Feast of Mary’s Nativity
Reflection
Miriam of Nazareth abides in the circle of disciples as our sister, a poor woman of the people to whom God has done great things; a young Spirit-filled Jewish woman finding her joy in God; a woman vulnerable to violence in a patriarchal setting; a friend of God who made her own difficult choices with courage; a prophet who announced the awesome changes God’s coming would bring about in this world; …a woman with a questioning mind who pondered what God was doing in her life…She kept faith.
Truly Our Sister, Elizabeth Johnson
Prayer
Holy Mary, blessed are you among women.
Action
Reflect on the real woman Mary in the reality of her life context. What can you learn from her?
Suggested Reading
My soul magnifies the
and my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
The Magnificat
Whenever we look to Mary, we come to believe once again in the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness. In her we see that humility and tenderness are not virtues of the weak but of the strong who need not treat others poorly in order to feel important themselves.
Pope Francis
It is theologically and anthropologically important for woman to be at the center of Christianity. Through Mary, and the other holy women, the feminine element stands at the heart of the Christian religion.
Pope Benedict XVI
Mary is “truly our sister”, who as a poor and humble woman fully shared our lot.
Pope Paul VI
This woman of faith, Mary of Nazareth, the Mother of God, has been given to us as a model of our pilgrimage of faith. From Mary, we learn to surrender to God’s will in all things. From Mary we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone.
Pope John Paul II
The reconstruction of Mary as a Jewish mother gradually becoming a disciple within the Jesus movement may be difficult and long-coming….But popular religious devotion does not bear this burden. People hear the gospel stories from the point of view of their own historical predicament. Mary represents to them the fullness of personhood, a paradigm of human goodness whose universality transcends time, sex, race and nationality…a guide for behavior, a hope for tomorrow, the courage to keep on going a little longer.
Mary DeCock, BVM
Note:
Congratulations to all the Sisters of St. Joseph who today are celebrating the 50th, 60th, 70th, 75th,and 80th anniversaries of their entrance into the congregation! We are grateful for your fidelity, dedication and years of service in all areas of ministry. May you continue to be blessed in the years ahead!