Posted on 12/31/2014 8:12:42 PM PST by Salvation
January 1, 2015
The Octave Day of Christmas
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
Reading 1 Nm 6:22-27
The LORD said to Moses:
“Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:
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.”
Responsorial Psalm Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8.
R. (2a) May God bless us in his mercy.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
reading 2 Gal 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters:
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,
born of a woman, born under the law,
to ransom those under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as sons.
As proof that you are sons,
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,
crying out, “Abba, Father!”
So you are no longer a slave but a son,
and if a son then also an heir, through God.
Alleluia Heb 1:1-2
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;
in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Lk 2:16-21
The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.
When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.
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From: Numbers 6:22-27
Blessing by Priests
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Commentary:
6:23-27. This is one of the earliest blessing formulae that the Bible has con-
served for us. It is referred to in some psalms (cf. Ps 31:17; 67:2; etc.) and it was
used by priests in the temple liturgy. It consists of three petitions, each beginning
with the name of the Lord. Some ancient authors saw in this triple invocation an
advance announcement of the Blessed Trinity. It goes on to pray for protection,
grace and peace—three gifts which sum up man’s aspirations and which God
alone can provide in all their fullness.
The Church carries on the tradition of blessing the faithful during liturgical cere-
monies, especially at the end of the eucharistic celebration, beseeching God to
show them his favor. The Roman Missal includes this text as one of the optional
blessings the priest can use at the end of Mass.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Galatians 4:4-7
Divine Sonship (Continuation)
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Commentary:
6. Abba is an Aramaic word which has come down to us with its translation “Fa-
ther”. As can be deduced from Mt 14:36 (cf. note on Lk 11:1), this is the same
word as our Lord used in his personal prayer. However, it is not a word ever used
by Jews to address God, probably because it contains the kind of trust and ten-
derness that small children have in their dealings with their father. Jesus, however,
did not hesitate to use it and to encourage his followers to use it. In this way he
invites us to relate to God with the trust and tenderness of a child towards its fa-
ther — as well he might, because by redeeming us Christ not only freed us from
the yoke of the Law but enabled us to have a new relationship to God, to be God’s
sons and daughters. St Paul echoes this teaching (cf. also Rom 8:16-17) and at-
tributes to the Holy Spirit that movement in man’s heart which impels him to cry
out, full of love and hope, “Abba! Father!”
This all means that “if we have a constant relationship with the Holy Spirit, we
shall become spiritual ourselves, we shall realize that we are Christ’s brothers
and children of God, and we shall not hesitate to call upon our Father [...]. Words
cannot go so far as the heart, which is moved by God’s goodness. He says to us,
‘You are my son.’ Not a stranger, not a well-treated servant, not a friend — that
would be a lot already. A son! He gives us free access to treat him as sons, with
a son’s piety and I would even say with the boldness and daring of a son whose
Father cannot deny him anything” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 136
and 185).
In this verse we can see the roles of the three Divine Persons in man’s super-
natural life. The Father sends the Holy Spirit, here called “the Spirit of his Son”,
to help us activate our gift of divine sonship.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Luke 2:16-21
The Adoration of the Shepherds (Continuation)
The Circumcision of Jesus
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Commentary:
15-18. The birth of the Savior Messiah is the key event in the history of mankind,
but God wanted it to take place so quietly that the world went about its business
as if nothing had happened. The only people he tells about it are a few shepherds.
It was also to a shepherd, Abraham, that God gave his promise to save mankind.
The shepherds make their way to Bethlehem propelled by the sign they have re-
ceived. And when they verify it they tell what they heard from the angel and about
seeing the heavenly host. They are the first witnesses of the birth of the Messiah.
“The shepherds were not content with believing in the happy event which the an-
gel proclaimed to them and which, full of wonder, they saw for a fact; they mani-
fested their joy not only to Mary and Joseph but to everyone and, what is more,
they tried to engrave it on their memory. ‘And all who heard it wondered at what
the shepherds told them.’ And why would they not have wondered, seeing on
earth him who is in heaven, and earth and heaven reconciled; seeing that ineffa-
ble Child who joined what was heavenly — divinity — and what was earthly — hu-
manity — creating a wonderful covenant through this union. Not only were they
in awe at the mystery of the Incarnation, but also at the great testimony born by
the shepherds, who could not have invented something they had not heard and
who publish the truth with a simple eloquence” (Photius, “Ad Amphilochium”,
155).
