Sermon 161. 18 Nov 18 Sir 24:9-12; Heb 2:11-18; Lk 2:41-52 Entry-Dedication

As Preached by Brother Luke
Holy Wisdom Chapel


Whenever I think about the life of the Theotokos a theme that always emerges is her willingness to hear [harken to] the word of God and go where that word is leading, exemplified by the story of the Annunciation. But today’s feast goes back to when Mary was a very young girl and under the guardianship of her parents. It is their action that inaugurates Mary’s very special life’s journey. Their decision to take her to the Temple, not just for a blessing but to dedicate her to a holy life under God’s protection, is a response of gratitude to God for the gift of the child Mary coming to this couple despite their advanced age. The story of this Temple visit and the early life of Mary come to us from a proto-evangelical source, the Gospel of James, that did not make it into the canonical corpus of the Bible but was of great popularity in the early centuries of the church. So, it is no surprise that the church incorporated this feast of Mary into the festal cycle of the church year, possibly in response to the popular affection for Mary and this event, but also as an important element in what the church wants to teach us by this story.

Mary’s early life becomes a process of purification preparing her to be the vessel used to bring God’s son into this world. For the church these stories are all about bringing Jesus Christ into the world as a human being and thereby affording humankind a pathway to salvation as the letter to the Hebrews proclaims. Since God’s motives and actions are always pure love, then Jesus’ birth from a virgin is symbolic of that purity made available through this particular human agent. Mary’s willingness to listen for and then carry out God’s word is the first lesson of her life for us.

But I think linked to this is another message that we might pay attention to. Like “willingness” noted above, another characteristic runs throughout the story of Mary’s life, namely: “dedication”. Mary dedicates her life to Jesus, first by bearing him and nurturing him during his childhood, but also by standing by him throughout his ministry.

The common understanding of “to dedicate” is to assign, to commit or to give over. If you dedicate a song you’ve written to a friend, it means the song belongs to them. If you dedicate yourself to a project, it means you give yourself to it. Joachim and Anna took the first step in this dedication. But Mary continued to live her life with renewed dedication to what her parents had initiated.

I can remember hearing that a tradition in some Roman Catholic families was to dedicate the first son to the church, usually by guiding him toward the priesthood. This was also common among Orthodox families. And today’s gospel lesson reminds us of how Jesus’ parents annually took their son to the temple to accomplish a similar duty. That begin with his presentation as a child. The Feast of the Theotokos we celebrate today is about the same desire, only it is for Mary. It is a sign of gratitude for a gift freely given.

Our life, indeed all life, is also a gift from God. Mary, prompted by her parents’ action, becomes a model of dedication to this special mission of God, first by her agreement to bear the Son of God, and then to be a faithful participant in his life and work all the way through to his death on the cross and beyond. For many believers she is the compassionate human access point to her son and through him to God. The numerous shrines around the world dedicated to her are a living testimony to this reality. A path to Wisdom as the one praise in Sirach.

To what do we dedicate our lives? How do we show that dedication? God loves all creation and creatures, including human beings, flawed though we may be. That love is given to us freely. That love is also translated into support for what we have chosen to do with our lives. We have many options, and by the way we live, we give birth to Jesus Christ over and over again.

A celebrity from the middle of the 20th century, in speaking about approaches to life concluded by saying: “...and the dedication to doing with our lives the very best we can to make the world a better place in which to live.” It may be no surprise to some that this quote is from Vince Lombardi, a very successful professional football coach, known also for his ardent dedication to equality and justice within his control. Mary’s example would fit this image perfectly. Might we strive to do the same?