realization. Mary was a mom. She nursed her baby and cared for all of his physical needs. She sang to him like I sang to my Melody. She felt the warmth of his breath on her cheek. She did not have a halo. She was a young girl. A girl who believed and obeyed. Her heart portrayed outside her chest was not unlike my own mother heart. Evident and obvious for everyone to see and to know that I loved my baby. She loved her baby. Just like I loved mine.
I don't pray to Mary but I understand why my mother felt that so easy to do. I admire her. I called her blessed because that is what he word of God tells me she is.And tonight, the night that we remember the birth of THE baby I thank God for giving us such a beautiful picture of the mother of my Jesus. And I thank my Melody for teaching me the tenderness of Christmas.
Thank you for this perspective.
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