August 14, 2014: Mary, Mother of Our Lord

August 14, 2014: Mary, Mother of Our Lord

⁴⁶And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,⁴⁸for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.⁵⁰His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.⁵²He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,⁵⁵according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

(Luke 1:46-55, NRSV)

On my first trip to the Holy Land three years ago, we arrived in Tel Aviv, drove through Jerusalem, and then on to Bethlehem, where our theological conference was to take place. After dropping off our bags at the Lutheran guest house, my spouse asked: “OK, what do you want to see first?” I didn’t even have to think about it. “The Milk Grotto”, was my instant reply.

Sure, we were in the village of Jesus’ birth. And yes, I wanted to see Manger Square and join the centuries of pilgrims who have visited the spot in the basement of the Church of the Nativity where Jesus is said to have been born.

But I had heard of another place, around the corner and down a side street from the Nativity Church, where both Christians and Muslims pray. It’s called the Milk Grotto. The story goes that this is the spot where Mary and Joseph and little Jesus rested as they were fleeing to Egypt. They stopped so Mary could nurse Jesus, and in doing so, a drop of the milk spilled on the ground, turning the stone of the cave a milky white.

It’s still one of my favorite places, partly because of its quiet and peace in the midst of the touring crowds. (Actually, both Bethlehem and Jerusalem could use more of those crowds of tourists these days…)

I also love to visit the Milk Grotto because I have a special devotion to Mary, Mother of Our Lord. It’s sad to think that this can be a controversial statement to make as a Lutheran Christian! Never mind the fact that Martin Luther himself had a devotion to Mary. I keep hearing the voice of my grandmother in my head, who had been taught that saints, icons, and “that Mary stuff” was “too Catholic”. Of course, we heard about Mary during Advent, and even saw her on Christmas Eve (and perhaps on Good Friday, at the foot of the cross), but at other times she was a minor character in a show whose beginning, middle, and end was Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

Don’t get me wrong—I love Jesus! The love he showed for the world on the cross is why I am not shy about calling him Lord and Savior.

A pilgrim contemplating an image of Mary and Jesus,
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem
Photo by Carrie Smith

But I can also be inspired by the life of this young woman, who said “yes” to God when many others would say “no way.” My heart can be opened to have compassion for immigrants and non-traditional families when I remember Mary and Joseph, traveling to Bethlehem and finding no room in the inn. Human bodies become holy temples when I contemplate how a young woman was the one God chose to be Theotokos, the “God-bearer” (and, by the way, the “Christ-nurser”!) And I can find strength to face whatever comes, when I see Mary at the foot of the cross, facing the most unimaginable pain, the loss of her child.

Above all, it is the Magnificat, Mary’s powerful, prophetic song in Luke chapter 1, which inspires and activates my faith. She sings of a God of both might and mercy, who practices a preferential option for the poor, the voiceless, and the forgotten of the world. This is the God I know, too. And this is the kind of world-changing love we have seen in the cross of Christ.

Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Almighty God, in choosing the virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son, you made known your gracious regard for the poor, the lowly, and the despised. Grant us grace to receive your word in humility, and so to be made one with your Son, Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

(Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Prayer of the Day for August 14, 2014)