Happy Birthday, Mary

Since the Seventh Century (800+ years before protestantism began), Christians celebrated the birthday of Mary, Jesus's mother. I heard an interesting commentary on this early today where the speaker shared that: "Mary was the connection that God used to access His creation in human form". 

This struck me as interesting, because it was Mary's direct contribution of her will, her body and her spirit that opened the door for God to become like His creation - in all ways, yet without that sickening stain of original sin. I led me to ponder...what if Mary had said no? I shutter to think further about that.........

In my denominational and non-denominational Christian formation, the role of Mary was a quiet one with a [very] small focus. But none-the-less, this focus was consistently part of my formation...usually limited to Christmas time sermons. However, this formation is important to the Christian faith and has become more "alive" in my Catholic formation today. Prior to my Catholic conversion, I often viewed Catholics as worshipping Mary through prayers, incense, pictures and the like. However, I failed to recognize that this in fact is not worship. If it was, then I had a bigger problem: while incense isn't really my thing, having pictures of my ancestors on the walls of my home, talking aloud to my Dad, Grandpa and Grandma who have passed away are things I do - - is that the same as what Catholics do with Mary? Sure, I remember Dad's birthday (May 21, 1946), wedding anniversary (May 17, 1969), and death date (Aug 12, 1998) - you could even say I celebrate them with special items that he liked, to remind me of his life...like Cannoli's, or non-alcoholic beer (yuck!). 

As I consider these things, maybe remembering Mary in special ways isn't that far fetched. After all, she is quite a special person in the linear time span of humanity...and often a very quiet one.

Mary in fact was chosen by God (Luke 1:26-31) as an Ark to carry the new baptism, the new covenant, and the new manna - a direct fulfillment of Noah's Ark (who was saved through the waters (1 Peter 3:20), the Ark of the Covenant, which was the old law now fulfilled by Christ (Hebrews 9:14-15), and the manna

(which, incidentally was kept - Ex 16:33 - in the Ark of the Covenant, Hebrews 9:3-4), which is fulfilled by the new bread of life (John 6:51). If Noah's Ark saved God's creation, and the Ark of the Covenant carried Law of of God and bread from God, so too is Mary the Ark that literally carried and gave birth to God. As Reformation Father, Martin Luther, said "...that God was born of Mary, and that Mary is God's mother...she is the true Mother of God and bearer of God. Mary suckled God, rocked God to sleep, prepared broth and soup for God..." (Councils and the Church 1539).

Alas, even with this high esteem of her birthday, her beauty and commitment to God always displays her humility, since she gently reminds us (as only a Mother can), "Do whatever He Tells you" (John 2:5).

Happy Birthday, dear Mother of God! Thank you for giving us the gift of Christ.

Further reading: http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=4967