Wednesday, August 12, 2009

St. Mary the Virgin (observed)



August 12, 2009

This Saturday is, of course, the feast of St. Mary the Virgin—one of my very feast days of the Church Year. In the Roman Church, August 15th is called The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, a controversial theological stance, but, in my opinion, a beautiful one. In the Eastern Church, August 15th is called the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. It is the feast to commemorate the day Our Lady went to heaven—whether bodily or in spirit. For us Anglican Episcopalians, we, in our typical style, sidestep the issues the doctrine of the Assumption by simply celebrating the feast of St. Mary the Virgin and letting each individual decide what they need to about Mary’s ultimate fate.

It’s one of my favorite feast days because I have, for the better part of my life, had a very deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Now, already I imagine some of you are bracing yourselves a bit. Sure, you’re probably thinking. There he goes with more of his crazy, spiky High Church beliefs again. And, to some extent, you’re right. Our Lady does hold a very dear place for High Church people like myself.

But, I think it’s important to remind ourselves that Our Lady has always held a special place in the belief of Anglicans. She is a powerful example to all us Christians who are striving in our lives to know God and to allow God’s will to work in our lives. If we start looking to Mary only as some kind of exclusive claim of one denomination, we have lost a very important and beautiful message that she still gives to us.

My good friend, Brother Benet Tvedten, shared this story with me a few months ago. He said he read that recently a Methodist woman has been having vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The woman was shocked that Mary appeared to her. Finally, the woman asked Mary, “Mary, why are you appearing me? I’m not a Roman Catholic!”

Mary smiled and very calmly said, “Neither am I.”

I love that story, and it’s important for all of us. If we get all caught up in the trappings of our denominational and personal differences and use Mary as symbol for those differences, we have missed the point of her presence in our lives.

Mary is not a Catholic. The Roman Church has no exclusive claim on her. She is an example for all of us.

I think the greatest devotion we can show Mary is by being imitators of her. Like her at the Annunciation, we too can say “Yes” to the Spirit. Like her we can take the Word and carry within us. Like her, we can carry in our very selves Jesus. We, like her, can truly be Christ-bearers. And, like her, Jesus can be born to the world through us.

So, be an imitator of Mary. Say “Yes” again and again to the Spirit who speaks to us. Be, like her, a Christ-bearer to the world. And when we do, we will be giving her the honor and homage she deserves.

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