With great and holy joy the Church will bring the octave of Christmas to an end as we celebrate Mary, the Mother of God. The Christmas season continues until the days after the Solemnity of the Epiphany and before the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.This day is also known as New Year’s Day and World Day of Prayer for Peace.
This title of Mary, Mother of God is the oldest of all the various titles She possesses and considered by many to the greatest of them all. As the Mother of God, the blessed Virgin Mary is exalted above all the angels and saints and She is revered by God’s children on earth. As the Mother of God, Mary watches over all and guides them to the Sacred Heart of His only begotten son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mary in cooperation with her Spouse, the Holy Spirit, became the mother of Jesus. Elizabeth asked, “Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord?” Elizabeth described Mary as the “mother of my Lord” but our more common expression is Mother of God.
Some non-Catholics misunderstand the meaning of the title Mother of God. When we describe Mary as “Mother of God” we do not mean that Mary is the mother or source of the Trinity or that Mary is the source of Jesus’ soul or that his divinity came from Mary.
Jesus had a human nature and divine nature. He was not two separate persons but one person and that one person is divine. The person of Christ is divine. Jesus is God and Mary is His Mother. That’s why we call Mary, Mother of God. It’s that simple.
It is the same with every mother here. Every mother here gave a body to her child, but that child’s soul came from God. Yet when we talk of someone being a child’s mother we never specify or distinguish and say the mother is the mother of child’s body but not of the child’s soul. Likewise the child says, “Hello, mom” and does not say, “Hello, mom of my body.” In the same way we call Mary the Mother of God because Jesus had human and divine nature in one person.
Mary is even described as Mother of God in Scripture, in our Gospel today when Elizabeth asks, “Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord?” And the word that Elizabeth uses for ‘Lord’ is a word that is used for ‘God’ in the New Testament so there can be no confusion. It is the same word that Jesus uses when he describes himself as ‘Lord of the Sabbath.’ (Mark 2:28)
So no wonder Elizabeth says to Mary, “Of all women you are the most blessed and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” These inspired words have now become part of that beautiful prayer which we call the ‘Hail Mary.’ Mary was Mother of God once but continues to be mother for all time.
On this holy day of prayer for peace we look into the world and wonder if men and nations will ever have the true peace of Jesus Christ. On this solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, on New Year’s Day, on World Day of Prayer for peace, we ask our Blessed Mother to pray with and for us that at the dawn of the New Year we might rededicate ourselves to true and lasting peace, to peace founded on the Gospel of Life, to peace rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ and His holy Catholic Church.
We trust in the love and mercy of the Mother of God, whose son is the Prince of Peace. We ask Her to pray with and for us that all of the world might one day be at peace.
One of the practical and powerful ways that each of us can help promote peace and justice in the world is through the praying of the Rosary each day. Pope Saint John Paul II urged every Christian and especially every Catholic family, to pray the Rosary each day for peace. Throughout history in many of Her approved apparitions, the Blessed Virgin Mary, has instructed Her children to pray the Rosary every day because She knows how efficacious it is for individual souls and for the salvation of the entire world. How can we deny our Mother, from whom we have received the Prince of Peace, this simple request? Imagine the world we live in, if every person prayed the Rosary every day for peace.
Also, as we begin a New Year, it’s a good time to reflect and make New Year resolutions. I believe it is most profitable to many if they write down their resolutions and place them in a place one will regularly see the resolutions. For example, on the refrigerator, or the night stand or on a mirror in the restroom. Don’t make too many resolutions, but rather be reasonable about how many of them you can accomplish. And if you fail, just get keep trying, don’t give up.
Here are some items to reflect upon and to think about making resolutions. To resolve to pray the Rosary at least once a day, to read a short paragraph from the Bible each day, to go to Confession once a month, to attend daily Mass as often as possible; to adore Jesus at least once a week in Eucharistic Adoration; to truly try to pray with the heart; to cut back on watching television and replace that time with reading; to fast by eating a small meals once or twice a week (which by the way is a great way to lose weight);to strive root out one particular sin this coming year, such as gossip, or lying, or judging the motives of others or cussing; to live out our stewardship way of life volunteering our time and talent out of love of others; to turn to Mary daily in prayer asking Her for all that we need; to allow Jesus to be Lord of our life by always seeking His will in all things.
What resolutions will we make? And if we make them, turn to our spiritual mother, the Mother of God, and She will help us to be successful in our resolutions. She will encourage us as only a mother can. With Her tender love, She will give us the graces we need to become a better Christian and a faithful follower of Her Son.
Today let us turn to our Mother, the Queen of Peace, and Mother of God and ask Her to help us to resolve to be a good son or daughter of Hers, always keeping close to the Heart of our Mother, who loves us, prays for us and will ask Her Son for all that we need on our behalf. And so, we pray, Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.