Celebrated By Archbishop Denis Hartat East Oakleighon Saturday, 8th September, 2007 at 2.00pm
INTRODUCTIONDear Brothers and Sisters,Today we come to honour Mary as our Mother, as the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church.In our profound prayer and love, united with her praise of God, we seek to follow her, who was kept free from original sin, living for God at every moment of her existence.Let us call to mind our sins and ask her powerful intercession. HOMILYDear Brothers and Sisters,Today we celebrate the birthday of Our Lady. In today’s first reading the prophet Micah speaks of the origin from Israel of the one who will bring the great God - Jesus who will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord, with the majesty of God’s name. The Gospel then records the preparation for the birth of Jesus, recognising that Jesus, the child born of Mary, comes to birth by the power of the Holy Spirit.We know that Jesus is Emmanuel; a name which means God is with us. Today on this special feast we need to remember the value of each human life. Mary devoted her whole life to preparing for the coming of the Saviour. As a young girl she was devoted to the service of the temple. Filled with faith and love she was constant in prayer and penance and at the message of the angel she became the one who would bring us the Redeemer. Her whole life was a preparation for Jesus. Jesus then came and lived his own life to be with us and save us. Through the Church and her Sacraments God’s life given in baptism is nourished in the Eucharist, is renewed and restored in the Sacrament of Penance, and inspired in all the great needs of life by the activity of the same God for whom Mary prepared so well.Mary we know is full of grace. Mary we know is our mother and the mother of the Saviour. We know she is the first of the redeemed and therefore by following her pattern of prayer, penance and faithfulness to God’s promises and his work we too will come to be with God in eternal life.In the nineteenth century Cardinal Newman wrote these words: “All that God has made speaks of its maker; the mountains speak of his eternity; the sun of his immensity and the winds of his almightiness. Flowers and fruits speak of his holiness, love and providence and these are found in a garden. Mary was born in the garden of the world, a mystical rose, the immaculate one, prepared to be the mother of the all holy God until her espousal to Saint Joseph, a term of thirteen years. She lived by herself, continually visited by God’s grace and growing up more and more a heavenly flower until she was suitable for the most holy one to come, be with her for nine months, and to be born of her.”With gratitude we recall Mary’s birth, as also we know the power of her prayers and inspiration for our own life.O Queen conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.+ Denis J. Hart,Archbishop of Melbourne