14th Day — The Nativity
She brought forth her first-born Son: and called His name Jesus. (St. Matt. i. 25.)
I. Mary brought forth her Son in poverty and humiliation. She had been slighted and scorned. No room was found for her in the inn. In the cave where the ox and ass are stabled, the Mother of God brought into the world the King of kings. Oh, blessed humiliation! Oh, happy poverty! You are the indications that God is going to do a great work — where you are absent, we cannot expect lasting and solid fruit.
2. How Mary rejoiced in this humiliation! How she welcomed such poverty as this! How could she fail to rejoice in it, with Jesus in her arms? If we are wise we shall pray for humiliation, for without it we never can have the divine infant Jesus for our own companion: we never can bring Him forth in the souls of others; we must be humbled if He is to exalt us: we must be poor in spirit if we are to be blessed in our work.
3. Mary could say of Jesus as no other mother ever said of her first-born son: He is mine and mine alone. Every other son has an earthly father who has a share in his begetting: Jesus had no father save His Father in heaven. Thus He was Mary's own child, her sole property and possession. What union could be more close (the hypostatic union alone excepted) than that of Mary and Jesus?
Holy Mother of God, pray for us!
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