The True Light of Christ

Weddings.  What a glorious rite of passage for many men and women.  It is a coming together of mind, body and spirit in such a way as to come closer to the very nature of God and His commandment.  This month celebrates a wedding of sorts, but not in the way we think of as the common union.  It is rather a bringing together of our relationships and our promises to becoming one with Christ.

Mary, for all her majesty, is the simplest form of purity and prayer that can be given of oneself.  She held nothing back when it came to the love of her son.  All mothers sacrifice so much for their children.  On a daily basis, they do so much unselfish works that go unnoticed by the touch of time, a gentle hand and a warm smile.  It is a shame that we sometimes must lose what we have to gain an understanding of their expressions.  Remember them when they are with us physically.  Love them, pray for them and be with them when they need it most.  Those are the memories you shall cherish long after they have gone from your sight. 

As we get older, we come to understand time and its need to change.  I have experienced the benefits of having cared for my mother and by listening to her stories about her life, have come so much more involved in my own prayer, my own charity and in my own belief of our true mother, Mary.

Visit with our mother in the rosary and visit each other in prayer.  The three magi discovered that when they bestowed their gifts on the newborn Christ child.  Somewhere in the night, three men came together guided by a star and for their willingness to love without conditions.  They saw our mother in a spirit bathed in the light of her son and were forever changed.  The fire felt by these three men would keep them warm for the remaining days of their lives.

Such a powerful message to us all.  To love unconditionally, to give of oneself without regard to our personal needs is a model we should all follow.  The majority of us begin our lives through the witness of the birth of our own children and later, through their baptism into communion with God.

Just as Jesus was baptized by the Holy Spirit in the waters of the Jordan - when you look into your baby’s eyes on that day, look closely, you can see His dominion coming to life in full color.  Such a strong experience of joy can be felt also in the everyday lives of each and every one of us.  If we continue to pass on our traditions, our beliefs, and our visions of sacrifice to our children, life will shine on us all. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.  Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen.

What a simple prayer by a simple woman, by a simple act, by a simple sacrifice.  She came to us when we needed it most, when the world needed it most and changed, forever, our way of living. 

She is and always will be, just as our earthly mothers will be, the true light of Christ…May the wind be forever at your backs and may His peace be with you, always.