A Reflection from “Fairest Flower of Paradise” by Alexis Cardinal Lepicier

“She brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger” (Lk 2:7).

Let us transport ourselves in thought to that solemn moment when Mary, having carried in her womb for nine months the Word of God made man, brought Him forth to the light of this world. Men took no heed to provide for the newborn King of heaven and earth a dwelling place worthy of Him: a poor abandoned stable was all that this world had to offer to its Creator. But Mary’s love made amends for this extreme poverty. Who can tell with what tenderness the Blessed Mother laid her newborn Son in the crib? Who can measure the intensity of those shafts of love, so pure, so chaste, so generous, which burned in her Heart?

O Jesus, from Thy first entrance into this world, the hardness and coldness of mankind already prepares for Thee that bitter cup, which Thou must drink for thirty-three years, until Thou drainest the last drop upon the Cross. In return, Thou shalt find in the love of Thy holy Mother an ample recompense. That love never wanes: on the contrary, it waxes in proportion as Thy sufferings increase and Thy pains grow more acute.

The love of the mother does not make Mary forget the humility of the servant. For she calls to mind that, by proclaiming herself the servant of the most High, she was raised to the unequaled dignity of being Mother of God. Her first act at the birth of Jesus is to cast herself down before Him and adore in deepest humility her first-begotten Son, offering herself to Him as His slave. Mary adores in Jesus the world’s Creator: she submits herself wholly to Him, and by this act of supreme submission and lowliest adoration, she makes to the Redeemer an honorable amend for the indifference and pride of men.

But it is to ransom mankind that Jesus came. Consequently, Mary, from the first moment of the Incarnation, begins her office of Mediatrix, presenting to the Father this same Jesus, Whom she has conceived, for the world’s redemption, and offering herself to be with Him one victim of expiation. Thus the deliverance of man from the bondage of sin begins to be wrought out by the infinite merits of the Word incarnate, to which are joined, not of necessity, but of superabundance, the merits of Mary.

Virgin most holy, I unite myself with thee in adoring Jesus, thy Son. I acknowledge Him for my King, and the King of the entire universe. In union with thee, I offer Him to the eternal Father for the remission of my own sins and those of the whole world.

The mystery of the birth of Christ, a mystery which carries with it for Mary the glorious title of Mother of Christ, invites the Christian soul to give vent, in imitation of and in company with Mary, to pious sentiments of faith and wonder. To these sentiments ought to be joined a lively recognition of the benefits which the Incarnation has brought us.

Furthermore, we should endeavor to foster in our hearts a true and sincere love for that God Who has loved us to such an extent as to abase Himself in assuming our miserable nature and abandoning Himself, for love of us, to a life of sorrows and tears.

It is also our bounden duty to adore, with sentiments of profound humility, Him Who, without losing anything of His infinite grandeur, has deigned to make Himself like unto us.

Moreover, we should offer our hearts to Jesus through Mary’s hands, imploring this King of love to graciously accept the offering of all that we are and of all that we have, for time and eternity.

Above all, it behooves as to be on our guard against the insinuations of those who, whether by their harmful writings, or by their traitorous words, seek to lay snares for our faith, and so to deprive us of the great benefit of Redemption. Alas! how numberless are these emissaries of Satan, who wage ceaseless war upon the Christian, endeavoring to turn him away from his Master! In order to secure more surely their end, they do not blush to decry her who is the shortest way to come to Jesus, the glorious Virgin Mary, our Mother.

O my soul, guard with a jealous care the devotion thou hast to the Mother of God: this wholesome devotion will infallibly bring thee to salvation.

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