Dear Friends,
September 8 is a very important day in the Marian calendar and for Marian devotion. It is the birthday of our Blessed Mother Mary. This feast day is celebrated exactly nine months after the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8. However, this year, September 8 falls on a Sunday and so Mary’s birthday is not even mentioned in the Ordo, the liturgical calendar of the Church. Even though September 8 is not a Holy Day of Obligation, many Marian devotees may be confused or even upset about this glaring omission. How is this possible? Is this not an affront or disrespect to Mary? Not at all. Why not? The reason is simple: Sunday is the Day of the Lord and it will have precedence over the feast of any other saint, even that of Mary. There can be exceptions, for instance, when the feast of the patron saint of a parish is to be celebrated on a Sunday.
In this context, it is good for us to know of a beautiful Apostolic Exhortation that Pope Saint Paul VI wrote in 1974 titled Marialis Cultus, (The Cult of Mary). It is a short but excellent writing on Mary. In the face of excessive pious practices and non-Biblical devotion to Mary, the Pope wanted us have a true Marian spirituality and appreciate the right place of Mary in the life of the Church. The Marian devotions should not be an end in themselves, but should clearly lead us to the mystery of Christ. Hence when a Mass is celebrated to honor Mary, the key point is that Mary is present always to glorify and to magnify the Lord. Mary never seeks her honor and glory but to glorify Jesus. Our Lady proclaimed so eloquently in her Canticle of praise—the Magnificat—these words: “My soul does magnify the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior….” (Lk 1:46-47)
Paul VI insisted that a true Marian devotion should include at least three indispensable elements: Christocentric, Biblical, and Ecclesial. The document called for the need to correct some doctrinal deviations, in some popular presentations of Mary, in the light of the Scriptures and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This was very important to Catholic Church’s sensitivity to the perception of different Christian denominations who base themselves only on the Bible for their beliefs and practices, including their understanding of Mary’s role. Marialis Cultus no.32 reveals the concern for the restoration of Christian unity in the ecumenical environment, with the document identifying some common understandings of the mystery of Mary with the Orthodox Christians, the Anglicans and the Reformed Churches.
Today’s gospel has Jesus healing a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. Jesus takes the man aside from the crowd. Being away from the bustling noise of the crowd is very significant. Blaring voices can hinder us from hearing the voice of God. We can truly listen to God only when we create a space for silent listening. That is what Mary did as Luke testifies: And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart – Luke 2:19. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and His mother kept all these things in her heart – Luke 2:51. Happy Birthday to our Blessed Mother Mary!
Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Abraham Orapankal