The 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:
Hello there, DEACON5 family! I was thinking as I was pondering this feast that I had never heard of it in my “pre-Catholic” days. There never was a thought about when the mother of Jesus was born, or any additional thought given to Mary, except during the Nativity play each Christmas. I’m pretty certain that I never heard any mention of Mary in any sermon, or in any Scripture that was read. To the extent that my recollection is correct, I am definitely the poorer for it. I knew that Mary had to be special, but I’m sure I didn’t know fully why that may be.
I remember a particular connection with Mary during my own faith journey, when I participated in RCIA all those years ago at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Claremont, finally learning what it really meant to be Catholic. I recall the priest who journeyed with us, Fr. Jack Beattie, related a very practical and charming story that clarified for me Mary’s role, and I related it to my own experience. When I was little, and I would do some “rule-breaking” that would clearly result in punishment, my older sister, Bobbie, would relish it and remind me of the retribution I faced when my dad got home. As a little kid, that was terrifying enough. But, I realized that if I could share the tale of my misdeed with my mom and maybe have her talk to my dad first, maybe the punishment would not be as bad.
We don’t pray “to” Mary, in the sense that she answers our prayers. We pray “to” her, that she may pray “with” us to the Father, with the love only a perfect mother like Mary could add to that prayer. All of us are her children in that way, and she longs for us all to come to know her Son, and love Him like she does.
This special feast day isn’t something new, either. It has been celebrated at least since the sixth century, and in fact, it was known well enough by then that a basilica church was dedicated in honor of Mary’s own mother, St Anne, in Jerusalem. Linda and I were blessed to visit that church when we were in the Holy Land several years ago. It is one of very few churches that has a statue of Mary as a girl, next to her mother, St Ann.
What shall we take from this special day? First, that God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus, and as such, she was kept pure, for God would not dwell in a vessel that wasn’t completely pure. Second, that Mary was the truest disciple of all, by her “yes”, which we hear during the Christmas season, and in the canticle we pray in Evening Prayer each night in the Liturgy of the Hours. And, third, she is there, praying for each and every one of us, calling us to her Divine Son, asking our Lord to help us to love more like she does, and more like her Son does. If we live that self-sacrificing love each day, what changes could there be in the world!
Action for the Day:
Let us be thankful, especially today, for the great love of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is our Mother as well. Let us ask her to pray with us for everyone on our hearts, that they, also, know her love and be drawn into the love of Jesus. I am blessed to share my birthday with her, and pray that my “yes” today be as full and unqualified as hers was!
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