Homily: Nov 21 2016 - The Presentation of the BVM - Mary and the 144,000

On this Monday of the final week of Ordinary time, and this, year the memorial of the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we continue to read from the great book of Revelation.

Throughout the book, the evangelist John has symbolic visions of the Church, visions of the nations and rulers—the principalities and powers who persecute the Church, visions of the worship of God in heaven by the saints and angels.

In the passage, today, John sees 144,000, having the name of God on their forehead, who had been ransomed by the blood of the Lamb. Nearly every number in Revelation is symbolic. 144,000 is an interesting number—it is a perfect square—twelve times twelve—times a thousand. The number 144,000 is found again to describe the saints, and also much later, in the penultimate chapter of Revelation—it describes the architectural dimensions of the wall of the heavenly Jerusalem “144 cubits according to the standard unit of measurement”. Also, 12 foundations stones of the wall, each with the 12 names of the 12 apostles. That’s 144 names!

The 144,000 are us, the members of the Church, living, dead, and future members, those who stand firmly on the foundation stones of the twelve apostles—each of us who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, who mark our foreheads with the name of God “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”.

The memorial of the presentation of Mary celebrates the naming of Mary and her dedication to God. What a lovely coincidence that in our Revelation reading, it is revealed, that the name we have received, the name Christian, the name “Child of God”, the name “follower of Jesus” endures even into heaven.

Mary is surely the model for all those with the name of Christian—she is the model of faith, hope, and love, the model of all the virtues, she is the model of trusting in God, and surrendering all to God; she is the model of suffering with Christ and suffering for Christ; she is a model for all Christian mothers, and a model for all Christians called to bear fruit for the sake of the kingdom; she is the model of magnifying the goodness of God through our own good works; she is the model of the marriage of grace and free will; the model of Christian perfection to which we all are called.

Pope St. John Paul said, the Church from the beginning has modeled her earthly journey on that of the Mother of God. “It is to her as Mother and Model that the Church must look in order to understand in its completeness the meaning of her own mission.”

May each of us consider today how we are being called more deeply to follow Our Lady’s example in following the Lamb wherever he goes, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.