8 Sep 2017
Feast of the Nativity of the BVM
“Do not be afraid to take Mary into your home,” the angel
said to Joseph. And there are two other
events that come to mind when we hear this.
First, at the crucifixion when Jesus said to John, “Behold your Mother,”
and the disciple “took her into his home.”
And then, second, at the birth of Mary to Joachim and Anne, when she was
welcomed into their home as the fruit of prayer and faith.
On this feast day of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we
see that her whole life is characterized by her dependence on the hospitality
of others. She’s like the proverbial baby
in a basket left on the doorstep. She
never forces her way in, but can only be welcomed into the home.
What we know of Mary’s birth comes mostly from the “Infancy
Gospel” of James (or the “Protoevangelium” of James). And in it, Mary’s mother, Anne, is described
as having made her daughter’s bedroom into a “sanctuary,” a holy place
befitting the holiness and specialness of her child. Mary was a cause for joy, gratitude and
holiness in her parents’ hearts. And
therein seems to be the gospel, the “good news,” of today’s feast.
God gives us the Blessed Virgin as a help to our own holiness
and happiness. And so, as the angel
said, “Do not be afraid to take Mary into your home,” into your hearts.
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