Mary, Mother of God

Happy eighth day of Christmas, a very happy new year, and a most blessed Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God to you!

First, a word about the eighth day, and then we’ll move on to Mary.

Christmas is celebrated as a day, an octave, and a season. The celebration of the octave – that is, the day and the week following – is most obvious if you pray some form of the Divine Office.

Normally, each day of the week has its own psalms and antiphons, though the collect prayers are (mostly) pegged to the Sunday just past. Obviously, feasts have their own gig depending on the relative solemnity of the feast.

This week, with very little exception, I’ve been praying the office of Christmas Day every day – the same psalms, the same antiphons, the same prayers.

Today, being a solemnity (I Class in my diurnal), we get new antiphons and prayers – but the same psalms.

Let us celebrate the motherhood of the Virgin Mary,
and let us worship Christ the Lord, her Son.

(Invitatory antiphon for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
in the Liturgy of the Hours)

Most people who are Christians but not Catholics probably wonder why we have feasts celebrating the Virgin and the saints. It really is simple. These people are holy and worthy of emulation, so we celebrate their life and their acceptance of God’s grace.

If the United States of America can have a day set aside to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Church can certainly set aside a day to celebrate Saint Thomas Becket, for instance.

Also, since the Communion of Saints transcends mere time and space, these celebrations are in a sense like celebrating with our friends or family.

Birthday parties and such are times for family and friends to gather, and this is no different. His feast is a pretty good time to renew your acquaintance with good ol’ Thomas Becket.

And then there’s Mary. Above the rest of the saints, Mary stands out and above. No other human being has been hailed by an angel of God as being “full of Grace” (Luke 1:28).

No other human being said “yes” to God in the radical way that Mary did.

No other human being gave birth to the Saviour of us all, God-with-us, Christ Jesus, who Himself gave Mary to us as our own Mother (John 19:26-27).

All my own perception of beauty both in majesty and simplicity is founded upon Our Lady.

(J.R.R. Tolkien)

We are all called to be saints. We are all called to give an unhesitating “yes” to God, our creator.

Do we always succeed? Of course not. But God is tireless and patient. You can run, but whenever you stop, God is already right there, waiting for you.

Pray for me, brothers and sisters, in this beautiful New Year of 2016, for I shall surely pray for you.

You might start by asking our Mother to pray for us, too.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

…and then you might get yourself to church! Today is a holy day of obligation – like a Sunday.

There’s a noon Mass at my parish of Holy Rosary if you’re in the area. Come on down!