16. The shepherds hasten because they are full of joy and eager to see the
Savior. St Ambrose comments: “No one seeks Christ halfheartedly” (”Expositio
Evangelii Sec. Lucam., in loc.”). Earlier on, the evangelist observed that our La-
dy, after the Annunciation, “went in haste” to see St Elizabeth (Lk 1:39). A soul
who has given God entry rejoices that God has visited him and his life acquires
new energy.
19. In very few words this verse tells us a great deal about our Lady. We see the
serenity with which she contemplates the wonderful things that are coming true
with the birth of her divine Son. She studies them, ponders them and stores them
in the silence of her heart. She is a true teacher of prayer. If we imitate her, if we
guard and ponder in our hearts what Jesus says to us and what he does in us,
we are well on the way to Christian holiness and we shall never lack his doctrine
and his grace. Also, by meditating in this way on the teaching Jesus has given
us, we shall obtain a deeper understanding of the mystery of Christ, which is how
“the Tradition that comes from the Apostles makes progress in the Church, with
the help of the Holy Spirit. There is a growth in insight into the realities and words
that are being passed on. This comes about in various ways. It comes through
the contemplation and study of believers who ponder these things in their hearts.
It comes from the intimate sense of spiritual realities which they experience. And
it comes from the preaching of those who have received, along with their right of
succession in the episcopate, the sure charism of truth” (Vatican II, “Dei Verbum”,
8).
21. On the meaning and rite of circumcision, see the note on Lk 1:59. “Jesus”
means “Yahweh saves” or “Yahweh is salvation”, that is, Savior. This name was
given the Child not as the result of any human decision but in keeping with the
commandment of God which the angel communicated to the Blessed Virgin and
to St Joseph (cf. Lk 1:31; Mk 1:21).
The Son of God became incarnate in order to redeem and save all men; so it is
very fitting that he be called Jesus, Savior. We confess this in the Creed: “For us
men and for our salvation he came down from heaven.” “There were indeed many
who were called by this name [...]. But how much more appropriate it is to call
by this name our Savior, who brought light, liberty and salvation, not to one peo-
ple only, but to all men, of all ages — to men oppressed, not by famine, or Egyp-
tian or Babylonian bondage, but sitting in the shadow of death and fettered by
the galling chains of sin and of the devil” (”St Pius V Catechism”, I, 36).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
|
First reading |
Numbers 6:22-27 © |
The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Say this to Aaron and his sons: “This is how you are to bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.”
This is how they are to call down my name on the sons of Israel, and I will bless them.’
|
Psalm |
|
Psalm 66:2-3,5,6,8 © |
O God, be gracious and bless us.
O God, be gracious and bless us
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth
and all nations learn your saving help.
O God, be gracious and bless us.
Let the nations be glad and exult
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples,
you guide the nations on earth.
O God, be gracious and bless us.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
May God still give us his blessing
till the ends of the earth revere him.
O God, be gracious and bless us.
|
Second reading |
Galatians 4:4-7 © |
When the appointed time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law and to enable us to be adopted as sons. The proof that you are sons is that God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts: the Spirit that cries, ‘Abba, Father’, and it is this that makes you a son, you are not a slave any more; and if God has made you son, then he has made you heir.
|
Gospel Acclamation |
Heb1:1-2 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
At various times in the past
and in various different ways,
God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;
but in our own time, the last days,
he has spoken to us through his Son.
Alleluia!
|
Gospel |
Luke 2:16-21 © |
The shepherds hurried away to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told.
When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.
We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.
Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.
Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.
Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.
Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.
Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.
O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.
Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests
This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.
The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.
The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.
Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.
St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.
1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4. (3) Hail Mary: 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 in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)
5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.
Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.
End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Final step -- The Sign of the Cross
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.
St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+
From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:
"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"
PLEASE JOIN US -
|
Luke 2:21 "...Et vocatum est Nomen eius IESUS"
("And His Name was called JESUS")
Psalm 90:14 "Because he hoped in me I will deliver him:
I will protect him because he hath known My Name."
Zacharias 10:12 "I will strengthen them in the Lord,
and they shall walk in His Name, saith the Lord."
Apocalypse 3:8 "I know thy works. Behold, I have given before thee a door opened, which no man can shut: because thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied My Name."
Apocalypse 15:4 "Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and magnify Thy Name?..."
Blessed be the most holy Name of Jesus without end!
January Devotion: The Holy Name of Jesus
The month of January is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. This feast is also celebrated on January 3. Here is an explanation of the devotion.
Since the 16th century Catholic piety has associated entire months to special devotions. The devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus has been traditionally associated with the month of January, due to its celebration on January 3. The name Jesus was given to the Holy Child at God's command (Luke 1:31). The Holy Name is all-powerful because of the Person who bears it; we honor it because of the command of Christ, that we should pray in His Name and because it reminds us of all the blessings we receive through our Holy Redeemer. Hence St. Paul was able to write to the Philippians: ". . . at the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth" (Phil. 2:10). By means of this devotion we also make amends for improper use of the Holy Name.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
Prayer/Hymn in Honor of the Most Holy Name of Jesus - Iesu, Dulcis Memoria
Iesu, Dulcis Memoria is a celebrated 12th century hymn attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), Doctor Mellifluus. The entire hymn has some 42 to 53 stanzas depending upon the manuscript. Parts of this hymn were used for the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, which was formerly celebrated on the Sunday between the Circumcision and Epiphany, or failing such a Sunday, on January 2. The part below was used at Vespers. In the liturgical revisions of Vatican II, the feast was deleted, though a votive Mass to the Holy Name of Jesus had been retained for devotional use. With the release of the revised Roman Missal in March 2002, the feast was restored as an optional memorial on January 3.
Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.
No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,
A sweeter sound than Jesus' name,
The Savior of mankind.
O hope of every contrite heart!
0 joy of all the meek!
To those who fall, how kind Thou art!
How good to those who seek!
But what to those who find? Ah! this
Nor tongue nor pen can show
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.
Jesus! our only hope be Thou,
As Thou our prize shalt be;
In Thee be all our glory now,
And through eternity. Amen.
---Roman Breviary
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
O Divine Jesus, Thou hast promised that anything we ask of the Eternal Father in Thy name shall be granted.
O Eternal Father. In the name of Jesus, for the love of Jesus, in fulfillment of this promise, and because Jesus has said it, grant us our petitions for the sake of Jesus, Thy Divine Son. Amen.
Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Phil:2:10-11
The Most Holy Name
The Power of Jesus’ Name
What does IHS stand for? The meaning of the Holy Name of Jesus [Catholic Caucus]
Litany Of The Holy Name of Jesus
Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
Jesus, The Name above all Names
Devotion to the Holy Name (of Jesus) [Catholic Caucus]
Lessons In Iconography : The Chi Rho - Christ
St. Francis de Sales on the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Excerpt from a Sermon) (Catholic Caucus)
St. Francis de Sales on the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
St. Bernard on the Most Holy Name of Jesus [Ecumenical]
Saving the day in His Holy Name: St. Genevieve gets a reprieve [Catholic Caucus]
The Holy Name of Jesus
Holy Name of Jesus [San Bernadino of Siena] Ecumenical
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name [of Jesus]
The Name of Jesus: Its Power in Our Lives
The Holy Name of Jesus
Devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus
The Holy Name of Jesus
Pope's Intentions
Universal: Peace -- That those from diverse religious traditions and all people of good will may work together for peace.
Evangelization: Consecrated life -- That in this year dedicated to consecrated life, religious men and women may rediscover the joy of following Christ and strive to serve the poor with zeal.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God - Solemnity
Commentary of the day
Saint John-Paul II, Pope from 1978 to 2005
Homily for the 1st January 1979 (trans. © copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana)
Day of Motherhood, day of peace
Today the church particularly venerates the Motherhood of Mary. This is, as it were, a last message of the octave of Christmas. Birth always speaks of the mother, of her who gives life, of her who gives man to the world. The first day of the New Year is the day of the Mother: we see her then—as in so many pictures and sculptures—with the Child in her arms, with the Child at her breast… There is no image that is better known and that speaks in a more simple way of the mystery of the Lord's birth than that of the Mother with Jesus in her arms. Is not this image, perhaps, the source of our extraordinary confidence?...
But there is yet another image of the Mother with her Son in her arms. It is in this basilica: it is "la Pietà": Mary holding Jesus who has been taken from the Cross… and who after death returns to those arms on which he was offered as Saviour of the world at Bethlehem.
I would like, then, to unite our prayer for peace with this double image.., with this Motherhood, which the Church venerates particularly in the octave of Christmas. Therefore I say:
"Mother,
you who know what it means
to clasp in your arms the dead body of your Son,
of him to whom you gave birth,
spare all mothers on this earth
the death of their sons,
the torments, the slavery, the destruction of war,
the persecutions, the concentration camps,
the prisons!
Keep for them the joy of birth,
of sustenance, of the development of man
and of his life.
In the name of this life,
in the name of the birth of the Lord,
implore with us peace,
and justice in the world!
