Micah 5:1-4 or Roman 8:28-30 / Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23
Whenever we think of birthday cakes, we would think of a cake with lighted candles, or at least one candle, and the person celebrating the birthday would make a wish and then blow off the candles.
The meaning of lighted candles placed on the cake is to symbolize the "light of life" and to celebrate that person's life.
As with the blowing off the candles, many ancient cultures believed that smoke carried their prayers to
the heavens. Today’s tradition of making wishes before blowing out the birthday candles may have started with that belief.
Today as we join the Church to celebrate the birth of Our Lady, there may be no birthday cakes to cut or candles to blow off.
But the purpose of celebrating Mary's birthday is essentially to thank God for fulfilling the promise of salvation through her.
As the prophet Micah says in the prophecy "The Lord is therefore going to abandon them till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth. Then the remnant of his brothers will come back to the sons of Israel".
Also the angel of the Lord in the gospel of Matthew has this to say to Joseph: Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.
So as we honour Mary and give thanks to God for the gift of Jesus through her, we offer ourselves to Mary like lighted candles on a birthday cake because she has given us Jesus, the Light of Life.
And may the smoke of our prayers also rise up to God with the prayers of Mary as we heed her call to us to do whatever Jesus tells us and pray and work for the salvation of all peoples.