By Clara Meier

“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.” ~ Luke 1:38

Today is a solemnity in the calendar of the Church. One way to tell that we are celebrating a solemnity is by noting that there are two readings in addition to the Gospel for today’s Mass. If you pay attention to today’s first reading, it ties in directly with the Gospel: a virgin shall bear a son. The Gospel is the story of the fulfillment of this prophecy.

The Church has several solemnities, as well as many holy days—all special days marking very special occasions. So it is in our own lives. We have special days that we celebrate. Those special days include graduations, engagements, weddings, the birth of a child, special anniversaries, retirement, and others. Though each day can be marked on a calendar, that one day represents days, or even years, of a personal journey.

The Annunciation

This is true for Mary, too. The calendar is marked with Mary’s Immaculate Conception on December 8. The Jews spent generations waiting for Mary to be conceived. Nine months after the Immaculate Conception, on September 8, we celebrate Mary’s birth. These are two days we celebrate, with many days in between, representing the journey from conception to birth.

Today, we are celebrating the moment when Mary was given her purpose: to be the mother of Jesus. From the time of her birth, when Mary was conceived without original sin, until this moment, Mary had been educated to prepare for her adulthood as a good Jewish woman. The angel arrived to tell Mary her time had come. Those days of preparation allowed her to freely give her “yes” to the angel. She did ask the angel for some clarification regarding the method of conception, but that didn’t stop her from giving her answer freely. She recognized the request came from God in heaven, and she had great faith. Her “yes” allows us to continue to mark this day on our calendar, hundreds of years later. 

Because of Mary’s “yes” on the event we celebrate today, we can move forward in the calendar to December 25 and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. The birth of Jesus then leads us to His crucifixion and resurrection, when He died and rose again.

There are many other days we celebrate in the Church’s liturgical calendar. Think of how intertwined they are in building our faith and telling the story of Jesus on earth and in heaven!

In our own lives

When we look at our own calendars, it is important to remember that every day counts. Even though we mark big days with big celebrations, it takes every day of our lives to arrive at those big days of celebration. Passing all those exams allowed you to graduate. Dating and discerning prepared you for a wedding and the life of marriage to follow. Maintaining your faith practices in every aspect of your life even prepares you for your eternal life in heaven, after this life on earth.

Sister, what are you doing each day that matters? You may think that you live a “boring” life. You go to work. You clean the house. You parent your children according to their own phase of life. You cook for your family, and for others. You volunteer at school and church, and in the community. Does any of it matter? All of it can sound like such incredible drudgery. Each action and relationship you nourish from day to day is a reflection of you and your relationship with Jesus. Hopefully, you are making time to have a relationship with Jesus too. Daily talks with Him remind you of your purpose in life and give you strength to carry on. Day after day, things slowly move along. Everything you are doing matters greatly! Remember, it is the days that turn into events!

Prayer:

Father in heaven, please be with me as I go through my daily activities. Help me remember that daily activities have huge purpose in the future of my life and my family, even in future generations. Give me the patience to endure what may seem boring, or difficult, or even useless. You have given us purpose for every activity. Please remind me to see that purpose. Please remind me there is purpose in everything, even if it is hard to see at this moment.

Call to Action:

Make time to start a “memory” jar. You can do this alone or with your family. At the evening meal, write down something special that happened that day on a small piece of paper, and drop it in a jar. At the end of the year, make a special time to gather and read through the memories. Treasure your memories, and look forward to the big events they will lead to!

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