Appreciating Purity

Mary’s symbol is the white lily. Its meaning is purity and innocence, and appropriate for reminding us that the mother of Christ was a virgin; giving birth miraculously without having relations with a man.

Luke 1:26-38

Birth of Jesus Foretold
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.

And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Our present society almost scoffs at the value of this type of purity. Knowledge of all types, even the depraved, is considered better than naiveté or being uninitiated. With the birth of Christ the importance of Mary’s purity had more to do with the marring effects of Adam’s disobedience than ideas of abstinence. God wanted mankind to have the presence of His Son, first to see what a sinless life should look like, and secondly to sacrifice that life on behalf of us all.

To appreciate something properly includes caring for it and keeping it under protection. Purity in certain circumstances is so important that great pains are taken to preserve it. In certain tests, in medicines, and many other products, it is vital that contamination be avoided.

Purifying Thoughts

Our views can be filtered through the influence of other people… and then the facts may not be accurate. As we look at the Virgin Mary’s experience we can see the innuendo that immediately arose. her situation had never been see before since creation, who would have believed anything different than the obvious conclusion that something was wrong with her actions?

What trust it must have required from her, and from her betrothed, Joseph.

To appreciate purity we must purify our own thoughts. This can begin with thinking the best of others to start with, and to refuse to entertain thoughts that judge and condemn.

Not always an easy task, but a worthy one.

Carol

Mary’s Boy Child

The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy