Celebrating Mother

"She said yes for tomorrow, yes to the sorrow 

Yes to the Almighty because she believed. 

She said yes to be holy, yes to give fully; 

Yes to the honor she would one day receive."  

~Andrew T. Miller, "The Birth of Christ"

The Annunciation Sandro Botticelli

On the fifteenth of August, many Christians celebrate the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Tradition declares that upon her death, her soul and her earthly body were received into heaven similar to Elijah from the Old Testament. It's a time of reverent remembrance and honor for Mary. It's also a time of celebration for my parish who took on her blessed name. 

As Protestants, many of us shy away from the idea of honoring the Blessed Mother and dismiss the idea as idol worship or pre-Reformation superstition. However, I can't help but wonder if we are missing the boat here. Even scripture indicates that Mary was extraordinary and her faith, courage, and obedience are legendary. 

In Luke's Gospel, we are introduced to what is known as "The Annunciation (or announcement) of Christ" where the Angel Gabriel comes before a young girl named Mary. Now, over the centuries due to artistic license and imagination, many tend to think of angels as the cute infant cherubs that one sees in a lot of Renaissance art and in different palaces. If this is what you imagine, please allow me your eyes. Biblically speaking, the appearance of an angel was neither adorable nor a sign of safety. Throughout the Old Testament, Angels appeared in flame with sword in hand and a close encounter with said celestial being could be fatal. C.S. Lewis once wrote that "I believe no angel ever appears in Scripture without exciting terror; they always have to begin by saying "Fear not" (March 4, 1953 letter)". I know that if an Angel were to pop into my living room right now I would probably do three things: 1) scream 3) faint and the before I faint 2) do something that for the sake of modesty I will not express. Point being, I'd be racked with terror and wondering if I was about to come face-to-face with my Maker. Mary who would have known this must have been paralyzed with terror. Seeing her fear, Gabriel soothes her saying, " Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God (Luke 1:30 NRSV)".  

Then he proceeds to tell her that she will become pregnant and carry a son. Naturally, Mary was both puzzled and horrified. She makes it clear when she asks Gabriel how that can happen when she herself has never been with a man. I feel for her there because I know that if I came home as a teenager and told my parents I was knocked up and that it was done without intercourse my parents would scoff, denounce me as a liar, and demand to know who the father is not to mention any other consequence that would arise. For Mary, to be pregnant as a maid would have had far worse consequences than being grounded or treated with scorn by her parents. In Hellenistic Judea, if Mary came out as being pregnant and God hadn't provided her with a righteous man of God, Joseph could have handed her over to authorities who would have dragged her into the town square where Mary would have been stoned to death for dishonoring Joseph. Even worse, Mary would have had to experience the trauma of knowing that the first stone would have been thrown by her betrothed. Joseph had even made the decision to "divorce her quietly as to not expose her to public disgrace (Matt 1:19 NRSV)". However, despite the life-threatening dangers, this 14-16-year-old girl said yes to the danger, the sorrows, and heartbreaks that would come. She said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word (Luke 1:38 NRSV)". 

To me, the faith and obedience shown in those few verses is breathtaking. She had to endure the trauma of childbirth in a stable, not a hospital, had to endure the pains of rejection from Jesus, raising a son who would eventually be sacrificed, and even stood at the cross as her precious son breathed his last breath. She may have been a "supporting character" but her influence ran deep. Jesus' first public miracle occurred at a wedding in Cana (John 2) because Mary asked him to replace the wine that had been depleted. Jesus obeyed though with some protest and turned many jugs of water into the finest wine. This speaks volumes to me of how much he respected and loved his mother. 

This past Wednesday on August 15th, I went to the morning mass and listened to an amazing sermon given by my rector. At one point, he slipped up saying this was a time to celebrate Mother when he meant Mary. However, like many Freudian slips, I think there was a great deal of truth in what Fr. Bingham originally said. This is indeed a time to celebrate Mother. Because Mother is a title of honor, virtue, and one of the greatest callings that can come from God. I know this because anytime I look at an image or statue of the Blessed Virgin, I see the face of my own mother. I wasn't conceived through Immaculate Conception, but my mother carried me for months, went through the agony of bringing me into this world, and then raised me to adulthood. I was her first and with shame, I confess that I don't always honor her as I should, as she deserves. My mother is no less holy to me than she who carried our Savior into this world. God willing, she will not have to witness my death, but she has witnessed the pains I experience through failure, illnesses, and other heartbreaks in life. She has seen my smiles as well as my tears. She said yes to carrying another life and that is amazing. Even as an adult, she influences me. At a recent job interview, I was asked about my work model. In answer, I spoke of my mother and her work ethic. How she has worked at the same company for over 20 years and made herself indispensable through hard work and reliability. I concluded by saying I wanted my work model to echo hers. 

One of my favorite prayers in the Book of Common Prayer is one that I read every evening as I complete my evening devotions. Some know it as Mary's Canticle, others as the Magnificat. It is taken from Luke 1:46-55. It is a song of praise given by Mary after her visit with her cousin Elizabeth who is also carrying a miracle: 

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.

My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.

For He has looked with favor on His lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed.

He has mercy on those who fear Him in every generation.

He has shown the strength of His arm

And has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones

And has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things

And the rich He has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of His servant Israel

For He has remembered His promise of mercy.

The promise He made to our fathers,

To Abraham, and His children forever.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord

My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.

For He has looked with favor on His lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed.

The Almighty has done great things for me

And Holy is His Name. 

Perhaps this is due to my Catholic background but I really do believe that Mary should be remembered and honored. She is important to our story as a mother of Christ but also a mother to future generations. I realize that the term "Marian Devotion" is a buzzword that puts many Protestants on edge but I argue that honoring her and remembering the role she plays is a far cry from worshipping her. I don't actively pray to her but I find comfort in praying the rosary especially when I'm in excruciating pain. I carry my rosary and other prayer beads with me and it brings comfort to feel the cool beads and metal between my fingers. It's almost like laying my head in my mother's lap when life is so hard. Because she is a mother to me, in fact, she's a mother to all who proclaim faith in her Son. In Fr. Bingham's sermon, he spoke of her experience standing at the foot of the Cross and Jesus making arrangements for her even on the edge of death. We all have heard of the "Beloved Disciple", the individual who stayed steady and faithful. The individual to whom Jesus gestured to saying to Mary, "Woman, here is your son (John 19:26 NRSV)". Then he spoke to the individual saying, "Here is your mother (John 19:27 NRSV)". Fr. Bingham discussed that while there are theories concerning the identity of the individual, one theory is that the individual isn't one of the Disciples or even a 1st-century bystander. The Beloved Disciple and child of the Blessed Mother is us. When he said that, I had goosebumps and the hairs on my neck stood up. The Beloved Disciple is you, me, and all others who rest on Christ's breast and take in his mother. Mary is our mother and is full of tenderness, love, compassion for all of God's children. 

Let us celebrate Mary, the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of God. Let us celebrate Mother. 

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