On August 5 the Church celebrates the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, the oldest church in the West dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Sixtus III completed it shortly after the Council of Ephesus in 431 proclaimed Mary the Mother of God, and a beloved tradition tells of a miraculous summer snowfall on the Esquiline Hill marking the spot where the church should be built. For centuries the faithful have honored this feast under the tender title of Our Lady of the Snows.
Mary's whole life was a quiet yes to God, and this feast reminds us that she never stops gathering her children close, the way a mother gathers her family under one roof. Like snow falling softly in the heat of August, her care arrives as a gentle, unexpected grace — a sign that heaven is nearer than we think, especially in seasons of sorrow.
Our Lady of the Snows, Mother of God and our mother, cover those we love with your mantle of peace, and keep Ben and all our beloved departed close to your Son. Amen.