Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Do the words “We are going to do something new” place fear in your heart? Sometimes they do for me. In part, the fear arises because I am comfortable with the way things are already done or perhaps it is because what is being asked is something that I have never done. However, just because I have not done something, is no reason to be afraid of that thing. This also holds true for most every part of our lives, especially our journey as disciples. Discipleship sometimes feels like walking in the dark. Yet this feast day can enlighten our journey by focusing us on the purpose and journey of the first disciple, Mary the Mother of God.
Today’s feast comes with a variety of possible readings chosen to help us focus and celebrates Mary’s birth into our world. Each of these readings point to Mary’s very purpose; they each point beyond her to her son Jesus. Jesus is the one who will stand firm and be a shepherd. He is the one whom they will call Emmanuel. Mary’s purpose is to bear the son of God. Yet, it is in celebrating Mary’s birth that we can truly comprehend her purpose as “Theotokos” or God-bearer.
In Micah, we discover that it is through a woman in Bethlehem that a ruler of Israel, whose “origin is of old”, will be born into the world. This woman was chosen by God for that purpose. In Romans, it uses the word “foreknew” to describe those “who are called according to his purpose”. It describes their purpose as to “be conformed to the image of the Son.” (Rom. 8:29b) In the gospel, we encounter the genealogy of Jesus. At the end of which, we come across “Mary, of her was born Jesus”. This longer gospel sets Mary within the context of salvation history. The combined readings seem to suggest that Mary’s bearing Jesus into the world is not God’s back up plan but God’s primary plan of salvation.
Celebrating Mary’s birth shows that she was called for a specific purpose. It is in exploring her purpose that we come to realize her role as a model for understanding our purpose. We, like Mary, are called from our very conception to be bearers of Jesus into a broken world. Reflect upon how the Holy Spirit is calling you to be like Mary today. In what darkness might you, without fear, bear the light of Jesus? If possible, bear that light of Christ in that dark place and then we will have made Mary’s purpose, our purpose.
-Michael Montgomery