This is one of the lesser known Marian Feasts yet, I wouldn’t think it is any less significant than many of the other Marian Feasts like her Immaculate Conception or Assumption. Clearly, without Mary being born, we could not have Jesus. She was a vital person in the story of redemption. Then, there is the beauty and power of birth itself, especially the birth of someone who changes all of history for all of humankind.

I like to celebrate birthdays both as a form of honor and as remembrance and I like to celebrate the birthdays of those people who made a difference in my life and even in the world. I think, Mother/Father God, the Glorious Son and the Holy Spirit would like to say Happy Birthday Mary and maybe you would like to say that too……I don’t know if it requires a birthday cake….but, if you do have cake….please enjoy every bit of it…..I’m sure Mary would like you to!

You might also want to take the time on this Feast Day to ponder who Mary is for you and who she is for the Church. Two of the latest talks on the subject of Mary, that I found, come from Archbishop Peter Sartain of Seattle in his homily to the U.S. women religious and a comment about that talk from Sister Joan Chittister. Both of these entries are available on the National Catholic Reporter website. 

Allow me to briefly say who Mary is to me and more than likely your experience of Mary is the same or similar. She is my constant companion, friend, spiritual mother, guide, mentor, and protector. Yes, she is also a model for how I am to be in relationship to Mother/Father God, the Glorious Son, and the Holy Spirit. She is also a model of how I am to be a faithful disciple of Christ and how I am to be Church. Mary is naturally very gentle, but, she is also clear and firm in her guidance. She is never timid. She knows from heaven what my situation is on earth as a true disciple, so she loves me with Jesus, directs me with Jesus, corrects me with Jesus, and protects me with Jesus.

She is instrumental in my own journey and in seeing that I complete it in the perfect will of Christ. Like Mary, my soul ought to magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoice in God my Saviour. My spiritual heart ought to beat with the spiritual hearts of Jesus and Mary, hence, the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus represent the heart of the true Church of Christ, and if your heart and mine beats in time with theirs….then you can know…that you and I are one with the Divine Mother and her Son and that you and I are Church.

I believe, Archbishop Sartain is saying pretty much what I say in the above paragraph and Sister Joan Chittister wants to emphasize that Mary was not beholden to any man of the Church or of her society . Mary’s obedience was always to God and our obedience should be as well. There are times when the obedience to the Church and Christ nicely agree and there are other times, when obedience to the Church and Christ are not the same. Even in such a situation, Mary and Jesus are there to give us counsel about that. Mary is faith and she is strength and finally Mary is the Star to follow with Christ.

Following Mary, the Star of the Sea and the Christ is a moment to moment event. I call it "living into the answer" or "inductive living". Mary is particularly important to me as Mother of Carmel and since I am a new daughter of Carmel, Mary is vital to my life. Like Abraham, I was shown the country of Ireland to go to and where I am to go exactly remains an unfolding mystery. I just know I am here as an obedience. I am also here as new wine and I have not a wineskin, that is, a structure or place, …..yet.

Like Abraham I am here with a faith in the promise of Christ. So, in these days, Mary is my mother, sister, and friend that I pour out my heart. Naturally, I do so with Christ as he is my spouse, my companion, my friend, and my Lord, but, sometimes, we need to talk woman to woman, so Mary is usually the one I turn to along with many other female saints. I do not neglect the male saints, but, again, it’s that woman to woman connection. We see even in Mary’s life that she went to Elizabeth for protection and solidarity. I thank God for the life and presence of Mary.

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