Jesus teaches us in this week’s Gospel that we are to renounce all of our possessions, carry our crosses, and become disciples by putting God first in our lives. In the reading from Wisdom, we are told that “the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans” and that “the mind that has many concerns” is weighed down. The concerns of our lives, the things we own (or strive to own), the plans we make (and change), and the worries we insist on giving too much of our time can indeed weigh us down.

This time of year is always exciting for me, with the new school year beginning, our faith formation programs starting up again, the cooler fall weather, etc. It can also bring a lot of anxiety, however, for students beginning a new school, families trying to make time to be together amidst a flurry of activities, those struggling economically who wonder whether they will be able to pay their heat and food bills in the months to come… We see changes coming, and we hope we have what it takes to adapt and thrive.

God knows of our concerns and He does not dismiss them as irrelevant. He would like us to exchange our “timid” and “unsure” plans, however, for His own bold and certain ones. When we follow Christ, we must lay down everything else so that we can carry that cross. He assures us that when we take upon ourselves his yoke and follow him that we will “find rest”, for his “yoke is easy, and [His] burden light.” [Matthew 11:28-30]

Let our Blessed Mother Mary, whose birthday we celebrate today, be our model of one who followed God without trying to acquire possessions, without making rigid plans of her own, and without giving way to worry and anxiety. Let us find joy, as she did, in simply following her Son.

"Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Virgin Mary, of whom was born the Sun of Justice.... Her birth constitutes the hope and the light of salvation for the whole world.... Her image is light for the whole Christian people". (from the Liturgy)