It has been wisely observed that, while many people will admit having a poor memory, no one will admit having a poor sense of judgement! To acknowledge a poor sense of judgement is to acknowledge a major defect, it seems, whereas to acknowledge a poor memory is only to admit to a common human failing! Not surprisingly, then, we use material things to bolster our memory: we keep photographs and newspaper cuttings and mark our diaries.

The memory of important people is often concretely linked to a particular place. In the 6th Century, Christians in Jerusalem paid respect to a place they identified with the birth of Our Lady. Some six hundred years later, this place became the Church of St Anne. It does not really matter whether or not Mary was actually born in this place: what matters is the sense of celebration at the birth of Mary, since in a very special way, through her birth, God's plan of salvation was already taking shape in the Holy Land. Similarly, we do not know the date of Mary's birth, but we need to celebrate it on a particular day, in memory of all the great things God did for her and, through her, for us.