Mother of Peace,
in all the beauty and majesty of your motherhood,
which the Church exalts and the world admires,
we pray to you:
Be with us at every moment!
Let this New Year be a year of peace,
in virtue of the birth and the death of your Son! '"
Amen.
Roman Rite:
Nm 6, 22-27; Ps 67 Gal 4, 4-7; Lk 2.16 to 21
Holy Mary, Mother of God[1]
1) The Mother.
At Christmas we celebrated the birth of the Son. Today we celebrate the Mother. You cannot separate the mother from her child.
The Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, to remind us that we have in Her a safe and maternal company in our journey on earth. In Her, in her love and in her obedience we find the path back to God. The Church turns to Her because Mary, the Mother of the Lord, is in Christ the Mother of all humanity because she takes part in the extension of love that God the Father wanted to give us in the Son.
Amazed by the joy, we celebrate the fact that from the tenderness of the Mother of God comes peace for all. Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit, gave to the world the Prince of Peace, Jesus the Redeemer of mankind.
Our Peace, Christ, is in the arms of a mother, Mary, one of us. Peace, Jesus, born from a woman, is the Christmas gift par excellence put in our arms. He is the face of the Peace that shines to illuminate the faces of all of us, beggars of peace.
Let us beg the Virgin Mother for this peace and we will get it like the shepherds who “went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them"(Luke 2: 16-20 - today's Gospel). They had met the Prince of Peace, who made them wise men.
If we want a world with righteous men, with men who feel and live the brotherhood, we must not forget the way of the nativity.
The nativity tells us of God who became a Child and a Mother who gives him to us. She gives birth at night because love is always a gift that gives birth to the day.
In front of the crib man discovers himself loved, awaited and looked for. He discovers that it is worth being a man if God himself became man, and finds the hope and joy of being a brother among brothers.
In this crib is the Son of God. Without Jesus the Nativity is a small thing: a stable with the beasts that warm the poor parents of a poor baby. If the Son of God, the King of kings had not been there, the Magi would have not entered into a stable. They, like the shepherds, saw, believed, knelt and worshiped. Let us do the same.
They saw straw and manure and felt the smell of the stable, but above all they saw the Word of God made flesh and were amazed by Love, whose power has no need of violent force to manifest. It "used" a child.
The wonder of the shepherds, the Magi, and of Joseph and Mary was not aroused by the fact of having been mightily impressed as it happens in the occasions of wonder for something that is beautiful, extraordinary or majestic, but by the presence of the Prince of Peace, the baby Jesus, from whom transpired something special, if everyone started kneeling in front of him laying on straw in a barn.
2) Mother of all, for every day of the year.
How did Mary experience the first Christmas? Mary too heard the words explaining the event that she herself saw and lived. Words and deeds that she pondered[2] in her heart, in herself in a conscious, thoughtful and intelligent listening. The heart indicates this. The inner listening of Mary is a prolonged one, not a single moment. The Gospel phrase, “she kept all these things, meditating on them in her heart,” says that the guard of Mary was not a keeping passive or inert, but an active and alive one, connecting and comparing one thing with another trying to understand the profound logic, the direction and the truth of things that may seem unrelated or even conflicting. It is precisely what Mary did, feeling on one hand the words that proclaimed the glory of the Child (words heard from the angel at the Annunciation) and, on the other hand, seeing "a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.” It is the usual tension between greatness and littleness, glory and poverty that is the backbone of the Christian event. Mary’s listening thus becomes a true interpretation that sheds light on the mystery of Jesus.
Mary is not only the mother of Jesus, she is also his most profound interpreter. She explains Christmas, because it is not easy to understand Christmas. So, let us be guided by Mary, who kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Her heart and her mind were seeking the golden thread that held together the opposites: a stable and "a multitude of angels," a manger and a "kingdom which has no end." Like her, like the shepherds and the Magi, let’s save at least astonishment. At Christmas the Word is an infant who cannot talk, the Lord is just in the morning of life, the Almighty is a child capable only of crying. God always starts in this way, with small things and in deep silence.
God decided to reveal himself born as a child. This is the depth of the mystery of Christmas told by the Nativity in Bethlehem, of our churches and of our homes.
