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One of the central figures during the seasons of Advent and Christmas is, of course, the Blessed Virgin Mary. We celebrate Mary in the liturgy with the feasts of the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Gospel of Luke calls our attention to the visitation of our Blessed Mother to her cousin Elizabeth and the Christmas readings highlight Mary’s central role as the mother of our savior.
In addition to the focus on Mary during Advent and Christmas, many of our parishes throughout eastern Washington have Mary as their patroness. St. Mary Presentation, St. Mary, Pure Heart of Mary, Assumption, Immaculate Conception, Mary Queen, Our Lady of the Lake, Our Lady of Fatima, and Our Lady of Lourdes are all represented in the Diocese of Spokane. It is my understanding that Bishop Topel had a great devotion to Mary and was instrumental in naming several of these parishes.
In my opinion, one of the most important virtues of the Blessed Mother is her humility. Unlike the disobedience of Eve in the Garden of Eden, Mary had the humility to accept God’s will for her life. Confused and a little afraid on hearing the message of the angel Gabriel, Mary nonetheless obeyed God’s will and brought forth the Savior of the World. Pride was present in the Garden of Eden but humility triumphed at the annunciation. This is why the Church traditionally has viewed Mary as the “new Eve.”
During this holy time of the year, it is important to remember that humility is an important virtue for all of us to foster in our lives. Satan tempts us to pride. Pride clouds our judgment and impairs our ability to follow God’s will. Humility opens our hearts. It manifests itself in an ability to die to self so that God’s plan for us grows and thrives.
Mary’s humility was demonstrated most clearly through her famous response at the annunciation, “let it be done to me according to your word.” At this holy time of the year, my hope is for these words to take root in the hearts of all the faithful throughout the Church in eastern Washington. May Mary, who is so prominent during this season and in parishes throughout our diocese, pray for us to be open to the powerful virtue of humility.
Happy Advent and Merry Christmas.