The Blessed Virgin Mary: A Rookie Anglican Guide
March 25th is the feast day commemorating the Annunciation, the announcement to the Virgin Mary that she would bear the Son of God. See Luke 1:26-38 for the beautiful story. We observe this day because it is nine months before Christmas Day.
Mary: The God-Bearer, or Mother of God
Mary’s faith lives on, and many generations have indeed called her blessed as she prophesied in the Magnificat. We call her blessed on Sundays, when we praise God for “the blessed Virgin Mary.” God uniquely used her as a means of giving the world amazing grace, which is why Elizabeth sang that she was “blessed among women”. She was given a special role in the story of our salvation, a story that involves human beings in God’s plan: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, along with the prophets and matriarchs, and Mary and the Apostles. She is the Theotokos, “the one who gave birth to God” or “God-bearer.” And with all of the saints and the faithful departed, she is alive in the presence of Christ, and in communion with us as part of the one body of Christ.
Sponsored
Mary: An Exemplar of Piety
On this feast day, we take some time to reflect on the faith of the Virgin Mary. She was a poor but faithful Israelite. She prayed and hoped the Messiah would come. Joseph had engaged to marry her, a pious Jewish woman. Life was difficult for Mary, with the Roman oppression and the harshness of everyday existence. While many questioned whether the Messiah would come at all, doubting the promises to be fulfilled, she remained faithful to the God of her fathers. She is a great example of patience, trust, and devotion.
One day, the angel Gabriel appeared. Gabriel said the Holy Spirit would overshadow her, a virgin, and conceive in her the Son of God. She was to call his name Jesus, which means ‘the Lord saves.” I can’t imagine a more surprising, life-changing, or unbelievable event happening to this impoverished young woman. Yet, she received the word from God, saying,
Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.
Luke 1:38
How did she do that? She does it by faith.
The Magnificat: the Virgin’s Song
Mary had a deep, humble faith in God. We see it in Magnificat, or Mary’s Song, as Mary visits with Elizabeth, her cousin. Listen to the beginning of this amazing song of praise,
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
Luke 1:46-49
Though Christians have sometimes gone to extremes in devotion to Mary, we should not miss out on what is biblical and spiritually healthful about her place in our faith. We could miss out on a central part of our faith, and we would miss out on the special gift that Mary’s femininity brought to the world, and brings to us today.
First, we need to see that God used a faithful woman in a uniquely feminine way in his plan. Making sure to recognize and ponder Mary’s place in the story helps us to see God’s work through both men and women, both made in his image, and to rejoice that we have a mother of our faith as well as the fathers of our faith. We see God in the Blessed Virgin, a window, an icon.
Second, as we ponder her faithfulness, we pray that God will enable us to trust him fully and be found faithful in our day. Third, we see Mary continue following Jesus, remaining close to him even at the cross. She stayed with him not only because he was her son but also because she was faithful to the Lord her God. She had already learned that God was faithful, even when she didn’t know exactly what he was doing.
Mary, a Staple of Fidelity
Finally, she served as an integral part of the Jerusalem church at Pentecost and in its early formation. She was truly faithful from the beginning to the end of her part of the story. She gave birth to Jesus and was there for the birth of the Church, the body of Christ. We give God thanks and praise, just as she did.
As we celebrate this feast, it is good to call Mary blessed. It’s good to praise “the fruit of her womb,” Jesus. It is good to glorify God for her unique role as the Mother of God. It is good to love her and to see her as our mother in faith. Is it not good to give thanks to the Lord, for as Mary said, “his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation?”
Since today is a Feast Day, many Christians “break the fast” of Lent. In some traditions, the pastor has to provide a “dispensation’ for the people to be able to feast, instead of observing the fast. Anglicans don’t have pastoral dispensations; for those who would like special pastoral advice, feast away!
Photo of the Hagia Sophia by: Engin Akyurt on Unsplash.
Published on
St. Mary the Virgin: Reflections from a Former Evangelical
As someone who grew up evangelical Protestant, I always viewed the doctrinal distinctives of the Church of Rome with suspicion. To me, one of the stranger elements of Roman piety and practice was devotion to the Virgin Mary. I always believed Mary was important and special. She miraculously conceived our Lord, after all! However, because…
The Liturgical Home: The Feast of St. Mary the Virgin
On August 15th, Christians worldwide celebrate the Feast of St. Mary the Virgin, Mother of Our Lord, honoring the remarkable life of the mother of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a joyous occasion filled with reverence, thanksgiving, and reflection on Mary’s profound role in the salvation story. The Life of St. Mary The life…
