Happy Birthday, Mary!

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Bear with me. Today the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is a fancy way of saying Happy Birthday Mary! Since Mary was a real person, who lived in a certain period of time and walked this earth--and, oh yeah, gave birth to Jesus, the Savior of the World--she is worthy of being celebrated.

Of course, as is often misunderstood, Catholics do not worship Mary. She is not God, or a semi-god. She accepted the role of carrying Jesus and was, without question, chosen by God for this role, so that makes her holy and special to all Christians, not just Catholics.

But for some reason, a divide has taken place, giving the impression that Mary can only (or mostly) be held in high esteem by Catholics. Perhaps it comes from the myth that we worship her, I don't really know.

In our gospel reading today, which comes from Matthew, Chapter 1, we hear the angel telling Joseph to not be afraid to take Mary into his home, "For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

Do not be afraid. Take Mary into your home.

Good advice from an angel of God for us today.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.com

 

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