Galatians 4:4-7
4 When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. 6 And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir through God.
4 When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son…
Today, the Church honors Mary, the Mother of Our Lord. To some she is Theotokos (Mother of God), to others she is a saint, and to many she is a faithful servant of God like all of us. How we understand Mary’s place in the hierarchy of heaven is much less important than the fact that we honor her for serving God in a most spectacular way.
I’m told that, when I was a toddler, I used to sit on my knees wearing a blue blanket as a veil for long periods of time. I told those who asked that I was, “playing Virgin Mary”. Through the haze of childhood memory, I remember a beautiful lady who smiled at me and told me stories about Jesus. My admiration for Mary was so deep that I chose to meditate in her presence long before I understood what that meant.
In our shared Christian imagination, Mary remains ever young and vibrant – a beautiful, young mother cradling her beloved infant in her arms. When we think on that image, God holds us in that same embrace of perfect love.
God, Our Mother and Father: Thank you for Mary’s openness to your call. Thank you, also, for lifting her up to us as the image of your tender care for us. AMEN