God is with us in Word and Sacrament

The Commemoration of Saint Mary, Mother of Our Lord

St Mary Painting

Today we commemorate the faith and life of Saint Mary, Mother of our Lord.

St. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is mentioned repeatedly in the Gospels and the Book of Acts, with nearly a dozen specific incidents in her life being recorded: her betrothal to Joseph; the annunciation by the angel Gabriel that she was to be the mother of the Messiah; her visitation to Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist; the nativity of our Lord; the visits of the shepherds and the Wise Men; the presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple; the flight into Egypt; the Passover visit to Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve; the wedding at Cana in Galilee; her presence at the crucifixion, when her Son commended her to the care of His disciple John; and her gathering with the apostles in the Upper Room after the Ascension, waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. thus she is present at most of the important events in her Son’s life. She is especially remembered and honored for her unconditional obedience to the will of God, when she said at the annunciation, “Let it be to me according to Your word” (Luke 1:38); for her loyalty to her Son even when she did not understand Him, “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:1–11); and above all for the highest honor that heaven bestowed on her of being the mother of our Lord, “Blessed are you among women” (Luke 1:42). According to tradition, Mary went with the apostle John to Ephesus, where she died.

Let us pray: Almighty God, You chose the Virgin Mary to be the mother of Your only Son. Grant that we, who are redeemed by His blood, may live our lives with a like faith, that it may be to us according to Your word, and thus, share with her in the glory of Your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

0 Comments

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.