Mother of God

“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of death”

Sometimes we say the Hail Mary so fast, that we don’t take a second to examine the words and their meanings.  Why do we call Mary the “Mother of God,” and why do we say “at the hour of death”?

First, Mary has lots of nicknames: Immaculate Conception, Mother of Sorrows, Queen of Peace, the Blessed Virgin, Mother of Mercy, Our Lady (or in French Notre Dame), Our Lady of Victory, Lourdes, Angels, Fatima, Guadalupe, etc.  None of these titles is more important than Mother of God.

The Catholic Council of Ephesus decreed in 431 that Mary is Mother of God because her son Jesus is both God and man: one Divine Person with two natures (Divine and human).  He was a little boy born in a manger, and he is also the Supreme Deity and Creator of the Universe.  Therefore, Mary is both mother of a human and Mother of God.  And as Mother, Mary accompanies God with reflection, love, and prayer.  As an intercessor for us, her children, she prays for us now, and when we need her most (at the hour of death). 

“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of death.”  The hour of death is another way of saying we need her prayers because it is highly likely that we had not used every waking moment for the praise and glory of God.  So, when we die, and realize how we had wasted our days, we sinners really need her support.  One of the biggest sins we commit is to let life slip away without our even knowing it.

I heard a story on NPR radio this morning about a new device that will be released this April.  It is called Tikker.  It is a watch device that counts down the days, minutes seconds and hours til your death.  “Now and at the hour of our death.”

It was invented by a Swede, Fredrik Colting, a former gravedigger who invented the gadget not as a morbid novelty item, but in an earnest attempt to change his own thinking.  He wanted some sort of reminder to not sweat the small stuff and reach for what matters. He calls Tikker, "the happiness watch."  It's his belief that watching your life slip away will remind you to savor life while you have it.

As a little experiment, I went to another web site called Death Clock.com where you can enter a few biographical details and determine your day of death.  My death clock profile says I need to be on the lookout for Saturday June 1, 2047, when I will be approaching my 93^rd birthday.  I have over a billion seconds to live. The worst part: as I watched the screen timer count down the seconds, I felt like time was slipping away.  Which it is!  Another stark message:  YOLO (You only live once)!

Many people fear the moment of death, but I would agree with others that nothing is more terrifying than the thought of letting your life slip away without ever being who you wanted to be, doing what you wanted to do, or going where you wanted to go.

So, I need Mary’s prayers, not to step in at the last minute, but to step in NOW and help me appreciate the blessing of being Patrick Fairbanks.  I take inspiration from all three readings for the Catholic Solemnity observed on January 1:  Mary, the Mother of God.

First, the reading from Numbers is a blessing, taught by Moses to Aaron and other priests. 

The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!

Ever since the days of Moses, we are to see our lives as blessed.  A blessing in action. To the Mother of God we pray:  blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  Appreciate every moment from your birth to your death as a blessing, so as to draw fruit from every second.

In the second reading from Galatians, Paul assures us, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son.”  So that means every second ticking by for us is not necessarily a threat but can be a drawing closer to God’s coming in fullness for you. Your death clock is not something to fear, but a favor.  Your life is full of grace: now, and now, and also now, and again now …

Finally, in the Gospel from Luke we read, “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” As the Mother of God, Mary continues to reflect and pray.  She loves us and intercedes for us when our prayers and time seems wasted.  WE could call her Mary Help of Procrastinators.  That is why, when we close the Hail Mary, we use her most important title to ask her prayers for us sinners, we who waste our days and weeks with sloth or petty trivia.

We ask her prayers to help us appreciate every hour of this great life.  Until the hour when we meet the Lord face to face.   "And remember that I am always with you until the end of time." (Matt 28:20)

Happy Birthday Francis Xavier

St. Francis Xavier, the great missionary saint of the Roman Catholic Church, was the son of Don John Giasso and Donna Maria d'Azpilqueta y Xavier; he was born at the castle Xavier, near Pamplona, Spain, on April 7, 1506, and is known to history by his mother's name.

At the age of eighteen he entered the University of Paris, where in due course he graduated, and then devoted himself to teaching. It was here that he became acquainted with Ignatius Loyola the founder of the Jesuits, who was then planning the colossal work which he afterwards accomplished. Xavier became one of the first nine of Loyola's converts, and the most enthusiastic of the little band. The date of the first vows by these early Jesuits was August 15, 1534, and the place as Montmartre near Paris. We also find Xavier at Venice with Loyola in 1537, where the visitation of a hospital for incurables was assigned to him. Here in the discharge of his duties he gave early evidence of his enthusiasm and self-devotion.

The Jesuits subsequently visited Rome, where John III of Portugal desired some of them for mission work in India.  Circumstances led to the selection of Xavier for the work. He left Rome in March 1540, and set sail on his 35th birthday April 7, 1541, for Goa, India— the chief city of the Portuguese possessions, where he arrived on May 6, 1542. From that time to the day of his death at Sancian, near Canton, on Dec. 22, 1552, he devoted himself to his work in a most heroic and devoted manner, visiting Travancore, Ceylon, Malacca, Japan, and other foreign lands with Cross in hand, and a burning zeal in his heart.

Xavier's life has been written by many hands. The roll of deeds which he is said to have done, and the miracles he is said to have wrought, even to the raising of the dead, is long  Many of the alleged facts are open to the gravest doubt, and others are beyond belief. The hymn associated with Xavier's name is, "O Deus ego amo Te, Nec amo Te ut salves me.” The hymn may possibly be his as it breathes his abnegation of self in every word, his spirit in every line.

O Deus, ego amo te,
Nec amo te, ut salves me,
Aut, quia non amantes te

Æterno punis igne.

Tu, tu, mi Jesu, totum me
Amplexus es in cruce;
Tuliste clavos, lanceam,
Multamque ignominiam,
Innumeros dolores,
Sudores, et angores,
Et mortem, et hæc propter me,
Ac pro me peccatore.
Cur igitur non amem te,
O Jesu amantissime,
Non, ut in cœlo salves me,
Aut ne æternum damnes me
Nec præmii ullius spe;
Sed sicut tu amasti me?
Sic amo et amabo te,
Solum quia Rex meus es,
Et solum, quia Deus es.

This hymn was translated by Fr. Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J.

O GOD, I love thee, I love thee-
Not out of hope of heaven for me
Nor fearing not to love and be
In the everlasting burning.
Thou, thou, my Jesus, after me
Didst reach thine arms out dying,
For my sake sufferedst nails, and lance,
Mocked and marred countenance,
Sorrows passing number,
Sweat and care and cumber,
Yea and death, and this for me,
And thou couldst see me sinning:
Then I, why should not I love thee,
Jesu, so much in love with me?
Not for heaven's sake;
not to be out of hell by loving thee;
Not for any gains I see;
But just the way that thou didst me
I do love and I will love thee:
What must I love thee, Lord, for then?
For being my king and God. Amen.

Happy birthday Francis Xavier