St. Mary the Virgin

Feast of St. Mary the Virgin 2011
My soul magnifies the Lord. (Luke 1: 46)

Mary was an ordinary person who lived an extraordinary life.

Mary held no political office, wrote no books, and had no titles of honor in her lifetime. She was among the humble and meek of the working poor who live and die in quiet obscurity.
Mary also placed God first in her life. When the archangel Gabriel greeted her he said: “Hail Mary, full of grace.” Even before Mary became the holy mother of God she was filled with grace.
Grace is God’s unmerited favor towards us. Grace proceeds from God’s unconditional love. Where so many people have said and continue to say to God: “what’s in it for me?” Mary simply said: “Amen, let it be.”
Where so many people approach God from the perspective of a discriminating religious consumer, Mary said: “I am the Lord’s servant.”
Where so many people demand the right to define God according to our individual needs and desires, Mary said: holy is His Name.
Mary is a unique personality in human history. She plays a unique role in our Heavenly Father’s Plan of Salvation. She heard the word of God, believed the word of God and brought forth the word of God in a way no one else ever has or ever will.
By grace through faith Mary chose to accept our Heavenly Father’s invitation to be the theotokos, the bearer of God. The story of the Annunciation reminds us that the incarnation began when the co-eternal Son permanently and irrevocably united his divinity with our humanity. At the moment Jesus was conceived Mary became the Holy Mother of God.
Alone of all people who will have ever lived on this planet Mary experienced the reality of the incarnation in the most intimate way possible. God’s choice of Mary was not random. Mary’s choice to say “yes” to God was no accident.
God pours out His grace on all people but not all people respond by saying: “Amen, so be it.” God offers all people His unconditional love but not all people respond by saying: “holy is God’s Name.”
The life of the blessed Virgin Mary evokes the teaching of Moses and the prophets that God favors the poor, the meek and the humble. God blesses the weak in order to confound rich and the powerful. God does this so all may see and understand the reality that God is holy unconditional love.
As God is holy unconditional love so he has created us to bear the image of that love and the likeness of that holiness.
Jesus honored his mother with position and titles only after her death. He granted her the gift of immediate resurrection. And, he crowned her Queen of Heaven, Queen of Israel and Queen of the Church. The Bible very clearly states that the Queen of Israel was the Queen Mother. A king would have many wives but only one mother.
The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church honors Mary because Jesus honors Mary. Through her humility and willingness to serve she has become Queen of Heaven and Earth. Her role in the church today is twofold. She is the preeminent intercessor in the Church Triumphant for the salvation and sanctification of souls. And, she is the preeminent model for the statement: you are saved by grace through faith.
Mary models the basic principle of the Summary of the Law. Love God with all your heart, mind and soul; then love your neighbor as you also love your self. Mary understood that love expresses itself in worship, service and personal transformation.
Mary’s title as “theotokos” bearer of God, is the first line of defense against false teachers who reject the incarnation. Mary’s words: “Amen, so be it,” are the first line of defense against self absorbed self indulgent religion. Mary’s role as Queen of Heaven embodies the reality that it is through humility that we bring forth the blessing of divine grace to other people and the world.
Jesus entrusted Mary to the care of the one disciple who remained loyal to Jesus to the end. Jesus gave that disciple the unique title: the beloved. John is the beloved of the co-eternal beloved. Jesus charged Mary, the theotokos, the God Bearer, with the responsibility to complete John’s education.
Mary wrote no books, But the writings of John in the New Testament bear the teaching of Mary. Mary had no honors or titles during her lifetime. But, Jesus revealed to John that Jesus had taken Mary’s body into heaven at her death and crowned her Queen.
The reredos over our altar depicts the Crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven. From the very beginning, the Church honored Mary for her unique role in our Heavenly Father’s Plan of Salvation. We give no greater honor to Mary than Jesus gave.
Mary embodies St. Paul’s teaching: you are saved by grace through faith. Mary embodies St. James’ teaching: faith without works is dead. Mary embodies the teaching of Moses and the prophets that God favors the poor and exults the humble and meek. Finally, Mary helped the beloved apostle John understand that God just doesn’t have love, God is love.
Mary made a real choice to live by grace through faith in the steadfast holy love of God. As we honor Mary we join our voices with her as she declares to God: Amen. So be it.