+ Today we celebrate the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a feast originating somewhere
between the fourth and the seventh centuries. We know next to nothing about the events surrounding this
noteworthy event. It is only through the apocryphal Gospel of James that we know something about Sts. Joachim and Anne,
her parents and about the fact that they
had a girl-child whom they named Mary, whom they presented to the Lord in the
Temple, thus dedicating her to God for life.
And so even though the details
are sketchy, this only adds to the mystique that we have about Mary as a pure,
humble, out-of-the-limelight maiden of Nazareth. She is not the key figure in
all of human history: her future son would be that: Jesus Christ, who would be
Son of God and Son of Man through her own humanity.
The first reading today talks
of those who are predestined to
experience the fullness of God’s grace: Mary certainly was that, from the
first moment of her existence she was full
of grace: the grace that was to be reestablished by Christ her son; and so
Mary, then, was the first to “resemble Jesus her son” to the point that God
delighted in her as a true daughter, in Christ.
We rejoice with Mary on her
birthday today and ask her to pray for us constantly so that we may resemble
not only Jesus her son (to the delight of God the Father) in his gentle,
patient, compassionate nature; but also her, in her humility, poverty and
obedience.
A concluding note would be
this: Mary is not only Mother Jesus, she is also Mother of the Church – meaning
she is our mother as well. It is preeminently clear that the Church of her Son
is under attack from Satan in a way that the church hasn’t seen in a thousand
years – the most scandalous part about this unfolding drama is that the sexual
abuse by clergy is only part of the problem – another great part is clericalism
– the sense of entitlement – the sense of greatness – the sense of superiority –
the sense of “power over other human beings – especially the young and the
vulnerable children - that Jesus railed against in the scene with James and
John and their mother, and when discussing who will be greatest in the kingdom
with the 12!
Yes, through the help of Mary
our Mother, who is Queen Mother of the King of the Universe whose eyes are
flashing now with unspeakable depths of fury and anger – it is time to take up
the Rosary – and to help in the purification and perfection of the Church here
– so she will be spotless and without blemish when Christ shall come again in
glory!
Mary,
you are the Dawn, and Christ your Son is the Perfect Day!
No comments:
Post a Comment