Faith and Sacrifice
One of the things I struggle with as a father is letting my children go out into the world without me to protect them. Even at this very moment I have a daughter on the aircraft carrier Carl Vison serving our country and another living on her own down in Charlotte, NC. They are on my mind all the time. Every parent probably struggles with this very thing as their children go out into the world. Now imagine that you were given a glimpse of something bad that may happen to them. Granted we cannot control everything, but would you stop them from going if you could?
Now imagine being our Blessed Mother. You are told you will be carrying the Son of God, the Messiah. The one who will bring salvation to the whole world. You then learn that the work He will do will come with Him suffering and your own heart being broken or pierced. Would you try and prevent that from happening? Mary does not. What she does do is she takes Jesus home and helps prepare Him for His divine mission. She has faith in our God even though she must sacrifice her beloved child.
If there ever was a Gospel passage the has the tone of faith and sacrifice, this is it. Starting with Simeon’s faith in God that he would see the Christ, he acknowledges Jesus’ road will be rough and he gives us his beautiful verse,
“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”
He has faith that Jesus’ suffering will lead to salvation for all. Anna then confirms again in faith Jesus, mission and our salvation. Lastly, we see Joseph and Mary, knowing what was just said to them, take their child home where He finds favor with God in his preparation.
We know and have faith that through Jesus’ sacrifice we now have an opportunity to have a relationship with God the Father again. His sacrifice includes suffering, and it includes death. But in the very act of dying Jesus would show that Godliness, in its essence, survives death because His divine love outlives death offering us eternal life. This faith allows us to know the God has great things planned for us all and all our children also. I can live with that.