Of all the scenes that the church encounters during Advent, these passages from Luke, the magnificat of Mary and the brilliant annunciation to Mary, much more beloved than the annunciations to Joseph and Zackariah, are best known by CHristians, when telling the Christmas story. This announcement of Gabriel to young Mary and the conversation that unfolds, she is perplexed, argumentative even, how can this be; and then accepting of what is to come, Let it be done according to your will.
This scene has been taken up so frequently in theology, spirituality, art, and literature.
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Without Mary, without this event, we would not be celebrating Christmas. Yet, it seems in most protestant circles, very little time is spent talking about how important Mary is to the faith story. We get nervous with her part of the story. If get too bogged down in the details of the events of this story, things can get a little awkward….
Of course, there are other Christian traditions that do spend a lot of time focusing on Mary, and the way Mary is adored in some of these traditions, may make some of us protestants nervous as well. Traditions in which status are made of Mary, prayers are said to Mary.
Some of you know, i went to high school at the Marist school, where I was a famously known wide receiver known as Dropple Topple. This was a school named after the Blessed Mother. After graduation from college, i spent two years living in Mexico City, where one of the largest churches in the world is named after Mary, and her image is everywhere from wallet sized photos are carried around to hanging from the review mirrors of buses and cabs. Also, I began my seminary studies while living and working in Chile, at The Catholic University, where of course courses were taught on Mariology, the study of Mary. Finally, I lived nearly seven years serving a Presbyterian Church in New Mexico, where many people show great devotion and respect for Mary.
So, I have been impressed by the contrast of some expressions of the Christian faith, which spend little to no time talking about Mary, when compared to those traditions which seem to talk more about her than they do Jesus!
If you will indulge me, I am grateful that these beloved passages from scripture this morning fall on this Sunday before Christmas; as it gives us an opportunity to focus a little on Mary; her life as it was spoken of in the first century and her legend as it has developed over time and across cultures. I will conclude by sharing briefly what I think may be helpful for us as people of faith who will be celebrating the birth of Jesus this week.
First let us begin with some of the legends of Mary’s legacy. I’m going to begin in the present day and may my way back through time.
Stories of Mary are being told around the globe this month.
We begin in city square known as the Plaza in Santa Fe, New mexico.
Under the glow of colored lights strung in Plaza trees, spectators cradle candles as they watch an annual re-enactment of Joseph and Mary seeking lodging called Las Posadas.
There is no room for the Holy Family in the Santa Fe Inn.
On each street of the Plaza, instead of finding refuge, they were met by devils who ridiculed and taunted them in their plight.
The crowd reacts to the devils’ ungodly behavior with boos!
Adapted as told on this website
From New Mexico we go to Mexico….As I mentioned there is the Cathedral Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, where on the 12th of December of every year, thousands of pilgrims make their way to this cite to pay homage to the Blessed Mother of Jesus.
The legend of Mary took on a unique form in Latin America due large part to this 16th century story. The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 9, 1531. The peasant, Juan Diego, passed by Tepeyac Hill, on his way to morning Mass in Mexico City.
He suddenly heard a young woman's voice affectionately calling his name, "Juanito."
Reaching the top of the hill, he saw a radiant woman clothed in splendid light
- the Ever Virgin Holy Mary, Mother of God.
She told Juan that she desired him to be her special messenger to the Bishop of Mexico City. Juan was to tell the bishop that Our Lady wanted a church to be built where she could manifest her Son and hear the petitions of her spiritual children.
When Juan told his story to the Franciscan Bishop Fray Juan Zumarraga, the bishop didn't believe.
Dejected, Juan returned to Tepeyac and asked Our Lady to use someone else more worthy than himself.
She assured him that he was personally chosen to be her ambassador.
The next day he returned to plead with the bishop. Though impressed by Juan's persistence, he was still unsure. He sent Juan to tell the Lady he needed a sign in order to know if it was truly her.
Juan encountered Mary again, and was told by her to go to the top of the hill where he would find flowers growing. IMAGE
Even though it was the frosty time of the year, he found flowers and cut them and gathered them in his cloak, and went to the bishop.
He let down his cloak and the flowers fell to the floor.
The image of Our Lady miraculously appeared on Juan's cloak!
Repenting for his unbelief with abundant tears, the Bishop promised to build the shrine that Our Lady had requested.
a more detailed account may be found here
Hail Mary, The Mother of Jesus; she has shaped history since the day she gave birth. Stories of Mary were told in the 13th century
The Tumbler of Our Lady - a story out of France
A jester decided to enter a monastery, amongst the monks of Clairvaux, France.
Soon thereafter, he became sad because he was not capable of praying the Divine Office or engaging in the intellectual or artistic activities of the monks.
He was afraid of being expelled as a useless mouth to feed. One day, while he was in the crypt of the Church before a statue of Our Lady a marvelous inspiration came to him:
“I will do that which I can, and honour with my craft the Mother of God in her monastery. Others honour her with chant, I will serve with tumbling.”
He takes off his cowl, and removes his garments, placing them near the altar, but so that his body be not naked he dons a tunic, very thin and fine. So, light and comely of body, with gown girt closely about his loins, he comes before the Image right humbly. Then raising his eyes, “Lady,” said he, “to your fair charge I give my body and my soul. Sweet Queen, sweet Lady, scorn not the thing I know, for with the help of God I will essay to serve you in good faith, even as I may.”
