Happy New Year!

As we ring in the new year, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.  While we have many titles to refer to Mary, the title Mary, Mother of God (Theotokos in Greek) is by far one of the oldest.  The title goes back to the earliest days of the Church.  It was widely used by early Christians before its formal proclamation in the 5^th century by the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431.

What does the title Mary, Mother of God mean for us today?  It is clear from our scriptures that Mary is the mother of Jesus, but for some, to refer to her as the mother of God is confusing as she is not believed to be the mother of God the Creator or of God, our Holy Spirit.  However, you cannot separate the humanity of Jesus from his divinity.  Jesus is both God and human at the same time.  What we celebrate today is that Mary cooperated with God’s plan for salvation, bearing for us the Son of God, our Emmanuel.

As we celebrate New Year’s Day, we turn our attention to Mary’s role in the Christmas story.  Our gospel this weekend is a portion of the reading we heard on Christmas eve from Luke’s gospel.  Mary’s faith and openness to trust and believe are wonderful examples for us as we journey in faith.  Mary’s life was not always easy, but she never wavered, she never gave up, rather, she continued to journey in faith, trusting that God was with her.

For us today, as we celebrate a new year, Mary is a model to inspire us to trust and to live our faith, despite the twists and turns life may take.  In our gospel, we hear the words, “And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” While Mary may not have fully understood what God was asking of her, she trusted and believed.  For us too, we may not fully understand what God is asking of us in life, Mary gives us an example of how to live our faith, reflecting, remembering, and being open.

May God bless you and your loved ones today, tomorrow, and forevermore.

Fr. Harry