MARY MOTHER OF GOD
This Sunday January 1st we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, as well as this we also celebrate world day of prayer for peace. In the modern Roman Calendar only Christmas and Easter have an octave. This Sunday it is the turn of Our Lady as we celebrate her as the mother of God. At the Council of Ephesus (451), Mary, the mother of Jesus was proclaimed as Mother of God or Theotokos. Under this noble title she is still honored by most Christians around the world, and today’s feast invites us to lay our hopes and plans for the new year in her motherly care. We entrust all our concerns and those of our world, with all its conflicts and injustices, to her motherly protection. on the feast of the Holy Mother of God we see Mary marveling at what has happened, treasuring the events of Christmas in her memory, and pondering them in her heart. The image is that of the contemplative woman who ponders the marvels the Almighty has done for her. Mary treasured the words of the shepherds in her heart, for they were Good News. She was the vessel of God’s providence; she conceived by the power of the Spirit. Her Son was Messiah and King. She was the first follower and a symbol for all of us, the Church. On this feast we ask a special favour of Mary our mother and intercessor: that the love we have for Jesus her son will Grow in our hearts and lives! As We thank God for all that has been over the last year and look forward to all that will be we pray through the intercession of our Lady that God will be present with us in the good bad, happy and sad times we might encounter in the year that is ahead .
Fullerton T 