August 5 2019 - St. Mary Major Basilica - Christmas in August

My pilgrimage to Rome at the end of May took me to the beautiful basilica whose dedication we celebrate today. The present basilica of St. Mary Major was built in the fifth century, not long after the Council of Ephesus affirmed Mary’s title as “Mother of God.”  The basilica is the largest and oldest church in the world honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary.  It stands atop one of Rome’s seven hills, and despite many restorations, still has the character of an early Roman basilica, in fact, it inspired the architectural design of this Church of St. Ignatius in many ways.

For four hundred years today’s feast was called “Our Lady of the Snows”.  According to legend, the basilica was constructed on the site where the Mother of God produced a miraculous mid-summer snow fall and left her footprints as a sign.  The legend has been long celebrated by releasing a shower of white rose petals from the dome of the basilica every August 5.

Below the Basilica’s main altar are relics from the manger of Bethlehem, in which Mary laid the newborn Savior of the World.  At the Basilica, in a sense, it is Christmas every day as groups of pilgrims will approach the manger and sing the beautiful Christmas hymn “Silent Night”. And I can say that it was deeply moving to sing “silent night” in this roman basilica, with 25 other priests from the diocese of Cleveland and our Bishop, and to imagine that the Christ Child was laid in this very manger.

The Christmas Creche is such a powerful symbol of our faith. It’s a symbol that our Good God chose to be born in the poverty of our world, that his mother who embraced him with such tender love, embraces us as well, and teaches us how to embrace her son, as well. And then to be make pilgrimage to this ornate basilica, to see the Creche adorned with gold and jewels, is to share in the Church’s veneration throughout the centuries. Christians have made the basilica so immensely beautiful, they’ve adorned the Creche so beautifully, because our faith is beautiful, and that beauty leads us to love, it leads us to God.

At the beginning of the Holy Year of Mercy, Pope Francis opened the holy doors at St. Mary Major and said, “Let us allow Mary to lead us to the rediscovery of the beauty of an encounter with her Son Jesus.

May Our Lady help us live out our beautiful faith, lived in the poverty of the world, that it may lead many to an encounter with Christ the Savior, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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That Our Lady may lead all people to the love of Christ, protect the Church from all evil, and aid us in the mission of the Gospel.

That all government leaders may be awakened to the supreme dignity of every human life, and that all people of our nation may work together for an end to the culture of death.

That through Immaculate Mary, Queen of Peace, hatred, violence, and cruelty will cease in the world, especially today, we pray for the victims of the mass shootings around our country.

That the sick may draw strength, consolation, and healing by turning to Our Lady, who
intercedes for us from her place in heaven.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.