Reflection for the Vigil of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
December 31, 2011

by Janelle Maes, OSB

Readings: Isaiah 66:7-13 & Luke 2:16-21

Tonight we are saying “good-by” to a year past: one that has had both joys and sorrows for all of us. Let us reminisce a bit---first, the local scene. We suffered from another flood with many people displaced and businesses that lost revenue from Atchison's lack of accessibility due to the flood waters. Then we had the senseless killing of a police officer who was both husband and father. The young man who shot the officer and then killed himself suffered from mental illness and no one understands why those shootings occurred. We also lost six of our young men in the prime of life when the grain elevator exploded and Benedictine College in an auto accident lost a vibrant young basketball player.

On the national scene the Iraq war ended, yet war and hunger continue to exist throughout the world. We've seen the Arab spring and wonder if now we are in an Arab winter as democracy takes some time to achieve. We in America remember the revolutionary war and the bitter arguments as the constitution was drafted. Then today we look at our political scene and wonder about the disarray--is it dysfunctional? America and Europe are struggling with an economic crisis which leaves many people without jobs. On a lighter note, we witnessed the royal wedding of Kate and and William.

Here in our house Elizabeth made final vows and we celebrated both golden and silver jubilees. We re-elected our prioress for another six years and we are preparing for our hundred and fiftieth celebration.

All this and much more have happened here and in the world as the normal life cycle of life and death, natural disasters, and illness have occurred. So here we are tonight poised on the brink of a new year celebrating the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

It is so easy for us to forget that Mary is one of us, not hundreds of miles away from us because she is God's mother. She had no certificate declaring her Mother of God or credentials saying she was born without sin. Mary probably did not realize that Jesus was God until late in His ministry and then possibly only saw it through a mirror darkly. She was no stranger to fear. There had been a terrible revolt in her town in 6 BCE where many people were killed and tortured as the Roman soldiers brought it under control. She lived in an occupied town where soldiers were present at all times.

When Mary found out she was pregnant, she no doubt was afraid knowing what the Jewish law said about adultery. She was just one of the young women in the village and I am sure was part of the gossip of the town. Life was not easy for Mary. As Jesus began His ministry, Mary and some of His relatives appeared to talk him out of his rabble-rousing. They knew the authorities did not like what he was saying and the gossip was that He was going to be killed if He kept on that way. Mary was fearful for Him and some of His relatives were also fearful for themselves since they were family to Him and the Romans would go after family!

Mary had no idea of the Immaculate Conception nor that Jesus was God for a long time. That is our luxury today. She lived through difficult times in her life not knowing what God was saying to her. She was a common person who did all the normal things a Palestinian woman would do and yet she “pondered all these things in her heart.”

She heard the words of the prophets and kept hope alive by remembering them. Today we hear Isaiah's word which Mary surely kept alive in her heart.
“Rejoice with Jerusalem...
that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious bosom...
I will cuddle you on my lap...
and as a mother nurses her child, so I will comfort you.”

It's Mary's hope and courage we celebrate as we venture into a New Year. As Elizabeth Johnson says she is “Truly our sister” and will journey with us. I want to close with this quote from her book:

“Mary 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 difficult choices with courage; a prophet whose word announced the awesome changes God's coming would bring about in this world; a God-bearer who had divinity dancing under her heart in developing human flesh; a married woman who with her husband toiled hard to provide for their family...the mother of the itinerant preacher Jesus, terribly worried about his ministry; a middle-aged woman whose agonized grief over the public execution of her firstborn connects her with legions of bereaved women; an elder in the budding community of the church. She kept faith. We remember her.” (Truly Our Sister, p.112)

And during this year Mary is willing to accompany us on our journey...let her.

© 2012 Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica
Atchison, Kansas