For thirty years Christ lived this humble and simple life to save us. His mother embraced this life. This hidden life is embraced today, every day, by the Consecrated Virgins in the world. By placing their hope in the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Consecrated Virgins in the world look to Mary as "the prototype of the consecrated life because she is the mother who welcomes, listens to, intercedes and contemplates her Lord with praise of the heart" (Message of the Synod on consecrated Life). Maria is the model, guide and Mother in all the fundamental elements of the consecrated life: in the evangelical following, in the way of marriage to Christ (Jn 2,4-5. 11 12), with "undivided heart" (1 Cor 7, 32), in evangelical poverty like the life in Bethlehem and Nazareth (Luke 1-2; Mt 1-2), in obedience to the salvific plan of God (Lk 1:38);in virginity spiritually, fruitful under the action of Holy Spirit, to be "the Woman" in union with Christ (Luke 1, 35; Jn 2: 4), in the availability to service and mission for the Church toward a new kind of motherhood (Jn 19, 25, 27; Rev. 12: 1); in the life of the Church as a fraternal bond of communion and help for the spiritual, apostolic, intellectual and human life (Acts 1: 14).
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1 In this solemnity we focus on the mystery of Mary who is the mother of God. The Gospel proposed is that of the dawn Mass on Christmas Day, the visit of the shepherds to the baby Jesus. The text, however, has two small changes: it is removed the mention of the angels who turn away after the announcement to the shepherds and verse 21 is added, which speaks of the circumcision of the Child and the imposition of the name. Jewish children were in fact subjected to this circumcision practice that was the sign of their belonging to the people of Israel and together with it they received the name by which they would be recognized for a lifetime. Before the liturgical reform of Vatican II on this day the Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus and the Holy Name was celebrated, as it is still done in the Ambrosian Rite Liturgy. After Vatican II, the Roman Rite moved the festival dedicated to Mary known as the Mother of God, a dogma of faith that had been stated by the Council of Ephesus in 431.
2 The verb "to keep" is the only verb in the present tense and that, therefore, holds the whole sentence. It does not simply mean to recall, but stresses care and attention such as when you have in your hands a precious thing.
Year B - Mother of God – Theotokos – Mary’s Solemnity
Mary treasured these things and pondered them in her heart
Luke 2:16-21
Luke 2:16-21 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.
17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child;
18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.
19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
(NRSV)
Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The shepherds had received the visitation of the angels announcing the Good News, that the Savior had been born, the Messiah, the Lord. They were filled with joy with the announcement and hurried to see the newborn child.
As they found me accompanied by Mary my mother and by Joseph, they were blessed with a divine consolation. Their faith increased and they became witnesses of my birth. The light of the world, the savior, had come, and was already shining in their hearts. They left to spread the Good News, they praised and glorified God for the wonderful events that had taken place. Their lives changed from that moment because I started my great work of love on that Holy Night.
The joy of the world was born on that night, God was already among men. This brought unequalled happiness to my blessed mother, the Mother of God, who treasured these things humbly in her heart.
From all eternity The Holy Trinity had decided the moment of the Incarnation. Mary was chosen among all women to be immaculate and holy, the most fitting woman to be the mother of the Word Incarnate.
Eve, the first woman was created sinless but was tempted and committed sin. Mary, the Blessed Virgin, by a special grace of God was conceived free from sin. From the very instant of her conception and by her own holiness she retained that purity therefore reversing the sin of the first woman. This made her worthy to be my mother and to become the new Eve, the mother of the children of God, whose firstborn is the Lord your God and Savior.
I, Jesus, the word of God, was conceived in the purity of her womb to reverse the sin committed by the first parents, therefore I became the new Adam. This was the start of the new creation in the order of Grace. By my sacrifice on the cross I obtained redemption for all humanity, sin was overcome by grace, darkness by light and death by eternal life.
Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, gave birth by the power of God and remained a virgin all her life. She was espoused to Joseph, a very chaste man, a descendant of David, who became her husband in order to accompany and protect Mary and the child according to the plan of God. At no time in her life was there any carnal union with Joseph, since she was chosen to be the spouse of the Holy Spirit, the Mother of God the Son, and the perfect daughter of God the Father.
She became not only the Mother of God, but by divine decree the mother of all the living in the new order of creation. They are those who are borne not of the desires of the flesh, but of the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, those who by my power become the children of God.
My mother is an incarnation of humility and purity, in her is fulfilled the prophesy, Genesis 3:15 “I will place enmity between you (the devil) and the woman (Mary), and your seed and her seed: she shall crush your head, and you shall lie in wait for her heel.”
My mother has total power against the powers of evil, she shares that power and fills with her grace all those who humbly accept her as their heavenly mother and seek her protection and help.
The shepherds found me with Mary, those who venerate my mother will find me with her always, because Mary is the Ark of the Covenant, the most worthy temple of the Holy Trinity.
Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary
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