Today is the day the Church remembers and celebrates 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.
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