Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God

Readings of the Day

"As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way!" -Irish blessing. 

This is often the way we think of blessings in modern instant gratification culture... More of a wish for good luck than a meaningful invitation for the divine. The blessing God instructs Aaron to give to the Israelites in the first reading today is a bit different. The focus is on God's presence, God's attention, and God's love. When God accompanies us, we are blessed. No one exemplifies this better than Mary, who we celebrate today. Her life wasn't easy by any estimate. She was pregnant as an unwed teenager, lived in poverty, and ran from her homeland as a refugee. Her experience was full of "splinters pointing the wrong direction." And yet, she was blessed. God's favor was with her, and she is praised through the generations. She took time to ponder the good things and praise God for them, even though she knew more trials were to come. And through that, she found a deep peace, even when the world around her was falling apart.

It can be important for us to remember this dynamic with the people we serve as well. Some times, things are not going to be easy, pleasant, or even just for our clients or our communities. Sometimes, we can improve things, and that's a beautiful feeling. Sometimes, we can't. In those moments, we can invite God into that space and invoke the blessing in the first reading: "The LORD bless you and keep you. The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!"

Sheila Herlihy, ofs, is Coordinator of Justice and Charity at the Church of the Incarnation in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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