The Dormition of Our Most Holy Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary
Feast of the Mother of God
Read
Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 10:38-42, 11:27-28
A number of times over the years, I’ve listened to Protestant sermons that touch on the role of the Virgin Mary. Not surprisingly, our Protestant brothers and sisters rarely honour the Theotokos as much as we do, but I have repeatedly heard one phrase from these preachers that has struck me: “Mary knew her Bible.” Whether they are preaching on the annunciation, the visitation, the wedding at Cana, or Mary standing next to the cross, they are convinced that Mary studied the scriptures and had a unique insight into how they were being fulfilled by her Son.
The same message – “Mary knew her Bible” – is at the heart of today’s gospel. Mary, the sister of Martha, is a symbol of the Theotokos who has chosen the better part, to sit and learn at the feet of the Lord; and when Jesus answer’s the woman in the crowd who extols his mother by saying “Blessed, rather, are those who hear the word of God and observe it,” we know from our reading of the rest of the gospels that Mary heard the word of God and observed it! We know she read the scriptures faithfully because of her response to Gabriel, because of her service to her cousin Elizabeth, because of her faithful and painful witness at the crucifixion. Let’s honour Mary today not only by asking for her prayers but also by reading the scripture’s faithfully like she did – those scriptures that bear witness to her special role in our salvation