Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today the church celebrated the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and what better way to celebrate her birth than with a birthday party!

We started the day by setting the table with a blue cloth topped with a white swaddled baby to help remind us that Mary, like us,  arrived as a small child. A blessed candle surrounded by a few flowers, (silk since our Mary garden did not survive Tropical Storm Lee), and a holy card with the morning’s offering, as well as a couple of picture books with stories of Mary and St. Anne graced our table.

We breakfasted on blueberry muffins, with their white fluffy centers and dots of blue helping us to recall Mary’s purity and the traditional color of her mantle.

The children then fashioned their own homemade birthday cards for Our Lady. They also crafted a special birthday gift by making a spiritual bouquet of hand-print lilies, (lilies being one of Mary’s many symbols).  Upon each petal they listed their prayers to Mother Mary, including intentions for expectant mothers and their unborn children.

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Later in the evening, in keeping with Mary’s traditional colors that first appeared at breakfast, we feasted on Fettuccine Alfredo and enjoyed a yummy birthday cake iced in blue and white.

It was a joyous day and a wonderful celebration for Our Lady!

Happy Birthday Mother Mary!