GOD WAS BORN OF A WOMAN: THE THEOTOKOS

January 1, 2021
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

Readings: NM 6:22-27; Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; GAL 4:4-7; LK 2:16-21.

A Nigerian proverb says, “A child who has no mother will not have scars to show on his back.” And a Kikuyu proverb adds, “It is not the mother's will to have a bad offspring.”

"Hail, Holy Mother, who gave birth to the King, who rules heaven and earth forever."

In monarchic traditions, the mother of a king holds a special place in the kingdom and is venerated with special respect. God the Most High, coming to share our humanity, chose to be born of a woman. From that moment, this humble woman holds a particular position in God's plan of salvation and consequently, in our relationship with God.

Jesus, the Son of God is as well the son of Mary, the humble woman of Nazareth. God was incarnated in her wombs and she gave birth to him, the author of all life. It sounds quite funny that some people have a particular talent for loving Jesus and accepting him as their Lord and Savior. However, they refuse any relationship with Mary, his mother. Humanly, can one love the son and hate the mother?

Today, the first day of the new year, the Church gives us to celebrate with great solemnity, the origin of all the Marian devotions and titles. For, Mary is all that we say and know of her, primarily because she is the Mother of God, from the Greek, “Theotokos” “who has given birth to God”.

Entering this celebration, our entrance antiphon tells us who she is, the one who gave birth to the King. Therefore, Mary is the King's Mother. And Pope Francis, in his recent Apostolic Letter on St. Joseph, “PATRIS CORDE” (WITH A FATHER’S HEART), nicely said, “Indeed, Jesus and Mary his Mother are the most precious treasure of our faith. In the divine plan of salvation, the Son is inseparable from his Mother, from Mary, who “advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son until she stood at the cross.” (PC 5)

St. Paul, in the second reading, though not mentioning her name, tells us that the Son of God, when he was sent by the Father at the fullness of time, the appointed time for our redemption, was born of a woman. This Son of God and son of Mary made us sharers of his filiation. Through Jesus, we all have God as Father, made worthy to cry out to him as little children: "Abba, Father." If in Jesus we all have God as Father, in the same Lord Jesus, we are made children of Mary, sharers of his Mother. This even was made the more manifest when on the Cross, while he was returning to his Father, Jesus entrusted the beloved disciple to his Mother and his Mother to that disciple: “Woman, behold, your son... Behold, your mother.” (John 19:26-27) From that moment, in St. John, we are all invited to welcome Mary as our very Mother in our heart and let her welcome us as her children. And Pope Francis would say, “We should always consider whether we ourselves are protecting Jesus and Mary, for they are also mysteriously entrusted to our own responsibility, care, and safekeeping” as St. Joseph did.

It is under the maternal protection of such a beloved Mother that we are called to start this new journey of our life, this new year which is a gift from God.

Traditionally, the beginning of the year is a time for good wishes. The Holy Scriptures do not derogate from that rule. Thus, the Lord exhorts Moses and the Israelites on how they should bless each other: “This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: 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! So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

It is now, ours to bless each other in these same words. But moreover, we should invest ourselves in a way that our blessings do not remain only as traditional words with no effects on those who pronounce them, and moreover, with fewer effects on those to whom we formulate them. As you wish each other Happy New Year, make it your challenge to help others to find happiness this year. Do not be the cause of their sufferings. Help them, in all the possible ways, to find the Lord's presence in the whole of the year.

Speaking of finding the Lord, the Gospel tells us that the best and surest place where, like the shepherds, we can find Jesus, the new-born king is in the hands of Mary his Mother. Therefore, let's all and always go to Jesus through Mary. May the Mother of God lead our steps the whole of this year to her beloved Son where we will find perfect peace, happiness, and fulfillment of life. Happy New Year to you all. Ave Maria and always onwards.