A Nativity pageant memory

A Reflection for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Find today’s readings here.

Every year at my Catholic elementary school we had a Christmas concert featuring musical performances from every grade. This was always something to look forward to, as it meant an opportunity to dress up in festive holiday attire, and an evening without any homework to accommodate for our time spent performing. 

Third grade was a very special year when it came to the annual Christmas concert, because the third graders were tasked with acting out the Nativity pageant portion of the show. The pageant was way more interesting than the normal musical performances because it included costumes, spoken lines and the best carols.

Every third grader waited anxiously to see who would be assigned which role. All the little girls dreamed of being Mary or an Angel, myself included. But I was chosen for neither. Instead, I was selected to be the narrator of the pageant. 

This was simultaneously disappointing and intimidating. I had the most responsibility and the least fun; there were lots of lines to learn but no costumes, no acting. Nobody paid attention to the narrator, unless they made a mistake or messed up their lines. 

I was both disappointed and nervous. But I prepared a lot. I was determined to not embarrass myself. By the time I stepped foot on the stage, I was ready to speak clearly and do my job well. 

To my surprise, my lingering reservations faded away as I began to tell the Christmas story—as I listened to my classmates sing Silent Night and watched parents in the crowd get emotional. The magnitude of my role dawned on me mid-pageant. What a tremendous responsibility I had! Without the story I was telling there was no pageant, no concert, no holiday at all. My job was important, and I was chosen to do it for a reason. I said my lines proudly and clearly. 

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he tells us that “we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One.” Today is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It’s very easy to see how Mary was chosen by God to do what Paul says—to “exist for the praise of his glory.” But he says that we (meaning all of us) were chosen also. This can sometimes be harder to understand—how do we fit into God’s plan? What do we contribute, compared to those, like Mary, whose roles seem larger and more important?

We can’t all have roles as special as Mary’s (not in the pageant, and not in real life). But we all are chosen in our unique ways to contribute to a shared mission, and we can use her commitment to being a “handmaiden of the lord” to say yes to the way God calls each of us in our own lives. The paths and roles we are chosen for are not identical. But when performed in service of the glory of God, they are harmonious and valuable.

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