The Virgin Mary 15 August

With so much attention on Mary Magdalene these days, it is good to celebrate and remember the Feast of the Blessed Virgin and remember the woman Scripture calls "Blessed" for all generations.

Her life was very localized, dusty and seemingly of no more consequence than the thousands around her that had gone on before. We know very little about her and then generally only when her life and the Life of her Son connect in various ways.  Somehow I think that is very telling.  She never seems to draw attention to herself, but is God's handmaid, humble and an example to us all. Jesus is the One Who is important, and her life's story is only told in connection to His.  Isn't that a wonderful way to be remembered?

She does, however, deserve honor. She was especially chosen to be Theotokos or the God-bearer. We must never lose site of that extraordinary fact.  Of course Mary is a creature and wasn't the origin of God, Who is without beginning or end.  But the Second Person of the Triune Godhead chose to truly become man.  He did not just come and borrow a human body and drive it around for awhile like some rental car.  No, at the moment of His conception in the womb of Mary, a miracle almost beyond comprehension happened.  God the Son united Himself with a human nature forever.  Humanity and Divinity were so closely bound together in Jesus, Son of Mary, that they could never be separated again.

She was real, young and scared, yet willing to be used of God.  How many of us faced such fear and danger, yet willingly laid our lives down?

Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you; Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus;
Son of Mary, Son of the living God, have mercy upon us, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Comments

[Josh Klee]

It's always good to remember those who've labored and worked for the Lord. I thank G-d for Mary and that she was a willing vessle to be used by G-d. Thanks for your thoughts. I really think they act as a bridge among those willing to listen.

[Monk-in-Training]

Paul,
That is one reason that Mary is mentioned in the creeds, to make the point that He was Incarnate from the Virgin by the agency or power of the Holy Spirit. Maybe your friend should read the defination of Chalcedon. ;)

[Paul]

I had an "interesting" conversation with one of our church members recently. He claimed that Jesus didn't have human blood. All of his blood came from his heavenly Father. I know, I know....this is fraught with all kinds of problems.

He said this was true because the blood that he spilled on our behalf had to have been divine blood in order to be an acceptable sacrifice for our sins.

BTW, that is NOT what Baptists teach (this man originated in the Church of the Firstborn, which is a rather wacky Pentecostal-type cultish group).

Thanks for keeping us straight.