[1]Something about Scripture today stirred my memory of how my brothers
used to chase crayfish in the creek in New York. In the chase and as we moved
the rocks, in the shallow water, it would get so clouded with sediments, that we
couldn’t see the crayfish scurry away in the muddied waters. That was until we
learned to work together, to be patient, and learned to stay still long enough,
and plan our steps & movements, to let the natural movement of the water, clear
the settlements away allowing us to see clearly what we sought.
Today is the
feast of Our Lady of Loreto, decreed by Pope Francis on October 7, 2019.
Tradition
holds that a small house in Loreto, Italy originated in Nazareth and is the
actual home of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The house is very small, one-room
measuring 30 x 13 feet. It is composed simply of stones and mortar typical of Palestine
and hand-chiseled in a style consistent of the time of Jesus. This was thought
to be the home of Mary’s parents, Saints Anne and Joachim. The Immaculate
Conception occurred in this house. It is here the Angel Gabriel appeared to
Mary, and with her “Fiat” the Incarnation happened in this house. This was the house believed
to be where the Holy Family lived after returning from their time in Egypt.
Jesus lived in this house until he was 30 and began his public ministry. Here
also is where St. Joseph died.
This feast
of Our Lady of Loreto is a bridge of the Advent season to Christmas. Pope
Francis in his decree points out:
“That sanctuary recalls the mystery of the Incarnation and
prompts all those who visit it to consider the fullness of time, when God sent
his Son, born of a woman, and to meditate on both the words of the angel in the
Gospel and the words of Virgin who answered the divine call. Overshadowed by
the Holy Spirit, the humble servant of the Lord has become the house of
divinity, the purest image of the holy Church.”[2]
Worldly temptations often muddy the waters of this life. If we choose to continue to thrash around the muddied waters chasing our desires or justify ourselves (even with the best of intentions) the Truth can be lost in a muddied vision of faith, which may lead to many forms of sin. Holding still, resting in the silence, and allowing God’s grace to wash over us offer fleeting moments of clarity as we continue to walk the bridge between Advent and Christmas. When we allow the waters of our Baptism to flow naturally it clears our hearts and mind to clearly see the mystery and will of our heavenly Father, for his Church, for each one of us, and for all his beloved children.
[1] Scripture (NABRE), Isaiah 48:17-19; Matthew 11:16-19.
[2] CatholicCulture.org “The
New Advent Feast, Our Lady of Loreto” by
Jennifer Gregory Miller, December 11, 2019
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