Georges Farah on Immaculate Mary

At Jesus the King Church yesterday, we celebrated the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, and had a procession of her picture of the Immaculate Conception accompanied with honor guards from the Knights of Columbus. In his brief homily, Fr. Georges Farah was able to link the Nativity of Mary and her immaculate conception to the cross of Christ that we celebrate on September 14.

Georges Farah said: In the Eastern Byzantine icons of Mary the Theotokos, 3 stars are shown on her veil : One at the part covering the forehead; the second on the left shoulder and the third on right shoulder. The stars tell us what we sing in the liturgy: She is always virgin. She was virgin before she bore Jesus in her womb; virgin during her pregnancy with Jesus; and still virgin after she delivered him to the world. We think this is beautiful but it was a tragedy for her in ancient Jewish society. First she was found pregnant before Joseph was able to engage her physically. Second, she - with Joseph carrying Jesus - had to flee to Egypt for Herod wanted to kill the little Jesus; When Herod died, they journeyed back and settled in the different town Nazareth. Then they lost Jesus when he was only 12 and had to search for him until they found him in the temple talking with teachers. And she was left behind when Jesus went around with his apostles healing people and only close to her beloved son when he was dying on the cross. Her joy was and remains in the resurrection of her son  Jesus Christ and his ascension.

Georges Farah said a virgin is translated from Batula or Batul in the ancient Hebrew which is related to Beit Il or the house of God. How could Mary be the house or the temple of God? She could not unless she was without the stain of sin: original sin and personal sin. When someone sins, he misses his goal. Your goal is to be like God. You miss the goal when you become a slave to your selfishness and desires. But this little girl Mary was dedicate to God in the temple since her early childhood. She said Yes to his angel and never sought her glory. She was always in the shadows. To be born of an immaculate virgin, Christ saved her by protecting her in her conception from original sin and his grace accompanied her throughout her suffering and joys. And today, when there is much suffering and violence in the Middle East, we call on the Virgin Mary to protect her children there. She leads all to her son and point them to him as she pointed the workers in the wedding in Cana to Christ. To the Knights of Columbus, who many of them are with us today, we ask you to assist our brothers and sisters there.

Each one, however rich or great, still has his cross. The cross is in the middle of every human person regardless of religion. But to carry one's cross, you need the living joy of giving and sharing with others. It is not in suffering that we find glory but in serving the least of us as Jesus Christ did and Mary did.