Cardinal Wuerl Celebrates Mary, Mother of God
“We turn to Our Lady to ask for guidance, courage and wisdom…We do well to invoke her intercession as we attempt to sort out what is wrong with our culture.”
January 01, 2013
Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington celebrated Mass for the Solemnity (feast day) of Mary, Mother of God at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle. In his homily, Cardinal Wuerl spoke of January 1 typically being a time when individuals reflect on the new year and undertake a self-assessment. He referenced “soul searching” and in the context of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, questioned, “Have we created a culture in which human life is seriously and gravely devalued? Have we nurtured a mindset that says you can readily take human life if you feel you have good cause?”
The Cardinal recalled a personal experience he had some years ago of attending a hearing with at-risk youth, and the exchange that a young 14-year old had with a city official. Asked why he felt no remorse in resorting to lethal violence, the young individual questioned why it was acceptable for adults to “draw the line” when it came to killing, yet he was not permitted to.
“The Church teaches the sacredness, the dignity, the value, and the transcendent worth of all human life,” Cardinal Wuerl said. “It is for this reason that we pray for the protection of all human life from the moment of conception through to a natural death. At no point, beginning, middle or end, can we claim a right simply to take innocent human life and expect that we are not sending a very loud message to the generation who looks to government, law, society, Church, political figures for some moral guidance, some sense of right and wrong.”
Cardinal Wuerl continued, “On the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, we do well to turn to Our Lady to ask for guidance, courage and wisdom. She knew the joy of motherhood even though the circumstances of the birth of her child, our Lord, were challenging. She also knew that there were those who would gladly take the life of her infant son…The same Mary of the Christmas manger is the Mary at the foot of the cross which hung her son. We do well to invoke her intercession as we attempt to sort out what is wrong with our culture.”
Link to the audio of Cardinal Wuerl’s homily.
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