Ostensibly written about John, the words might well ascribe to Blessed Mary, Virgin Mother of our Lord. She shines with His borrowed light and not ashamedly but proudly so. In art as well as in literature, her figure and face seem always to include the child Jesus. In some renditions, Jesus is more like a miniature man than a child but the two are usually together. She is a sign, always pointing to Christ, and from the very first moment of the announcement by the archangel. "Let it be to me as the Lord has spoken." Without claim for honor but the honor the Lord Himself has given, she consents to become the Mother of God. All generations will call her blessed not because of her holiness but for her faith, for her consent, for her humility that asked for nothing but accepting the will of the Father no matter its cost.
Christ's Light reflected in blessed Mary is her glory and the glory of all the saints. It is in this vein that the Lutheran Confessions commend the saints to us. Charles Porterfield Krauth notes that the doctrinal sections of the AC begin with God and end with the saints -- a most appropriate perspective. The Confessions call upon Christians to honor the saints by telling their stories (the history of the saints) so that we may follow the example of their faith and of their good works, as appropriate to our baptismal calling. the joy of the saints' company is not that they invite us to focus on them. Rather, the very mark of the saints is that they invite us to focus with them upon the Lamb who redeemed them with His own blood, sanctified them in the waters of Baptism, and made them shining witnesses to the glory of His resurrection. They are not dead. They live in Him. Their spirits join us (and we them) in the Divine Liturgy (Hebrews 12!) and we sing a united song with angels, archangels, and with all the company of heaven. "Holy, holy, holy!"
Today is the falling asleep of Mary, her dormition, and a feast day worthy of some reflection. Mary is for us more than saint but truly our Mother. She is the first of those who pondered in her heart all that the Lord had said to her through the angel and all that God had done. She was there for Jesus' first miracle, at the cross, and in the Upper Room she waited with the disciples for the gift of the Spirit. She received one of the seven last words from the cross. No, we ignore her to our peril for she can teach us much of Jesus, her Son and Savior.
She teaches us humility in her song of praise (The Magnificat). She teaches us absolute trust in the Father's will (Let it be to me according to His Word...). She teaches us to love Jesus and to worship Him who comes to us in flesh and blood as the Son of the Most High God. She teaches us faith, willing to be wounded for His sake and yet never as concerned about her own wounds as His. She can teach us much if we are willing to read, to listen, to pray, and to learn... But it all begins by speaking her name. If Jesus can honor her as He does and if the Church can call her first of the saints and believers in Jesus, then can we not honor her whom the Lord honored with the gift of His one and only Son? It is our first step in shining with the borrowed light that comes from Jesus to honor those whom He has honored, who have shone with the brightness of His shining. A blessed Mary's Day to you all.
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It has been the case, unfortunately, that most Protestants over the centuries seldom speak about Mary, desperately trying to separate themselves from the Catholic tradition of her high position in worship. But the Catholic tradition has also been to worship many other saints as well, praying to them, asking them to intervene on our behalf. Thus, prayers become deflected to intermediaries instead of to Jesus alone. This is where the role of Mary was taken further than the scriptures allow. For Mary, the most humble and truly blessed among women, in the Magnificat praises God as Her savior. She desired no greater acclaim than to do what the Lord commanded, and in her humble obedience gave birth to Jesus in His human form. Her example and her life reveal much to love and revere among the saints. Many people in the Catholic traditions, of whom I knew in years past, were and are very close to Mary, maybe praying to her more often than to Jesus. Perhaps, they do see her as the divine intermediary and more approachable than God? I cannot give an answer. As a former Catholic, I also prayed the Rosary frequently. Though repetitious, the rosary focuses on Mary, and some begin to revere her as almost equal to God. My dear own mother, raised a Lutheran, converted to Catholicism when she married my father. Influenced by a capuchin monk who guided her transition, she became very close to Mary throughout much of her life. I had thought about why she became Catholic, and besides wanting us children to be raised in one denomination, she might have had a psychological reason. Like other women who have been disappointed with their fathers, and husbands, and having had bad experiences with male figures, perhaps she gravitated to Mary as a softer and kindred spirit. Without doubt, many women throughout history have been abused or ignored by the men in their lives. It may be this pathological factor was also at work. It is an enigma in many respects. I think as Protestants, we need to be rid of the fear of Mary worship, and simply honor and revere her, speak of her more often, but remember that this humble woman quietly obeyed the Lord, and suffered deeply as she watched her son mocked and scorned, and crucified. She knew whom He was, as that she gave human birth to the Son of God. Mary was a sinner saved by grace. She would never agree with those whose esteem for her view her as sinless. She was saved by the grace of God as other believers. Someday, in glory, we will meet her. What a wonderful and joyous thought. Soli Deo Gloria
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