Homilies & Thoughts

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the supreme model for the Church and for every believer. Yet, it is unfortunate that we so often misunderstand and mischaracterize her. For far too long, Mary has been seen as merely demure and maidenly, a passive vessel who carried God rather than an active participant in the drama of salvation.

But that is not the Mary of Nazareth we encounter in scripture. A passive vessel is not the young woman who said “yes” to God. The Mary of the Gospels is the Mother of God, the model of Christian faith, and the greatest of Jesus’ disciples. God did not love her and bestow his abundant grace upon her because she was quiet and submissive. He chose her as his very mother because she was courageous. When faced with an incomprehensible mystery, she said “yes.” Contrast this with the many men in scripture who hesitated or tried to avoid God’s call. Elijah hid his face. 1 Kings 19:13 Jeremiah said, “I am too young.” Jer 1:6 Moses said, “I think you are looking for my brother.” See Exod 4:10-16 But Mary stared directly into the heart of the mystery, and with courage and faith, she said “yes.” Yes, she would give birth to the world’s salvation. Yes, she would stand by the cross and watch her only child die so that we all might live.

How often have you misplaced something important—your car keys, your phone, or even your wallet? When something essential is lost, panic sets in. We overturn couch cushions, retrace steps, and search with increasing desperation. And then, sometimes, we find the item in the most obvious place—right in front of us or even in our hand. In that moment, relief floods in, but we might also laugh at ourselves for missing what was there all along.

On this sacred day, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, we must reflect deeply on the mystery of the Incarnation. I think we often misunderstand what it truly means. We might view it as a purely supernatural and miraculous event—God coming down to earth to show us the path to heaven, a call to leave the world behind and fix our eyes solely on eternity. While there is truth in that, it is not the whole truth. In fact, this understanding can distort the profound message of Christmas. The Incarnation is not simply about our journey to heaven; it is about heaven coming to us and transforming the here and now.