Then commenced he his merry play, leaping low and small, tall and high, over and under.
Then once more he knelt upon his knees before the statue, and meekly bowed his head. “Ha!” said he, “most gracious Queen, of your pity and your charity scorn not this my service.” Afterwards he did the French vault, then the vault of Champagne, then the Spanish vault, then the vaults they love in Brittany, then the vault of Lorraine.... and then, with hands before his brow, danced daintily before the altar, gazing with a humble heart at the statue of God’s Mother. “Lady,” said he, “Think not I tumble for my own delight; but I serve you.... Lady, scorn not your servant, for he toils for your good pleasure; and, Lady, you are my delight and the sweetness of the world.” Then he walked on his two hands, with his feet in the air, and his head near the ground. He twirled with his feet, and wept with his eyes. “Lady,” said he, “Others may chant your praises in the church, but here in the crypt will I tumble for YOUR delight.
Then he smote upon his breast, he sighed and wept most tenderly, since he knew no better prayer than tears.
Then he turned him about, and leaped once again. “Lady,” said he, “as God is my Savior, never have I turned this somersault before.”
After months of doing this, others discovered the tumbler’s actions, and after some investigation, they found that the Mother of God acted favorably toward the tumbler.
So, the Abbot of the monastery congratulated him and encouraged him to continue his devotion.
Upon hearing this, the good tumbler rejoiced so greatly that the great emotion caused him to fall ill. He did not rise again from his bed, and shortly he died, surrounded by the Abbot and all the monks. Clear to their very sight, about that lowly bed, stood the Mother of God, with angel and archangel, to wait the passing of his soul. Over against them were set, like wild beasts, devils and the Adversary, so they might snatch his spirit. But little profit had they for all their coming, their waiting, and their straining on the leash. ... When the soul took leave of his body, it fell not in their hands at all, for the Mother of God gathered it to her bosom, and the holy angels thronging round, cryed for joy, as the bright train swept to Heaven, according to the will of God.
(the complete story can be found here)
Hail Mary, The Mother of Jesus; she has shaped history since the day she gave birth.
Debates were had about her in the 5th century
By the 5th century, for Christians, the incarnation, whereby “God became man,” born miraculously of the Virgin Mary, was generally accepted, as evident in the Nicene Creed; but how he was both human and divine involved disputes over complex Greek terminology about the nature and essence of being.
Nestorius (circa 381-451), bishop of Constantinople, argued for a Dyophysite position: Christ has two natures, one human and one divine, and the divine nature entered into a created human form, uniting with it.
His opponent Cyril (circa 375-444), bishop of Alexandria, argued for the Monophysite, or one-nature view of Christ. Understanding the Greek word for nature, physis, differently, Monophysites argued that Christ could logically have only one nature, and that it must be divine, fused eternally with the human.
Dyophysitism saw the divine nature as separate,
dwelling within the man Jesus and untouched by the limitations and suffering experienced by the human nature.
On the other hand, Monophysites sought to maintain the pure divinity of Christ as the Logos or Divine word by establishing a single nature for him, and they derided Dyophysites for creating two Christs.
However, Nestorius did not believe Christ completely divided into two persons;
Dyophysites used “nature” in a looser sense to describe the two differing qualities of divinity and humanity in the single person of Christ.
Nestorius wanted to keep the divine and the human separate enough that he objected to calling the Virgin Mary Theotokos, the “mother of God”, as asserted by his adversary Cyril of Alexandria;
Nestorius preferred to call her Christ-bearer or “Christokos” to distinguish his human birth from his eternal divine nature, a lesser view of Mary that inflamed the often emotional debate. Nestorius was labeled a heretic and lived out his life in exile, reflecting on the bitter feelings engendered in the debate with Cyril.
As told by Karen Jolly, Traditions & Diversity (p66).
Hail Mary, The Mother of Jesus; she has shaped history since the day she gave birth.
Stories of Mary were told in the 1st century
The gospel of Luke begins the telling of Jesus’ birth in this way:
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.
The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.
He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “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 holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.
For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.”
Hail Mary, The Mother of Jesus; she has shaped history since the day she gave birth.
we know very little about the psychology and personal feelings of the historical Mary.
But, in cultures around the world her legend has been shaped and reshaped over time
we can peel back layer upon layer upon layer of interpretation and understanding and find she is a model of faith for many reasons....
And let’s peel back the layer once more....
consider with me that which makes this woman most special and important.
Perhaps more than the immaculate conception, more than her willingness, more than her devotion to her own son, more than apparitions and healings attributed to her over 2 millenia,
Mary is a model of faith because she gave birth.
Mary gave birth.
No different from the mother’s of each of us,
No different from mothers of every time and place, she gave birth.
An amazingly selfless act;
an amazingly life-giving demonstration of love and sacrifice.
Women giving birth - the great miracle of life....
So common....so ordinary.
But is it not from the ordinary, that God brings about the extraordinary?
With water comes - identity, cleansing, adoption
With Bread - life, body, sacrifice
With Wine - salvation, blood, remembrance,
With Birth - Creation, new-life, Jesus, Son of God.
Hail Mary; she has shaped history since she gave birth on Jesus’ birthday.
And it is to that story we now turn with anticipation in the week ahead.
Thanks be to God. Amen