Mary, Mother of God (New Year)

1st January 2015: Num. 6:22-7; Gal. 4:4-7; Lk. 2:16-21

Today's Feast of  " Mary, Mother of God" is very appropriate to start a new year. A Child's life begins with the mother. In a sense, when a child is born a mother is born. 

When a child is born, its mother begins to be a mother. Even if she was already mother to other children this new child makes her a new mother; a new chapter in her mothering begins.  In the birth of the Son of God, Mary begins to be the Mother of God.  It is appropriate to have a mother to accompany our first steps in the new year. 

We base our faith in this dogma of Mary the Mother of God, on the words of Elizabeth who was the cousin of Mary and the words of Angel Gabriel that Mary’s Son will be called the Son of God. When the Blessed Virgin Mary visited Elizabeth, Elizabeth said, "And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?" [Lk. 1:43]. Through Elizabeth who was full of the Holy Spirit, it was acclaimed that Mary had been chosen to be the Mother of God. Since Jesus chose Mary to come to us, we need to go through Mary to Jesus.

In 431,Nestorius, the 5th-century archbishop of Constantinople – said that Christ was two persons: the man Jesus and the divine Son of God.  This view was rejected at the Council of Ephesus (431 AD), which insisted that he was one person with two natures, divine and human.  The most emphatic way they could say this was to affirm that Mary was not just the mother of the man Jesus, but that she was the mother of God.  This is to say that Christ is one person, not two.

Mary's Motherhood began when the eternal God entered human history. And it continued to be one of her unconditional acceptance. She chose to be the mother of God, with her unconditional faith, submission and hope.

In today's Second Reading, St Paul reminds us that through God's grace we have all become brothers and sisters of Christ and, therefore, children of God. This is what happened at baptism. At that moment we were born again, supernaturally; God infused his divine DNA into our souls. The spiritual life consists of the gradual spread and development of that DNA, until each one of us becomes a mature, wise, and fruitful follower of Jesus Christ.

Today's Solemnity reminds us that if we have become Christ's spiritual brothers and sisters, we have also become spiritual children of Mary. She was his mother in the flesh, and she is our mother in grace.

And just as we learn from our natural mothers how to be good human beings, so we learn from Mary how to become mature Christians. She is the living school where we learn every virtue that leads to happiness and holiness. Mary’s habit of pondering on God’s action in her life was both a sign and a source of wisdom.

The Rosary is a power key letting us into Mary's heart, and letting Christ's light shine on the dark, cold corners of our mind and heart. Our culture has a tradition of making a New Year's Resolution. Why not make the resolution to spend this year learning from our spiritual mother how to let God put order, peace, and wisdom into our lives, by pondering on the gifts of God and saying the Rosary every day?

Most New Year’s resolutions are personal commitments to quit bad habits and set new good ones, new goals as spending more time with family or eating healthier or exercise more. They are also important and helpful to contribute to our Spiritual life as well. One spiritual master said: The devil wants you fat. Quoting John 10:10 he says: The thief does not come, except to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly". Satan has always used food to deceive people. It worked so well in the garden, why should he change?. So, it is important to stay out of the food trap of the enemy. Eating too much or too little because you are obsessive with your shape, is injurious to health. You are not glorifying God in your body, in both cases. Make a good resolution this day and remember not to be like a man named George. He said to a friend: "There's nothing like getting up at six in the morning, going for a run around the park, and taking a brisk shower before breakfast."

His friend Bob asked, "How long have you been doing this?"

George said: "I start tomorrow."

Whatever resolutions we take, be fervent enough to persevere to practice them. One Wife told her husband:  "I don't want to brag, but here it is February and I've kept every one of my New Year's resolutions. I've kept them in a manila folder in the back of my desk!"

As we begin our new year, let’s be thankful for all what we received from God in the past year, and be sorry for the graces we have abused. Being grateful, makes the heart of God open to you with more graces.

May Jesus bless all our efforts this year through the intercession of Mary, Mother of God.