Divine motherhood

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Wednesday, 1 January 2025 : Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, World Day of Peace (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today in our calendar is the first day of the Gregorian Year, the New Year’s Day of the Year of Our Lord 2025. On this day while we rejoice with many other people all around the world celebrating the arrival of the new year, and looking ahead with great hope and jubilation, the Church also celebrates the very important occasion of the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, or in the original Greek, ‘Theotokos’ which means ‘God-bearer’. This most honourable title is one which the Church had upheld and believed ever since the earliest days of the Church and which was later on then codified and formalised at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in the early fifth century, about four centuries after the Death and Resurrection of the Lord.

Together with the other three important Marian Dogmas, the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Dogma of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary and the Dogma of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, this Dogma of the Divine Motherhood of Mary are the four Marian Dogmas that the Church and all Christian believers had believed and upheld since the very earliest days of the Church, passed down through the generations from the time of the Apostles, through their successors and right up to our present day world. And this day, the New Year’s Day, if we may wonder why is it that we accord such an important celebration to Mary, then it is important that we realise just how central the figure of Mary is to our salvation history and her connection to her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, the One Whom we celebrate this Christmas season, is something that we must always keep in mind.

Today being the eighth day since Christmas makes it the Octave Day of Christmas, the last day of the solemn Christmas Octave, an eight days period of great rejoicing and celebration, marking the memory of the first coming and arrival of the Saviour of the world, the Son of God, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Who was born in the small town of Bethlehem in Judea more than two millennia ago. He was born not in a grand palace or into a family of royalty, or influential and rich people, but instead in a stable at Bethlehem, as the Son of a carpenter from Nazareth and his young wife, to people who were totally unknown to the world. And yet, His coming into this world restores light and hope to all of us who have lived in the darkness of sin and evil, and assures us all of God’s ever enduring and everlasting love, mercy, compassion and kindness.

And all of these have been made possible because of the faith that Mary has in the Lord and all of His plans, and the obedience and cooperation that she has exhibited upon listening to the words of the Lord and in doing His will made her obedience and trust that she has shown in all of her actions at that time. Mary is our great role model in faith, through her humility and commitment to God, her virtues and purity, in her fullness of grace and her love for, for all the tender and wonderful care and love that she has shown her Son throughout all of His life. By following her examples, her obedience and faith, we can truly find the best way to proceed towards the Lord and His salvation, and considering that she is not just the Mother of God, but also the Mother of all of us mankind.

Through Mary, His Mother, God showed us all His love even more wonderfully, by entrusting her to all of us to be our own loving Mother. That is why Mary in particular has made many attested and proven appearances or apparitions throughout history in various places and moments in time, calling on all of us her beloved children to come back towards her Son and to seek salvation in Him, rejecting the path and the temptations of sin and evil, so that we will not be lost forever to God. Her great love for her Son, our Lord and Saviour, has also been shown to us as well, and we really should consider ourselves really fortunate to have such a great mother who has loved us all so passionately and patiently, caring for us all as her own beloved children, guiding and interceding for us all throughout the way.

And yet, there are still those who refused to believe in this Dogma of the Divine Motherhood of God, as historically, there were those who reject this teaching of the Church that Mary is truly the Mother of God, and this debate came about especially as during the early history of the Church, there were still disagreements on the exact nature of Jesus Christ, the One born to Mary and Who has suffered and died for all of us mankind. While we now believe firmly that Jesus Christ is both Son of God and Son of Man, having both Divine and Human nature, distinct and yet indivisibly united in the One Person of Jesus Christ, but during the early centuries of the Church there were those who did not believe in this, and instead claimed that Mary cannot be the Mother of God because she was merely just the Mother of Jesus Christ the Man, and not of God.

