Word to the Wise
Tuesday, September 8, 2009 - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
[Micah 5:1-4A or Romans 8:28-30 and Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23]We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
One essential way we can demonstrate our love for someone very important to us is to remember his/her birthday! In fact, forgetting certain birthdays is a good way to invite a distressful response! Ask any spouse or parent or child! In large families this can be quite a challenge - an expensive challenge! On the liturgical level we have the official calendar to remind us of the celebration of the birthday of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The date is arbitrary since we have no idea what her actual birth date was, but every human person has to have a birth date - right? Mary is very important in Catholic tradition on many levels, so it is "fitting" that even if we don't know the actual date, we pick one and stick to it. If we did that for Jesus (December 25), we can do it for Mary! That's our church! Of course, every Marian feast day (and there are MANY) is a reminder of the importance of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Catholic tradition. Using that title - Blessed Virgin - alone tells us things that people have written long books about! When I visited the large basilica at the traditional site of the home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Nazareth, I was able to see many different depictions of Mary around the walls of the church and in the courtyard from nations around the world! It was like being at a costume party! Mary has her official theological "status" in Catholic tradition, but she means many things in many cultures to many people on a more emotional and spiritual level. When someone has that kind of spiritual "clout," I think it's a good idea to remember their birthday! AMEN
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