Dear All,
Yesterday I was touched especially by this phrase in Matthew's account of the visit of the Magi:
Quote:
...and they saw the child with Mary, His Mother.
In that phrase, I hear again:
Quote:
...The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship...(CCC, paragraph 971)
There are many facets of this feast we might ponder, but I am touched by this phrase in a special way. I began to "see" Christ by faith as a child without seeing Mary His Mother so clearly, if seeing her at all. Nevertheless, as I began to grow physically and spiritually I began to "see" Mary more and more by faith, so that I can hardly think of Jesus now without thinking of Mary too.
"What about St. Joseph?" some may ask. I wondered that too, but I think God wants us to hear only Mary in this phrase because she alone gave birth to Jesus. It is through Mary that all grace flows to us. Joseph is mentioned in the following verses of the passage and we see how truly Joseph is the Protector and Guardian of Jesus and Mary. God warns Joseph in a dream to take the Child and His Mother and flee into Egypt. Joseph, ever obedient to God's Word, rose and took the Child and His Mother by night and departed into Egypt.
Mary is a symbol of the Church through whom we now receive Jesus in His Word and Sacraments. St. Joseph is rightly named Protector and Guardian of the Universal Church. The Holy Family is God's gift to all families that we may "see" the beauty of human love, embraced by Divine Love. May our families welcome all who ask, and seek, and knock (cf Mt. 7:7-11) to find Christ.
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