The Dedication of St. Mary Major

Also known as Our Lady of the Snows, today's optional memorial commemorates the dedication of the oldest church in Rome in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Legend has it that in the mid-fourth century, Mary appeared to a man named John, asking him to erect a church in her honor. Snow miraculously appeared in summer outlining the location and size of the basilica. Since it was dedicated during the reign of Pope Liberius, it was known as the Liberian Basilica. After the Council of Ephesus in 431, when Mary was declared the Mother of God, Theotokos, Pope Sixtus III enlarged and enhanced the basilica and dedicated it to Mary around the year 435. It later became known as St. Mary Major because of its antiquity and is one of the four major basilicas in Rome. It houses a crib, thought to have been the manger in which Jesus was laid after his birth.
According to the Visionaries of Medjugorje, today is the true birthday of Mary. As Marists, we give a central place to her in our hearts and spirituality. Her messages in her appearances over the centuries have always contained strong requests for prayer and union with her Son. United in spirit with each other and with the Church who honors her today through this memorial, let us dedicate ourselves to a more fervent prayer and liturgical life and a deeper union with Mary and Jesus.
Bro. Rene