The first is known in the Bible as "blessed among women," and she herself, in her humility, tells us that she will have "all generations will call [her] blessed." As the Mother of God, she should in fact be honored today for her obedience to God's will. And so, today we honor Mary for her role in salvation...accepting the duty to be the Mother of God was no small task. She allowed the Creator of the Universe...to be created within her and to suffer for the salvation of the world as she watched her beloved Son die on a cross for our sins. Mary's duties as mother was like any mother; however, she knew that He would not be appreciated...that he would suffer and die in spite of our ungratefulness...but Mary stood firm in her belief that her Son was the one who would bridge the gap from disunity. When all others ran away, she followed and watched, kneeling at the foot of the Cross to see that death knowing that her hopes did not die with Him but would be fulfilled because of Him. She was the first witness and benefactor of his Redemption..."highly favored" because of this special gift of Redeeming Grace from the Father to prepare her receive Christ in her womb.
It seems to me one of the greatest ways to start out the New Year. In the Church's wisdom, we are given the perfect example of what we are trying to emulate in our journey to Christ. As we try to think about New Year's resolutions, it seems to me that the best answer is to try to be more like Mary so we can see how to be more like Christ. There is a common phrase within the Catholic Church..."to Jesus through Mary." Many are even apt to calling Mary the "Co-Redemptrix." These ideas are not to take away from Jesus or worship her but to show Mary honor for her action of obedience. Her role is in no way equal to Jesus but dependent on His actions. Her actions along side Jesus aided in His ability to bring this salvation. We know Christ through His mother, Mary. Some would say that God could have chosen any woman and this is true...but He chose Mary and she said YES...that is what we celebrate in our respect for her.
Also, we must look at why this feast is so important...the answer lies in the early heresies that Jesus was not fully man AND fully God. There are many versions of these heresies that came about as man tried to 'reason' God's existence in Jesus. I encourage you to read about these as many of them still exist in new 'enlightened' heresies today. In effect, many of these heresies created the atmosphere for the doctrine we celebrate on this feast day. So, we are then not only celebrating Mary as the Mother of God but also the celebration of Jesus as fully God. And, once again, we see the reason for the idea that we find Jesus through Mary. If the basic concept of her motherhood is understood, then we can come to understand in a small way the mystery of the Incarnation.
This is just the first Mary that I wished to acknowledge today...sorry for the longer post but we could not forget our memorial for our second Mary today. THIS Mary gave her life for the love of 'her' children at Sandy Hook, throwing herself at the shooter in hopes to stop the assault on the school.
Mary's life seems to send a message of love like that of our first Mary...she was willing to suffer for children in the end, but also in her life she gave of herself (even foregoing her own retirement) in hopes of helping the children who came to her. She was following through with her own YES to serve God...this was what she felt called to do as the school psychologist. In fact, one of the first things noted was that she would have been there to help the children and their families work through the pain had she lived. She was that kind of person...willing to be in the worst of circumstances to help those in need.
Mary was giving at home as well...a loving wife and doting mother of two daughters. She loved to travel and work in her garden. She enjoyed theater, reading, and watching the Miami Dolphins play. Once again, it seems hard to capture the spirit of this woman in a few words on a post or on a quilt. She was a hero...giving her life for others and nothing can express the feeling of respect for this woman. The only thing we know to do is praise her for her strength during this awful experience...she went above and beyond her duties that day as a psychologist...and as a woman of integrity gave her all for her calling on this earth.
May she rest in peace. May her family find comfort in their loss. May we all find some way to honor Mary by showing kindness to a child...especially those who are not so easy to love...who have emotional issues that can only be understood through eyes of compassion just as Mary dedicated her life to do.
One custom on January 1st is for the faithful to pray that the Spirit may direct their thoughts and actions, and those of the community during the course of the year. The traditional prayer Veni Creator Spiritus is sung (There are many beautiful versions of this prayer on line.) There is also the added benefit of the traditional prayers of peace on this day, which I think is especially appropriate during these volatile times.
On this EIGHTH day of Christmas, we also recall the eight maids a-milking. These maids remind us of the Eight Beatitudes. Also, fitting for the memory of both of the women we focus on today. These valuable hints to good Christian life presented by Jesus during his time on Mount are:
- Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
- Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
- Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
- Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
- Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
- Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
May we take this list and resolve to do well in 2013! May God bless all as we enter into a new year on this journey to Christ. God bless!
SIDE NOTE: We were able to pick Amanda up from the airport! YAY! But her luggage with ALL of her clothes was lost so we had to make arrangements for her to have luggage shipped to our house. We got to our dear friends house late in the evening but had a great time bringing in the New Year with good cheer and prayer. Heading to my mother's house this morning after Mass.
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