Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Holy Gospel according to Matthew 1:18-23
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill
what the Lord had said through the prophet:
Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.”
Reflection: We all know what family is and we all have our own interpretation, but I imagine in most cases we will come to some kind of agreement. So, do we understand what it means to be a part of the Family of God or Family of the Church? The family, serves as a microcosm of the larger Church and society, let’s call it the little church. We (family) are a Little Church where we teach about the big church and without the Little Church; there would be no Big Church. The family is be called the “domestic church” and is foundational to both society and the Big Church. It is within the family that individuals first learn about love, faith, and virtue.
The foundation to every family involves a mother and a father. Fatherhood is viewed as a profound calling that mirrors the love and guidance of God the Father. It encompasses the responsibilities and joys of providing, protecting, and nurturing one’s family through teaching and guiding, love and responsibility, and using St. Joseph as the role model. Fatherhood is lived out in partnership with the mother, working together to create a stable, loving, and faith-filled home. Fathers support and collaborate with their spouses in raising their children according to Catholic and social values.
Motherhood is viewed as a sacred vocation and a calling from God. It involves the privilege and responsibility of co-creating life, nurturing it, and forming it in love and virtue utilizing Mary, the Holy Mother, as the perfect model of motherhood. The Holy Mother is an example of humility, obedience, and love which provide an ideal example for mothers to emulate. Mary’s role underscores the integral connection between motherhood, Jesus, our faith and our families. Motherhood involves a special kind of sacrificial love, mirroring Christ’s self-giving love. Mothers are called to put their children’s needs above their own, often making significant sacrifices for their well-being.
Mothers play a vital role in the physical, emotional, spiritual, and moral upbringing of their children. They are often the primary educators, instilling values, faith, and love in their children, guiding them towards holiness. The people at Mary’s Mercy Center are examples of the need for or the lack of mothers and fathers. Most of them are raised without either or both and this affects them morally, spiritually, physically, emotionally which affects their lives and their life decisions. They become incarcerated, addicted, homeless and un-loved. You might ask; How do I know this? Because many of them have told me so.
Family is about love, acceptance, and compassion. It’s about having someone to lean on when we go through the trials of life. We cannot function without the Little Church or the Big Church.
Action of the Day: How can you, or those you know of, draw inspiration from the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Church’s teachings to live out the vocation of parenthood, fatherhood, motherhood more fully?
Audio Reflection:
