20171121 DEDICATING OURSELVES TO THE LORD WITH MARY
Zechariah
2:14-17
14 Sing, rejoice, daughter of
Zion, for now I am coming to live among you -Yahweh declares!
15 And on that day many
nations will be converted to Yahweh. Yes, they will become his people, and they willlive among you. Then
you will know that Yahweh Sabaoth has sent me to you!
16 Yahweh will take possession of Judah, his portion
in the Holy Land, and again make Jerusalem his choice.
Matthew
12:46-50
46 He was still speaking to
the crowds when suddenly his mother and his brothers were standing outside and
were anxious to have a word with him.
47 still speaking to the
crowds when suddenly his mother and his brothers were standing outside and were
anxious to have a word with him.
DEDICATING
OURSELVES TO THE LORD WITH MARY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ZECHARIAH 2:14-17; MT 12:46-50 ]
This feast was celebrated in Jerusalem in the
sixth century. A Church
was constructed to honour this aspect of the life of Mary. Historically,
our knowledge of Mary’s presentation in the Temple, as also in her birth, is
found only in apocryphal literature. Such unhistorical accounts, although
not considered as inspired scriptures, do offer us insights into the life of
Mary and the contemplation of the Church on her role in the economy of
salvation. In the Protoevangelium of James, it was recounted that
Anna and Joachim dedicated Mary to God in the Temple when she was three years
old in fulfillment of the promise made to God when Anna was still
childless. This act of consecration of course reminds us of Hannah
offering Samuel back to God at the Temple after she had weaned him. (cf 1 Sm 1:21-28)
Why is this feast so important in the eyes of
the Church? How does this
celebration help us to live out our faith? Even though this feast lacks
historicity, it serves as an encouragement and model for us to live out our
faith as Mary did. It tells us that Mary from the very beginning
of her life was dedicated to God. Her life was lived in
consecration to God at every moment. This is what the Lord said of
her. “’Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his
hand towards his disciples he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone
who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and
mother.’” Mary’s life was lived in such a way that she was obedient
to the Word of God. We too are called to consecrate our lives to God.
This is possible first and foremost if we
have good parents like Joachim and Anne. For parents, it means that their
children do not belong to them. Many
of us think that our children are our property. We can do as we like with
them. We form them according to our image and likeness. We make
them choose a career that we ourselves like, a career that brings lots of
money, fame, prestige and power. We think that they will be happy
in that manner. When we form them to be worldly people, we have failed in
our responsibility. The truth is that they are God’s children, not
ours. We are just the care-givers and the guardians like St Joseph who
looked after our Lord. The children were given to us as gifts from
God. But the gift of parenthood entails that we raise our children to be
children of God. “See what love the Father has given us, that we should
be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does
not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children
now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when
he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And
all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” (1 Jn 3:1-3)
As parents, our task is to help them to
become true children of God. “For those
whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,
in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family.” (Rom 8:29) In whatever, they do in life, they are called
to become like Christ in their way of life, according to their profession and
status in life. What is important is not that they become rich and famous
but whether they become loving and generous people who live for others and not
for themselves. “We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us
– and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.” (1 Jn 3:16)
Parents who wish their children to be
dedicated to do God’s work according to their vocation in life must therefore
imbue them with the right gospel values. It is not enough for parents to care only about
their academic education and other related skills. What is even more
important to look after is their faith and moral values. If their life is
not founded on God and morality, whatever they do will be for themselves and
not for others.
Today, we thank Joachim and Anne for their
initiative and example of offering Mary to the Lord from a tender age. We can be certain that the faith and lives of
Joachim and Anne were exemplary for Mary. She lived in the ambience of
God’s love mediated through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. Whilst
it is true that Mary was under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to consecrate
herself to God, whether at the Temple or gradually in her life, it was also the
good example of her parents that helped her to desire to love God and serve Him
all her life. Whether we like it or not, parents and adults are mentors
for our young people. We can either be a scandal to them and their faith
or be an inspiration. This is the power of influence of parents and
leaders. We can either influence them for good or for evil, depending on
how we live our lives.
As a consequence, Mary became a greater
Temple than any other earthly temple constructed by men. Because of her availability to the Lord, the
Lord came to dwell within her. She was the daughter of Zion whom the
prophet said, “Sing, rejoice, daughter of Zion; for I am coming to dwell in the
middle of you – it is the Lord who speaks.” She carried the child Jesus
in her womb as His tabernacle. John the Baptist leapt for joy when he
encountered the Lord in the same way King David leapt for joy when he met the
Lord in the Ark of the Covenant. “As the ark of the Lord came
into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and
saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord.” (2 Sm 6:16 cf Lk 1:44) The Lord was with her because of her docility
to His love and His will. To consecrate means to put ourselves at the
disposal of the Lord. That was what she said at the Annunciation.
“Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your
word.” (Lk 1:38) When we make ourselves
available to the Lord, He will always do great things for us. “He has looked
with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy
is his name.” (Lk 1:48f) The more we abandon
ourselves to the Lord, the more He will work in and through us.
Not only did she become a Temple of God, Mary
also became a channel of grace to the Lord, fulfilling the prophecy of
Zechariah. “Many
nations will join the Lord, on that day; they will become his people. But
he will remain among you, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me
to you. But the Lord will hold Judah as his portion in the Holy Land, and
again make Jerusalem his very own. Let all mankind be silent before the Lord!
For he is awakening and is coming from his holy dwelling.” Through Mary,
many have been brought to the Lord Jesus. She continues to play a
critical role in making us all children of God. Her blessing was not for
herself but given to us, her children, as well. If, like Mary, we follow
the will of God, we too become His mother, brothers and sisters, as Jesus
promised. So if we want our children to also be channels of God’s
love to others, let us groom them well according to the gospel values.
Most of all, we must allow them to encounter the Lord so that His Spirit can
fill them with His love.
In the final analysis, we must realize that
holiness of life is not just our effort but basically, it is the work of God in
us. In celebrating the
feast of the Presentation of Mary, we are saying that the holiness of Mary’s
life was the work of the Holy Spirit in her, beginning with her Immaculate
Conception to her birth and continuing through her early childhood to her
teenage years and until her death. The Holy Spirit was with her to keep
her holy and faithful to the Word of God. This is the power of the
grace of God in transforming Mary to be a channel of grace to our Lord.
If we, especially priests and religious, offer ourselves to the Lord as Mary
did, then God will also make use of us for His glory and for His people.
Let us all, regardless of whether we are
parents, priests, religious or children, imitate Mary in consecrating our
lives, plans and ambition to the Lord. Let us live
for the Lord and His people. Let us live in Him so that He can live
in us, as St Paul says “it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives
in me.” (cf Gal 2:20). Only in total dedication
and self-oblation with Mary, can the Lord use us mightily for His service.
Written by The
Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights
Reserved
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