Today, as we do every January 1 to commemorate the beginning of the year, we give honor to Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother. In the Second Vatican Council, in the document Lumen Gentium, the Church declared that we the faithful, as we try to overcome the sins that entrap us and strive to reach everyday holiness, we are called to seek live out the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. These virtues are most perfectly exemplified for us in the life of our Blessed Mother. Thus, we the faithful should desire to be like Mary in our daily lives of holiness. Mary, in her love for her son, Jesus, looks to bring all the faithful into a fuller relationship with him in her role not only as Jesus’ mother, the mother of God, but also as the everlasting Mother of all humanity. Mary, the Mother of God, the solemnity we celebrate today, comes from a title given to Mary as during the Council of Ephesus in the year 431. This title came through discussion about Jesus being both God and man. Thus, as always, the identity of Mary and her role in our lives, is always intrinsically tied to her son and the salvation we achieve through him as the Son of God.
One thing I love about Pope Francis is his close relationship with Mary. Pope Francis had been a pilgrim many times to the important Marian pilgrimage of Our Lady of Luján, a statue that arrived in Argentina in the early 17th century, located in a basilica just west of Buenos Aires. Also, it is well-known that before he embarks on his international travels, Pope Francis prays at the icon of the Blessed Mary entitled Salus Populi Romani, the Protectress of the Roman People, a 6th century Byzantine icon located in the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome. He does so to entrust his travels to her and to give thanks to her. Pope Francis asserts that Mary is not to be just a look to our past. Rather she give our Church the feel of home, a home in which the God of newness dwells. Indeed, the Pope says that we should see Mary as someone we turn to in times of difficulty, when our lives are entangled in knots. That term Francis uses, entangled in knots, alludes to a painting of Our Lady of Knots, located in a small chapel in Bavaria, that Pope Francis visited as a young priest while he studied in Germany. He loves the image of Mary helping us untie the knots that ensnare us in life.
I love the passage we hear about Mary today, how when the shepherds brought her a message, she “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” This shows Mary’s care, compassion, and humanity, how she ponders, reflects, and prays in order to gain wisdom and understanding. This is certainly a great message that we can learn from Mary today.
Traditionally, this is also the day the Pope issues a special prayer for peace. His message for today is entitled: “PEACE AS A JOURNEY OF HOPE: DIALOGUE, RECONCILIATION AND ECOLOGICAL CONVERSION.” It a world so divided and full of contention and discord, where there is very little listening and seeing the other’s point of view, his call to dialogue and reconciliation as a bridge to peace is a message that is badly needed in our world today. Blessings to all of you in the new year of 2020. May Mary accompany us with her prayers and her motherly love as we journey forth in the new year today.
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