Did you know that there are parties in Heaven, too? And they are extraordinary! Well, this month I’m going to tell you what happened on an unforgettable occasion in Celestial Paradise: one of Our Lady’s birthdays.
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St. John the Evangelist is the great master of ceremonies for Marian celebrations. He knows his Mother and Lady very well and has a special talent for planning new surprises to please her, down to the smallest detail!
On the “eve” of the great solemnity, the Beloved Disciple traversed all of Heaven to verify the final preparations and make the necessary annotations in his little book. His first stop was at the amphitheatre where the choir was rehearsing. He approached the conductor, bowed respectfully and greeted him:
“Hail, Archangel Gabriel!”
“Hail, Evangelist John, beloved son of my Queen!”
“How are the practices going?”
“Very well! Each singer sings a different voice and each instrument plays a different melody. Angelic polyphony has these riches… The tuning is, in every sense of the word, heavenly! Every note resonates with pure love for the Blessed Virgin. It is truly music the likes of which Heaven and earth have never heard!”
“What joy to know that, St. Gabriel! And tell me: did you compose it?”
“Oh, no, only the virgin St. Cecilia to compose something so beautiful!”
“Marvellous! How pleased Our Lady will be to hear it! Many thanks, Holy Archangel! Farewell.”
“See you soon, Apostle of Love!” said St. Gabriel.
The Evangelist then proceeded to the main courtyard of the Kingdom of the Blessed. From afar, he heard the sound of clarions and trumpets, the beating of drums, warlike voices in unison with the firm footsteps of the soldiers of the Cross. Commanded by the illustrious warrior Judas Maccabaeus, the army of heroes, martyrs and crusaders was rehearsing a magnificent military ceremony. St. Joan of Arc, mounted on a shining steed carried a splendid banner, rich in symbolism.
Contemplating such grandeur, St. John did not wish to interrupt the practice. With this foretaste of the blessings of the ceremony, he was sure that everything would be carried out with perfection. So, he continued his review.
Finally, he went to the kitchen, where he encountered the most varied saints: friars and nuns, mothers of families, nobles from all over the world. But the head chef was St. Anne, the mother of the Most Pure Virgin. Her motherliness accurately discerned the favourite dishes of her Most Holy Daughter. Spotting the master of ceremonies at a distance, she invited him to taste every delicacy that would be served at the banquet.
“Everything is excellent! Mary will be deeply moved by your dedication,” said the Beloved Disciple.
“I prepared it all with the love of a mother and the veneration of a servant,” confessed St. Anne.
St. John saw that all the preparations were well underway, except for one thing… “My heavens, I am forgetting the speech!” he thought to himself. “There must be a speech. Who can deliver it? Last year it was Moses; who could surpass his words? I am going to consult St. Joseph, so that he can nominate someone!”
“Hail, virginal Father of the Redeemer!”
“Hail, Beloved Disciple!”
And sensing St. John’s intentions, St. Joseph continued, full of tenderness and solicitude:
“Is there anything I can do for you, my son?”
“Holy Father, everything is ready for the celebration of your immaculate Spouse’s birthday, but I forgot to choose someone to give the speech. Who would be worthy of this mission?”
St. Joseph looked upward in silence, as if he were penetrating the wisdom of God. Then, fixing his gaze on St. John again, he smiled gently and replied:
“The most suitable choice this year would be the most glorious Prince of the Heavenly Militia, St. Michael the Archangel. What do you think?”
Unable to find fitting words of gratitude for such an excellent idea, the master of ceremonies knelt down and kissed his counsellor’s hands. He then set off in search of the great Archangel.
Presently he heard someone calling him. It was a noble, strong voice, resolute and respectful.
“St. John.”
Turning round, he was astonished: it was the very Archangel he was looking for!
“Great general of the divine armies, what a joy it is to encounter you!”
“The pleasure is all mine. I have come to you to put myself at your service for anything you may need for the celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s birthday.”
“Truly, St. Joseph never fails!” St. John thought to himself.
“It is exactly you I need! Would you present the speech for our victorious Empress?”
“This is a very exalted mission! Will I accomplish the objectives you desire?”
“I am certain of it, for it was St. Joseph himself who appointed you.”
“Ah, if it was his idea, then I trust that God will inspire me. Pray for me, I beg you.”
“Of course! I thank you profusely, St. Michael!”
And the two took leave of each other with a bow.
* * *
Finally, the great celebration was about to begin! While the 8th of September dawned on earth, Heaven was festooned with the greatest pomp! The choir and orchestra presented the song composed by St. Cecilia, which deserved the following comment from Our Lord Jesus Christ:
“Of all melodies ever composed, none has better conveyed the love of my Heart for my Mother.”
The military ceremony followed. Anyone contemplating Mary’s countenance at that moment would understand the passage of Scripture that praises her as “terrible as an army set array” (Ct 6:10).
After all the honours had been paid, the heavenly court gathered in the hall for a feast. At the end, when the cake and the gifts had been presented, St. Michael arose, and taking his position in the midst of the assembly of saints, reverenced God and his celebrated Lady, with a ceremonious and profound bow. Then he began to declaim:
“Oh Lady and Queen, how can we adequately praise your unfathomable perfections, which are second only to those of your Divine Son? You deserve to be glorified for your highest contemplation, which revealed to You the mysteries of God like no other, and to discern His designs for all creation. Unshakeable when pierced with the sword of sorrow, your Immaculate Heart has become invincible in the struggle against Satan and his cohorts, and for this reason no power on earth or in Heaven dares to rise up against your mighty arm. Your ardent charity has never waned, making your existence a continuous ascent of enthusiasm. And if your unrivalled greatness elevated you alive to the throne of the Trinity, your unblemished humility drew God to earth. For our part, we can only renew that loving and unconditional surrender as slaves, which we made to you on the blessed day of your nativity.
“Paradise of God, joy of the Angels, glory of humanity, we wish to serve you for all eternity, echoing throughout the universe: Who is like unto God? Who is like unto the Virgin?” ◊
