Remembrance of me is a legacy to future generations.
I bud forth delights like the vine,
my blossoms become fruit fair and rich.
Come to me, all you that yearn for me,
and be filled with my fruits.
You will remember me as sweeter than honey,
better to have than the honeycomb.
Whoever eats of me will hunger still,
whoever drinks of me will thirst for more;
whoever obeys me will not be put to shame,
whoever serves me will never fail.
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Commentary on Sir 24:17-21
“In this chapter Wisdom speaks in the first person, describing her origin, her dwelling place in Israel, and the reward she gives her followers. As in Proverbs 8 Wisdom is described as a being who comes from God and is distinct from him. While we do not say with certainty that this description applies to a personal being, it does foreshadow the beautiful doctrine of the Word of God later developed in St. John's Gospel (John 1:1-14). In the liturgy this chapter is applied to the Blessed Virgin because of her constant and intimate association with Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom.”[1]
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RESPONSORIAL PSALM
R. (Is 61:10b) My spirit rejoices in my God.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
R. My spirit rejoices in my God.
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
R. My spirit rejoices in my God.
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,
R. My spirit rejoices in my God.
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Commentary on Lk 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54
This is a selection from the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), which is the beautiful Canticle of Mary. Her song of thanksgiving and humility captures the saintliness that has become synonymous with our image of Mary the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven, and the Mother of the Church. In her dedication of the service she offers to God as vessel of the Messiah, she sets the stage for the humble birth of Jesus.
"Three stanzas may be distinguished in the canticle: in the first (verses 46-50) Mary glorifies God for making her the Mother of the Savior, which is why future generations will call her blessed; she shows that the Incarnation is a mysterious expression of God's power and holiness and mercy. In the second (verses 51-53) she teaches us that the Lord has always had a preference for the humble, resisting the proud and boastful. In the third (verses 54-55) she proclaims that God, in keeping with His promise, has always taken care of His chosen people – and now does them the greatest honor of all by becoming a Jew (cf. Romans 1:3)."[2]
CCC: Lk 1:46-55 722, 2619, 2675; Lk 1:46-49 2097; Lk 1:48 148, 971, 2676, 2676; Lk 1:49 273, 2599, 2807, 2827; Lk 1:50 2465; Lk 1:54-55 706
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GOSPEL
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
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Commentary on Lk 1:26-38
This passage, from St. Luke’s Gospel, is the story of Mary being informed by the archangel Gabriel that she has been chosen for the great privilege of bearing the Savior of the world. St. Mary graciously accepts this honor, although with very human fear, indicating that her free will is at play. This response makes her obedience to God’s will more powerful. It is proposed that, with this acceptance, Mary entered into a vow of perpetual virginity because of the demands of Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel."
In St. Luke’s story of the Annunciation, the archangel Gabriel comes to Mary and tells her she will bear a son and name him Jesus (the eternal implication of this statement is made clear in the greeting which presupposes knowledge of Mary’s entire existence). Mary confirms the title “Virgin” as she questions Gabriel saying: “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” Even though she does not understand, Mary accepts her role and is told that the Holy Spirit will be the agent of the life within her. She then utters those amazing words: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
This announcement parallels Zechariah’s news about John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-23), also delivered by the archangel Gabriel. This passage clearly identifies Jesus as Son of David and Son of God, thus linking it with the messianic predictions from the Old Testament.
CCC: Lk 1:26-38 497, 706, 723, 2571; Lk 1:26-27 488; Lk 1:26 332; Lk 1:28-37 494; Lk 1:28 490, 491; Lk 1:31 430, 2812; Lk 1:32-33 709; Lk 1:32 559; Lk 1:34 484, 497, 505; Lk 1:35 437, 484, 486, 697; Lk 1:37-38 494; Lk 1:37 148, 269, 273, 276; Lk 1:38 64, 148, 510, 2617, 2677, 2827, 2856
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Reflection:
I’ll begin this reflection with two
quotes, first from the New Advent
online Catholic Encyclopedia:
 |
| The Madonna of the Roses by William-Adolphe Bouguereau 1903 |
And next from the Franciscan Media:
“Mary always points us to
God, reminding us of God’s infinite goodness. She helps us to open our hearts
to God’s ways, wherever those may lead us. Honored under the title 'Queen of
Peace,' Mary encourages us to cooperate with Jesus in building a peace based on
justice, a peace that respects the fundamental human rights of all peoples.”
As we celebrate this thousand-year-old
feast, we contemplate what the celebration of the name of a person or thing
means. The use of a powerful name
implies that acts or actions taken in that name are directly attributed to
it. For instance, when a judge or
justice invokes their authority, they generally do so with a statement like:
“By the authority invested in me by (naming the appointing governmental
jurisdiction)”; they are saying that the name under which they serve has the
power to achieve the actions they propose.
Similarly, when explorers find new
land, they might plant their country’s flag saying: “I claim you in the name of
(a country or land to which they hold allegiance).” And of course we are all aware of the great
commissioning that took place at the end of St. Matthew’s Gospel wherein Jesus
told his disciples: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy
Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)
Invocation of a name and the power
associated with it is most clearly present in the kenotic hymn from St. Paul’s
Letter to the Ephesians. In the final
strophe of that ancient song we hear that because of Jesus’ great humility and
obedience: "God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above
every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in
heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Our veneration of the Most Holy
Name of Mary, as is stated in the quotes above, is based upon our faith in the
Blessed Mother’s ongoing impact on our lives, and our world. She, who was so loved by our Lord and Savior
(whose name is above every other name) that he crowned her Queen of Heaven, has
constantly directed us toward the source of our salvation. The Most Holy Name of Mary reminds us whose
authority we are under and whose kingdom we proclaim.
Scripture reminds us that the
Mother of God accepted her charge from God willingly, sacrificing all that she
was and had for the greater glory of God, thinking nothing of herself. It is this deference to God’s will that
becomes our example and we are reminded of it each time we invoke the name of
Mary.
Today we pray that our Blessed
Mother’s name will be constantly in front of us, leading us to her Son, and
guiding us in holiness.
Pax
[1] See NAB footnote on Sirach 24:1-27.
[2] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 350.
[2] The Navarre Bible, “Gospels and Acts,” Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2002, p. 350.
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