On Christmas Eve, before the Blessed Sacrament, Mary: Day 216

On Christmas Eve, before the Blessed Sacrament

Though some would object to Marian devotion as a part of Eucharistic ado- ration, “where the Child is, there too will be the mother.”

Mother of God, Ark of the Covenant,

tabernacle of the Lord, throne of the Most High,

vessel of the Almighty, treasury of the Most Precious,

home of the Most Holy!

Your sacred shadow falls across this room,

where gold and crystal—poor images of you at best—

embrace your beloved Son in sweet stillness.

In the silence I hear you hum a lullaby of adoration, comfort;

for where the Child is, there too will be the mother.

I have woven him a blanket of my praises:

ragged and rough, soiled and smelling of earth.

Take it, my Lady, and hem it round with your prayers;

wash it with your tears, smooth it out with your graces,

sprinkle it with the fragrance of your glory.

Only then will it be a fit covering for my Lord,

the Son of Mary,

the Son of God.

—Paul Thigpen

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
Jesus and Mary shared a deep spiritual union throughout his life on earth, and she is seated close by at his right hand in glory even now. Even in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, how could we possibly separate Jesus from his mother?

CLOSING PRAYER
From a prayer of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque: Mary, obtain for us the grace to understand, even just a little, the love of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

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