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Happy Blessed Mother’s birthday!

As much as I enjoy my own birthday (and I do), there’s something particularly exciting about celebrating the birthday of someone you love, especially someone to whom you owe more than you can comfortably articulate.

Her resounding “yes” to God’s plan both participated in salvation history and modeled the trust and generosity needed to embrace our own vocations in each moment – no matter what God may be asking of us or how veiled His plan might seem. And long after this pivotal moment of assent, our Blessed Mother showed her attentive care and trust when she interceded for the newlyweds at the Wedding Feast of Cana: placing them in the hands of her Son, the true Bridegroom, who would – she knew – provide what they lacked.

No one – of all our friends, the saints – better embodies the love, generosity, and attentiveness God wills us each of us to practice better than Our Lady.

In fact, in true Marian fashion, the Blessed Mother seems to enjoy requesting special, particular gifts and graces, large and small, for all of us on her own feast days. At least, this always seems to be the case when I’m not too distracted to notice, or to appreciate the myriad blessings God sends to us through His little mother. Whenever I walk into Mary Help of Christians Basilica on the Belmont Abbey Campus, I’m reminded of just how tenderly she, as our patroness, cares for us.

So today, as we celebrate her birthday, let’s thank God for the way He invites us to participate – as Mary did and does – in His plan of salvation and His inexhaustible generosity to each of us.

Happy birthday, Blessed Mother!