Friday, 9 September 2011

Nativity of Our Lady



Nativity of Our Lady
Thursday (Sept 8):
"She will bear a son, and you shall call him Jesus"
Scripture: Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23  (alternate reading: Luke 6:20-26)

     There is a tradition of Christians  celebrating the birth of Mary on this day. Her birth prepared for our redemption in Jesus Christ. Mary was asked to assume in faith a tremendous responsibility. It had never been heard of before that a child could be born without a natural father. Mary was asked to accept this miraculous exception to the laws of nature. That required faith and trust.
     Second, Mary was not yet married. Mary was only espoused to Joseph. She was asked to assume a great risk. She could have been rejected by Joseph, by her family. Mary knew that Joseph and her family would not understand without a revelation from God. She believed and trusted in God's promises. Let us trust and obey the Lord as did Mary.

Bidding Prayer:
    Father, bring us closer to our Mother Mary and so bring us ever closer to your divine Son.
   We ask this through the same Christ our Lord.               http://www.dailyscripture.net/, adapted.
*****
There is a long venerable tradition among many Christians of celebrating the birth of Mary, the mother of Jesus our Saviour, on this day. Her birth prepared for our redemption in Jesus Christ. Matthew begins his gospel with the geneology of Jesus from Abraham's lineage through the line of David, King of Israel. Matthew concludes his geneology by stating that both Mary, Jesus' mother and Joseph, his foster father, came from the line of David. Mary was asked to assume in faith a burden of tremendous responsibility. It had never been heard of before that a child could be born without a natural father. Mary was asked to accept this miraculous exception to the laws of nature. That required faith and trust. Second, Mary was not yet married. Pregnancy outside of wedlock was not tolerated in those days. Mary was only espoused to Joseph, and such an engagement had to last for a whole year. She was asked to assume a great risk. She could have been rejected by Joseph, by her family, by all her own people. Mary knew that Joseph and her family would not understand without revelation from God. She nonetheless believed and trusted in God's promises. Joseph, a just and God-fearing man, believed the message given to him to take Mary as his wife and to accept the child in her womb as the promised Messiah. Like Mary, Joseph is a model of faith for us. He is a faithful witness and servant of God's unfolding plan of redemption. Are you willing to trust and obey the Lord as Mary and Joseph did?

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