**A Mother’s love**

**A Mother’s love**

Christmas

Rev. Jerry J. Pokorsky

Why did Mary love her Baby? An absurd question? Don’t all mothers now and throughout history love their babies? There are certainly exceptions. But even in this age of "diversity" and "inclusion," it remains normal for mothers to love their babies and abnormal to withhold love and affection.

As does every good mother, Mary held her Baby. She fed her Baby. She protected her Baby. During the early formative years, children seem like a burden and require high maintenance care. But these selfless expressions of love are not reasons for love. So the instinct for a mother’s love and affection remains mysterious.

Mothers almost certainly love their babies in part because babies are innocent. Like God, innocence is attractive because it is true, beautiful, and good. And the Christmas season appeals to our love for the perfect innocence of the Child Jesus -- true God and true man.

At the same time, we can fear and even hate innocence because a blameless existence indicts the guilty. The saying, “I will not be judged!” is a silly claim if there ever was one. God will judge everything we think, say, and do. Deep down we're inclined to know that and fear it.

Mother Teresa once held a newborn in her arms, scrunched its little face in her hand and raising it toward the camera said, "Boo!” She asked, "Why are little ones like this frightening to people in the West? Because they're innocent, and therefore children are the most Christ-like -- that's why.”

For those of us who are not so innocent, Divine Innocence sheds light on us and our sins. By fearing Innocence, even hating Innocence we put Jesus to death. Innocence is true, beautiful, and good. Innocence can be lost, but it cannot be destroyed because it is of God. So Divine Innocence rises again to attract us to Him or to condemn us in our obdurate sinfulness.

In honesty, we must admit a certain reluctance to approach the Innocence of the Child of Bethlehem. We also were innocent as little babies, although flawed by the stain of Original sin. But in losing innocence through our personal sins, like Adam and Eve after the Fall, we often hide in shame and despair. These are terrible temptations because the Divine Innocence we fear indeed loves us without end.

The Prophet Isaiah put it beautifully: “Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? And if she should forget, yet will I [the Lord God] not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.” (Is. 49:14-16)

God and man are reconciled in love, in the Person of Jesus. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14) He dwelt among us to restore us to innocence because He loves us. Through our encounter with Jesus in Baptism and the Sacraments, we reclaim our innocence and become one with Him.

Mary loves the Child Who has taken on our humanity. Every Nativity Scene depicts her gazing upon her Child with loving tenderness. Maybe she sees the eyes and ears of her beloved parents, Joachim and Ann. Perhaps she is charmed by the Child's reflection of her own smile. Above all, she sees the Reason all generations will call her blessed.

But when Mary gazes upon us, because of the Incarnation she also sees her Son in us. When Mary sees the features of our face, she also sees the beautiful features of her Son’s face. She sees her Son in those who are sons in the Son. Because the Word became flesh she is our mother too who, like Jesus, cannot forget us.

The love that Jesus and Mary have for their children is inescapable. Their love is a mysterious fact that is beautiful, good, and true. And it is a wonder to behold if, with His grace, we overcome our fear of His innocence.