Christmas in July hits you like a surprise.  Elizabeth is surprised when Mary comes to visit. Hopefully, not surprised by the visit, or that she stayed for a solid three months.  She was surprised that the baby in her womb leaped for joy.

Elizabeth says, “Blessed are you among women.”

Mary says, “From now on all generations will call me blessed.”

How much does Mary know at this point?  An angel does appear to Mary and says, “Greetings favored one!”  After Mary finds out what is going to happen in her life, how can she be that excited?  Her life is set up to be one of sacrifice.   She is going to lose her child several times.

First she loses him when he is 12 yrs old.  He is teaching in the Temple.  I can’t stress how big a deal that would be—a 12 year old teaching the elders.  The Temple in Jerusalem was the greatest place for a Jewish education—the epicenter of religious thought.  It is like a 12 year old teaching the professors at MIT.

Then when he is in his early 30s, she loses him to his ministry. He wanders off and begins a teaching and healing ministry.  He leaves his tools behind, and hits the dusty trails preaching a revolutionary message.  Anyone who hears his message has to be able to follow it to its logical conclusion:  This is not going to end well for that Jesus of Nazareth.  Mary has lost him again.   He is not coming home for the family Sunday brunch.

Then there is the death on the cross.  Jesus died.  That must have been incredibly painful for Mary, to lose her oldest child.  Children are supposed to outlive their parents.  I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child—some of you may have experienced this—if you have, know that Mary shares your pain!

Finally, there is the resurrection.  Jesus was dead- but is alive again.  Mary gets to see her boy again.  But just when she gets comfortable with the idea of having Jesus back—he ascends into the heavens and is gone again.  She loses him again!

So Mary has found favor with God.  Yes, she has.  We know of her fantastic faith and the wonderful job that she did as a mother, both accepting her vocation and fulfilling her job of raising the only perfect child.

Mary had to know from the very beginning, that this was not going to be the most blessed life.  Sure she would be the mother of the messiah.   Don’t you think that Mary might have been happier with a very normal little boy-  a little boy that she wouldn’t have to share with the world.  But Mary is the favored one!

In many ways we all should be able to relate to Mary.  We have been given wonderful gifts by God.  We can be like Mary and face rejection from time to time.

There is a wonderful idea that goes back to the prophets of Ancient Israel. They understand themselves to be the Chosen people.  But that didn’t mean that they were going to get all the good stuff all the time.  When the yoke became hard to carry, and the burden was immense, they reminded themselves that they were God’s chosen people.  They were chosen for THIS.  Whatever THIS was!

Mary was chosen for this.  She knows that to accept this wonderful thing from God, will mean many times losing her son.  Her son will never truly belong to her.  She is going to have to give him up for the whole world.  Like a mother who has to watch her son go off to war, knowing he may not return, she is giving her son—for the world-  the greatest sacrifice!

Mary accepts this gift from God.  Mary receives this gift.  She is wiling to be a servant of God.  She receives the gift, and in receiving that Christmas in July gift she is willing to give her gift.  She is willing to give her life over.

That is the true spirit of a Christmas in July.  Are we willing to receive the purest gift that was already given to us, and then give a gift back ourselves—the gift of our love, our lives, with the same passion as blessed Mary.

If we can do that, then we will understand what Christmas in July is all about!   Amen.