The Significant Role of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today, March the 25th, is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of Our Lord. It is the moment when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, the Mother of God to deliver a message that she was with Child.

 Most of us Catholics ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede on our behalf. She is our example, our mediator.  She is our mother. Mary is the ideal woman. She is the woman that all women on the planet should aspire to be.  She is the ultimate example of humility, modesty and chastity.

Blessed John Paul II, in his Redemptoris Mater, said: “I simply wish to note that the figure of Mary of Nazareth sheds light on womanhood as such by the very fact that God, in the sublime event of the Incarnation of his Son, entrusted himself to the ministry, the free and active ministry of a woman. It can thus be said that women, by looking to Mary, find in her the secret of living their femininity with dignity and of achieving their own true advancement. In the light of Mary, the Church sees in the face of women the reflection of a beauty which mirrors the loftiest sentiments of which the human heart is capable: the self-offering totality of love; the strength that is capable of bearing the greatest sorrows; limitless fidelity and tireless devotion to work; the ability to combine penetrating intuition with words of support and encouragement…”

Mary is necessary for our salvation. Mary was chosen and conceived without sin. God gave Mary the choice to bear his Son. And she said YES. Through her own free will, as an unmarried woman, she said yes. And without her “yes” the salvation of the world would not have happened. This is why we venerate Mary. We understand her pivotal role in our very salvation. We understand that Mary was made perfect by God in order to play her part in our salvation.

Let us continue to trust and believe in the powerful intercession of Mary in our lives!

The Silence of St. Joseph, the Spouse of the Virgin Mary

Joseph was a humble man. Named after the great patriarch who was sold into slavery in Egypt; he bore the name with similar humility. As the Old Testament Joseph embraced his lot, rejecting the temptation to bitterness and actually came to rule Egypt, forgiving the very brothers who had sold him into slavery; so too this son of the covenant embraced the One who would establish the New Covenant on the altar of Calvary. 

He was a man of few words, he spoke through his actions, and he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded. Joseph's response was action. 

Pope Francis has a coat of arms which incorporates a flower used to symbolize St. Joseph. He chose March 19th, the Feast of St. Joseph, as the date for his Papal inaugural Mass. In his homily he referred to Joseph as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak, but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love.

Joseph was a man for others. Though the Scriptures say so little about Joseph, even that absence speaks volumes. Why? Because to Joseph, he was not the one who was important, others were. He loved Mary above himself and his behavior was just as a result of his love. He was prepared to do the right thing when she was found to be with child. He could have chosen otherwise. How refreshing this upright manly behavior is in an age where men often cower in the face of difficulty. 

Joseph was a man of faith and courage. Along with loving his betrothed, he loved His God courageously. He had a close, intimate personal relationship with the God of His Fathers. In fact, this just man was, in a sense, the last patriarch, completing the lineage. Through his response of faith, He would receive the great gift promised for all men and women and hold in His arms the One that His fathers had only longed to see. God's messenger, an angel, visited Joseph in a dream. 

He was ready to receive. He was disposed not only to the encounter but to the invitation it presented to pour himself out in love and for love. He heard the message and, without hesitation, did what the Lord commanded! This is, in a real sense, Joseph's Fiat, his Yes, his exercise of human freedom to advance God's eternal plan. How refreshing such manly faith and courage are in an age filled with cowardice and rebellion.

We need to learn to give our Yes to the God whose love always invites participation. Joseph is our teacher and shows us the way, a true Man's Man, calling all men to follow Jesus. He teaches us that actions speak louder than words. Let us ask his intercession for our needs and for the people who are in need of our prayers!

To one and all, “Happy feast of Saint Joseph!”

Rend your hearts, not your garments

As Lent begins, we hear the words for Ash Wednesday by the prophet Joel who calls the whole community to renewal: "Rend your hearts, not your garments." The time has now come in the Church year for the solemn observance of the great central act of history, the redemption of the human race by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Lent is a time to make faith real in practices which are a source of growth, life and even joy. Growth and new life are possible. It is possible to live a spirituality which is in touch with the real world and its problems – especially the poor.

It is possible to move from a superficial sort of prayer to something that is genuine and life giving and transforming. Prayer can be connected to life. Prayer can be rooted in an awareness of oneself and the world as it is.  Contact with those who are poor materially and spiritually can nourish this prayer.

It is possible to move from fasting as a burden into a religious exercise that makes us aware and alive. Fasting can move us to solidarity with the poor and the hungry and can also put us in touch with our own self and our own desires.

A fruitful and joyful Lenten observance to everyone!