Let us thank our Lord for the beautiful gift of His mother – who is now our own
Reflections on the readings for The Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God (January 1, 2020): NM 6:22-27; PS 67:2-3,5,6,8; GAL 4:4-7; LK 2:16-21
MISSIO offers “Mission In Scripture” to nurture a missionary heart, providing reflections on the missionary themes in the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days
On this first day of the New Year, we venerate Mary as the Mother of God.
This is her foremost title. It is because the Blessed Virgin became the mother of the Son of God that she is so singularly bonded to Jesus and His gift of redemption. Every instant of Mary’s existence on earth as well as her eternal life in heaven is dedicated to her loving service to God. While we hear relatively few of her precious words in the Scriptures, we know that she never ceased contemplating all that happened to her and, above all, her Son. “The shepherds…found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.… They made known the message that had been told them about this Child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told then by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Luke 2:16-19).
Today, on the Octave of Christmas, let us pause to gratefully salute Mary as the Mother of God. And we join the countless other Christians who from the early centuries of the Church have prayed to her this way. During the 5th century Council of Ephesus, people crowded the streets calling out “Praised be the Theotokos” when this holy title was officially approved by the Church. Just as the Blessed Mother stayed with Jesus on Calvary and with the Apostles at Pentecost, she remains with us to hear and help her children today and to lead us safely home to heaven.
Suggested missionary action: We can thank the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God on this day in her honor by praying the World Mission Rosary. We can also commit to offering the rosary regularly throughout the New Year.