Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I trust you had a wonderful Christmas and also some time to reflect on the wonder of Christ being born for you. It is an event that blows my mind: God became man for me, to free me from slavery, and to give me a new life.
The number of people at the midnight Mass was the largest since I have been here; they were an eclectic group but I was very happy to see them, and the hundreds of others that attended one of the Christmas Masses. Not to mention those who bought one of the wonderful CD’s of our own parish choir, which also did a splendid job this Christmas weekend. Let us pray that this is the start of a new relationship with the Lord for some or all of the people who celebrated with us.
It is a beautiful blessing that we hear of this Sunday for our solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Numbers 6: 22-27). The Lord will bless us, and let his face shine upon us, and look kindly and give you peace. What more could you ask for than this blessing on this first day of the New Year. A blessing from God brings with it a special power, often to give or sustain life to a person or a community. God is the source of this blessing, and this is unchanging. It also can be a reminder to bless the Lord, to thank him for what he did to us this past Advent and Christmas. Maybe your hope has increased or that you have a clearer vision of what you are hoping for this coming year. And that you have the patience to wait for it.
The first sentence of the gospel (Luke 2: 16-21) tells us that the shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph and the child. Mary also went in haste to see her cousin Elizabeth when she heard the news of her pregnancy late in life. How many Christians make haste today where the things of God are concerned? Surely if anything merits haste it is the things of the Lord. Often you and I give more importance to material things or to sports or relaxation, and the things of God take a back seat, and this causes us to suffer, ironically.
The Jewish law called for the purification of the mothers after the birth, for seven days she is not able to partake in worship, and then on the eight day the child is circumcised and named. Mary and Joseph as a poor family present two turtle doves or two pigeons for the priest. This is the gift of the poor. Jesus’ family is poor and lived like one of many others, how beautiful!
Mary goes to be purified as the Law requires, but what need does she have to be made clean? She brings into the world the One, who will purify it, but she obeys, and in this way she fulfills the prophecies. She takes the last place and is full of joy!
Mary today is not just Mother of Jesus but Mother of God. How could it be that a teenager is the Mother of God? Some doubted it in the early centuries and the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD made a solemn declaration that Mary is Mother of God, Theotokos (God Bearer) and your mother! Do not forget her; ask her for what you need. Put an image of her in your living room or bedroom; be close to her, and she will help you.