St. Mary, Mother of God
Text: Luke 1:39-55 While growing up in Minnesota, talk of saints in my childhood church was not commonplace. To speak of Mary, let alone observe the Festival of Saint Mary, Mother of God, that seemed completely foreign. This is a bit surprising when you take a step back as Mary is spoken of throughout the Divine Service - specifically in the Creed and sometimes in the Proper Preface. Still, some of you may remain suspicious of observing Saint days throughout the Church Year, such as Mary. But, our Lutheran Confessions have always taught that it is right to observe the feasts and festivals of the Saints. The Augsburg Confession states: “Our churches teach that the history of saints may be set before us so that we may follow the example of their faith and good works, according to our calling.” 1 The Apology of the Augsburg Confession further presents the three reasons for observing and honoring the saints more fully. To summarize the confessors,