Parish of Our Lady of Fatima

159 Kenneth Kaunda Rd, Durban North, 4051 Tel: 0315635554 Fax: 0315634684 E-Mail Website: www.fatima.org.za

Parish Priest: Fr Justin Stirton Facebook: www.facebook.com/FatimaParishDurban/

Pastoral Assistant: Irene Helsdon

1st January 2018

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Year B
Missal references Page 61

Entrance Antiphon

Today a light will shine upon us, for the Lord is born for us; and he will be called Wondrous God, Prince of peace, Father of future ages: and his reign will be without end.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 67

O God, be gracious and bless us.

…….and let your face shed its light upon us.

So will your ways be known upon earth

and all nations learn your salvation.

Let the nations be glad and shout for joy,

with uprightness you rule the peoples;

you guide the nations on earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

May God still give us his Blessing

That all the ends of the earth may revere him.

O God, be gracious and bless us.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

In many and various ways

God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets;

But in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son. Alleluia!

Communion Antiphon

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and for ever.

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD Year B
01st January 2018 Gerard Deighan

Commentary

First Reading (Num 6:22-27) This short passage gives us the best known prayer of blessing in the Old Testament. Although it is Aaron and his descendents who will pronounce the words of the blessing, the blessing itself will come from the Lord. The Lord makes his ministers effective proclaimers of his goodness to his people. The threefold blessing, with its triple mention of the Lord’s name (YHWH), may be seen to contain a foreshadowing of the Blessed (and blessing) Trinity.
Does God have a face? The religion of Israel forbade any physical representation of the Lord in human form, and yet a deep conviction of the personal nature of God had to express itself in language which spoke of him in human terms. When we are displeased with someone our faces are dark; when we look on someone with favour, they beam; or so it seems. Aaron’s blessing prays that the Lord will be pleased with his people, that his ‘face’ will shine graciously upon them.
As we read this passage on the octave day of Christmas, we have before us the Lord in human form, with a real human face. Popular depictions of the nativity often show a dark stable, lit up by a light which comes from the Infant’s face. That is perhaps not a bad image to help us read this Old Testament passage in the light of its fulfillment. Christ is born to be our greatest blessing. In him God’s face truly shines on us, and brings us peace.
Gospel (Lk 2:16-21)
In this gospel we find a marked contrast. On the one hand, we have the hurrying of the shepherds, their excited reporting of the angel’s words, and the astonishment of their audience; on the other hand, we have the baby lying quietly in the manger, and Mary pondering in her heart things which she already knew. Mary is ahead of everyone else, as we are reminded in the final sentence. On the eighth day after his birth they name the boy Jesus, but this name had been revealed to Mary before she conceived him in her womb. The events no longer astound her, but she continues to contemplate what remains an inexhaustible mystery. In her quiet contemplation she shows the most perfect attitude towards her Son, beyond the enthusiastic bustling of the shepherds and the other bystanders, just as later another Mary would be praised for resting at the Lord’s feet while her sister was busy about many things.
Circumcision is considered to mark entry into the covenant community of Israel; but in fact we read in Genesis 17 that the ritual predates Israel and goes back to Abraham. The latter meaning ‘father of a multitude’. Abraham is the ancestor not only of Israel, but of many nations. Circumcision was to be the outward reminder of God’s promise to give Abraham numerous descendants. Although commonly associated only with Judaism, it is practiced by many peoples, and in fact points beyond the restriction of salvation to Israel alone. Jesus is fully a member of his own people; but, as the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, he opens salvation to all.