Pursuing the Goal of Perfect Giving

The entire day thus far has been spent in shopping for some small gifts and for the perfect wrapping paper, glittery stickers, USPS-approved strapping tape, bubble-wrap, plain brown paper for the outside of the packages and adorable little boxes festooned with appropriate Christmas decor ~ all to wrap suitably the delicious homemade fudge, both chocolate and vanilla, with which assorted cousins, aunties, in-laws and out-laws will be regaled(out-laws being those one is related, by birth or marriage, to who one may be on the outs with but still gift at Our Lord's birth because they are Family).

The practice of gift-giving at the Christmas holidays is said to be in imitation of the Three Kings who came to the stable in Bethlehem bearing gold, frankincense and myrrh for the newborn King, but I like to think of it as being a form of self denial, shopping for and making for others, then making the gift beautiful, swathing it in warm colored paper & tying it up with a bow.

He Who made man also redeemed him by the utterly perfect gift on the Cross, and still does today by the resurrected love which is offered to transform each and every one of us every time we take holy communion. As we pursue the goal of conforming our lives to Christ's and His Blessed Mother's, at this time of year we get a glimmer that they are lives of perfect giving. As we hand each other material gifts this holiday season, let us remember to give ourselves also, in perfect love.

Saint Nicholas
art credit: julius kronberg
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The Nativity of the Mother of God

"Your nativity, O Mother of God, heralded joy to the whole universe, for from you rose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God, taking away the curse, He imparted the blessings, and by abolishing death, He gave us everlasting life."

~ Melkite Catholic Troparion for Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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"Hail, O Lady, unique gateway through whom the Lord alone has passed!"

~ taken from The Akathist hymn to the Mother of God

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"The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth" Proverbs 8:22-25
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"It is essential for us to confess that the holy Ever-Virgin Mary is actually Theotokos (Birth-giver of God: literally, God-Bearer), so as not to fall into blasphemy. For those who deny that the Holy Virgin is actually Theotokos are no longer believers, but disciples of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (St. Ephraim the Syrian, in letter "To John the Monk").
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Mary is the Seat of Wisdom
- Litany of Loreto, 11th century.

St. Augustine first to call Our Lady Seat of Wisdom
also Pope Pius IXSt.

Bernard called her Domus divinae Sapientiae (House of divine wisdom).
Odo (d.c.1200),

a Benedictine Abbot of Battle Abbey:
Philosophy is called the pursuit or love of wisdom. Mary is, therefore, the philosophy of Christians for whoever desires to find true Wisdom must direct his/her love and endeavor to Mary. (Theotokos, 368)
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Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;

blessed art thou amongst 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.

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.

Benedicta tu in mulieribus,

et benedictus fructus ventris tui,

Iesus.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,ora pro nobis peccatoribus,

nunc,et in hora mortis nostrae.

Amen.

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