How often do we go out on a limb for our faith? How often do we make an extraordinary effort to search for God in our lives and to find the ways he is present to us? Today, in the familiar story of Zacchaeus, we see Zacchaeus climb a tree and go out on a limb in order to find God in his life. He responds to Jesus calling out to him by conversion and repentance, by offering to give half of his possessions to the poor, by willing to make amends to those whom he wronged as a chief tax collector.
As we hear about Zacchaeus and his leap of faith today, we celebrate Mary and her presentation in the Temple. Tradition has passed down that Mary was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem when she was a young girl. She must have spent a great deal of time in the Temple preparing for her eventual role as the mother of our Lord and the mother of the Church.
Although Mary probably spent much time in the Temple and in the study of Jewish Scripture and Tradition, she also probably spent a lot of time with St. Anne and St. Joachim, her mother and father. We can imagine Mary growing up in a loving family who exposed her to the reality of life around her, including the sufferings of the poor. Mary was full of grace, but I also imagine that her parents and her upbringing fostered and encouraged her empathy and compassion, her generosity and humble nature, and her mercy and forgiveness.
May Mary’s example encourage us on our own journeys of faith. It's easy to have a cynical and sarcastic view of the world. Many in our society place their faith in trust in wealth and riches, thinking that those things will bring them redemption and happiness. May the Virgin Mary be an example of Christian love and virtue for us in how we should live our lives of faith, to combat the skepticism, sarcasm, and cynicism of our modern secular world.
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