8 SEPTEMBER 2023
It is hard to believe that one month has passed since the devastating wildfires destroyed the infrastructure of Lahaina. During this time we have seen the amazing resilience of that community, and their strength inspires all of us in Hawai'i, as well as throughout the world. It is another example of how people will always arise to do great deeds of service in the face of immense tragedy.
Today the church celebrates the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the church it is rare that we celebrate earthly birthdays. We only do it for two saints. John the Baptist's birthday is celebrated on June 24, and St. Mary the Virgin's birthday is celebrated on September 8. Otherwise, Christian saints are always celebrated on their date of death, or what we might call their heavenly birthday. We belong to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ rather than the dominions of our secular world, and thus our true birth is our birth into Christ's kingdom, first marked by our initiation through Holy Baptism.
Like the people of Lahaina, Mary was no stranger to tragedy, pain, and trauma. Jesus would be born into a hostile world, and soon after his birth, the Holy Family had to flee to Egypt for safety from King Herod. All of life would be a challenge for Mary, watching her son be hated by many. As Simeon predicted, a sword would pierce her heart when Jesus was crucified. Even with the joy of the resurrection, Jesus would be doubted, and his followers would be persecuted. It is remarkable that she remained faithful to God's plan from the very beginning, for her life was a series of traumatic events, challenging her repeatedly.
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a feast that orients us to the future. It is the glimmer of light at dawn that symbolizes the great salvation that is to come. Mary's birth leads eventually to her fiat, and from that fiat, Christ is born, crucified, and resurrected, and the world is saved by the Light. As Christians, we honor the past, but we also know that the future is where the action is. The Light came to save an occupied people in historic Palestine, and the Light continues to save people in our world today.
Jesus Christ will always be the center of all healing in our world, whether recognized or not. This is because ultimately the Christian God is a God of supreme love, and this God in Jesus Christ came to serve humanity rather than dominate humanity. There is no bargaining with Jesus Christ, and there is no dominating with Jesus Christ. There is no need to placate Jesus Christ, and there is no need to be afraid of Jesus Christ. With the Christian God, there is only love, and it is only such love that can heal our world.
On this day of the Blessed Mother's nativity, when we mark one month since those ravaging fires, we continue to pray for all those who are hurting. May the Light that dawned at Mary's birth continue to shine, and may the Light of Jesus Christ bring hope to all those who are hurting today.
Father Paul Lillie +
