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January 01, 2023

Mary, Holy Mother of God

In our first reading, verses from the Book of Numbers, the Lord directs Moses on how the priest Aaron should bless the Israelites using the name of God. “The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace.” I use this blessing frequently on multiple different occasions. The threefold blessing says something profound about God and about our relationship with God. We are precious in God’s eyes. By analogy, God’s face shines upon us like parents smiling upon their children with kindness and wishing them peace. If only we believe this to be true!

It is true. St. Paul in his Letter to the Church at Galatia, affirms that we are God’s beloved children. The proof is God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts enabling us to cry out, “Abba, Father!”

In our Gospel according to St. Luke, when the shepherds hasten to Bethlehem and make known what has been revealed to them about the child, “Mary keeps all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” Mary is a model of contemplation -- “keeping all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” By pondering in her heart, Mary becomes aware that the threefold “Blessing of Aaron” upon the People of Israel is being fulfilled in the birth of her son Jesus, God’s Son, who is the promised Savior and Messiah. Mary is a model of obedience. Mary listens to the message of the angels and shepherds, gives herself over, surrenders, to God’s will and entrusts everything to God’s care.

Today’s feast of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, is so appropriate for New Year’s Eve and Day. Her “pondering on all these things” is what we do on this day that marks the end of one year and beginning of the next. We recall local and global events that leave a lasting impression on our consciences: the loss of innocent lives at the supermarket on Jefferson Avenue in the month of May; the deaths of people during a horrible winter storm in December and those who risked their lives to help; the heroic response of the people in Ukraine to the Russian invasion; the humanitarian crisis and suffering of refuges, migrants, men, women and children, seeking asylum; countless thousands facing drought, famine and civil war in Somalia and other parts of Africa; and catastrophic hurricanes taking lives and destroying property. We hold dear in our hearts personal and family happenings like the joyful celebrations of births, graduations and weddings and the challenging experiences of unemployment, homelessness, addiction, sickness, and death of loved ones.

Like Mary, we “keep these things, reflecting on them in our hearts” and we look forward to the new year with hope. Our hope is based on our faith. With Mary, we know, God is with us always in her son, Jesus Christ.

Early on New Year’s Eve, we received the announcement of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict. I end my homily with the words of Pope Benedict from his homily on this feast day, on January 1, 2008:

“Dear brothers and sisters, it is only by pondering in the heart, in other words, by piecing together and finding unity in all we experience, that, following Mary, we can penetrate the mystery of a God who was made man out of love and who calls us to follow him on the path of love; a love to be expressed daily by generous service to the brethren, [our sisters and brother]. May the new year which we are confidently beginning today be a time in which to advance in that knowledge of the heart, which is the wisdom of saints. Let us pray, as we heard in the First Reading, that the Lord may “make his face to shine” upon us, “and be gracious” to us and bless us. We may be certain of it: if we never tire of seeking his Face, if we never give in to the temptation of discouragement and doubt, if also among the many difficulties we encounter we always remain anchored to him, we will experience the power of his love and his mercy. May the fragile Child who today the Virgin shows to the world make us peacemakers, witnesses of him, the Prince of Peace. Amen!”  

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