This Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrates the mystery of the Hidden God. Yes, God is “working” in countless ways in which we are totally unaware. Deep underneath human consciousness and awareness, God is present in creation, in us, before our very existence. God is present and active at the very moment we come into existence through the sexual union of man and woman. And God NEVER is not present within us and at our side. God remains passionately hidden, except in those moments of transcendent clarity when God surfaces and emerges in consciousness. We realize that we are NEVER alone!!! Only loved....
At the moment her mother and father came together in intimate, sexual love, Mary was conceived, and God was present before, during and after this explosion of love. Just as he is in the creation of each and every human being, no matter the situation. God’s love grounds every act of conception.
But this Hidden God had a singular purpose for the one human being, Mary, in which her conception had a beautiful, “hidden” Grace that would prepare her for an encounter with an Angel years later. This mysterious, hidden God, planted within this Grace, the freedom for Mary to accept or reject the call to be the Mother of the One to lead humanity back into Eden. Yes, she could have said “No,” because God always gives us the freedom to surrender to his Will and Plan for our salvation or to go our own way. Mary chose freely to “mother” the Redeemer of us all into existence: Jesus, the Christ.
This Feast is so important and vital because it reminds us we are created in love, God’s love, and we don’t have to do ANYTHING to merit this love!!!!!! The exclamation points should go on for eternity because we don’t have to EARN this divine Love!! It is there, mostly hidden, waiting for us to become aware through prayer. Prayer is the door that opens to God, who no longer is hidden, but present, at that moment of prayer. This is the deepest intimacy we can experience, much like the sexual act, but much, much more powerful. Prayer!!! God is not “like” a liver... God IS a Lover!!
Mary knew this, and was prepared to continually experience God’s passionate love at the very moment of her Conception. She lived and loved God OUT of hiddenness and into presence throughout her life and into her “assumption” into Eden, embracing Eve, the first woman. Two mothers coming together in redeemed and transformed love.
Mary is Mother to us all for Christ gave her as Mother to the whole human race, past, present and future. Her unique humanity, graced at her conception, is also largely hidden from our awareness because we choose to keep her hidden. She waits for us in prayer to guide us on our own unique journeys to her Son. She always leads us to her Son. She wants us to give birth to him within our hearts.
Mary, this Feast, reminds us we have to do NOTHING to make God love us. He just does, even when we don’t love him, even when we sin. God can’t stop loving. It’s in his very nature.
Peace, Joy,
Fr. Frank