One thing you can say about the
Church: it gets some basic facts of biology right. Here, we have to count
backward. The birth of the Virgin Mary is exactly nine months before her
conception on December 8th.
Almost
all the Saints are celebrated on the day of their return to Lord. Here are two
exceptions to this, two whose births are celebrated: John the Baptist and Mary.
In both cases, not so much on account of the special privileges of the persons
involved, but in their singular mission that was theirs in the history of
salvation.
The image that works best for the
birth of Mary is the DAWN, with the
two meanings of the word, as beginning,
and as light. Think of the dawn not
with the regularity of your morning cereal, but think of the dawn as if it were
happening the first time or after an interminably long night. If the birth of
Jesus has brought the fullness of salvation, then Mary’s birth is its dawning.
Mary lies at the confluence of the Old Covenant and the New, bringing to an end
the stage of expectations and the promises and the dawn of the new times of
grace and salvation in Christ.
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