Some of those who opposed the definition of Mary as the Mother of God offered alternatives such as Christotokos or ‘Christ-bearer’, a title that diminished her importance and also implied that the Humanity of Jesus is not truly united to His Divinity. All of these were at the centre of all the polemics and disagreements which were only settled definitively at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus where Mary was defined as the Mother of God, ‘Theotokos’ and is accorded the honour befitting her position as the Mother of God, that while she herself is a human just like us, but by the virtue of her Motherhood of the Incarnate Son of God, the King of Kings and King of the Universe, she therefore merit the honour as the mother of the Divine Lord and King.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we rejoice greatly during this celebration honouring Mary as the Mother of God, let us all also remember her great examples in faith and dedication, her love for each and every one of us, her companionship towards us where she journeyed and guided us through difficult and challenging moments in life. Let us all follow in her examples and do our best so that all of us may be good examples, role models and inspirations ourselves in our own respective lives. And as we begin this New Year and continue to rejoice still in this Christmas season, let us always remember that Christ must always be at the centre and heart of everything that we do in our lives, with Mary, His mother and our mother ever close by our side, guiding and strengthening us in our journey.

May Mary, the Holy Mother of God continue to intercede for us all sinners and help us so that we may remain firm in our commitment to follow the Lord and to be good and worthy of God’s grace and love. May she continue to show us all her maternal love and tender care as she has always shown us, guiding us all to the path towards salvation and eternal life through her Son, Our Lord and Saviour. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

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Wednesday, 1 January 2025 : Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, World Day of Peace (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 2 : 16-21

So the shepherds came hurriedly, and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in the manger. On seeing Him, they related what they had been told about the Child, and all were astonished on hearing the shepherds.

As for Mary, she treasured all these words, and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds then returned, giving glory and praise to God for all they had heard and seen, just as the Angels had told them.

On the eighth day the circumcision of the Baby had to be performed; He was named Jesus, the Name the Angel had given Him before He was conceived.

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Wednesday, 1 January 2025 : Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, World Day of Peace (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Galatians 4 : 4-7

But when the fullness of time came, God sent His Son. He came born of woman and subject to the Law, in order to redeem the subjects of the Law, that we might receive adoption as children of God.

And because you are children, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of His Son which cries out : Abba! That is, Father! You yourself are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and yours is the inheritance by God’s grace.

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Wednesday, 1 January 2025 : Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, World Day of Peace (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 66 : 2-3, 5, 6 and 8

May God be gracious and bless us; may He let His face shine upon us, that Your way be known on earth and Your salvation among the nations.

May the countries be glad and sing for joy, for You rule the peoples with justice and guide the nations of the world.

May the peoples praise You, o God, may all the peoples praise You! May God bless us and be revered, to the very ends of the earth.

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Wednesday, 1 January 2025 : Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, World Day of Peace (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Numbers 6 : 22-27

Then YHVH spoke to Moses saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons and say to them : This is how you shall bless the people of Israel; you shall say : May YHVH bless you and keep you! May YHVH let His face shine on you, and be gracious to you! May YHVH look kindly on you, and give you His peace!”

“In that way they put My Name on the people of Israel and I will bless them.”

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Wednesday, 12 September 2018 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Most Holy Name of Mary)

Luke 6 : 20-26

At that time, looking at His disciples, Jesus said, “Fortunate are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Fortunate are you, who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Fortunate are you, who weep now, for you will laugh.”

“Fortunate are you, when people hate you, when they reject you and insult you and number you among criminals, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. Remember, that is how the ancestors of the people treated the prophets.”

“But alas for you, who have wealth, for you have been comforted now. Alas for you, who are full, for you will go hungry. Alas for you, who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Alas for you, when people speak well of you, for that is how the ancestors of the people treated the false prophets.”

Alternative reading (Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary)

Luke 1 : 39-47

Mary then set out for a town in the hill country of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb.

Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, giving a loud cry, said, “You are most blessed among women; and blessed is the Fruit of your womb! How is it, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you, who believed that the Lord’s word would come true!”

And Mary said, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God, my Saviour!”

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Wednesday, 1 January 2014 : Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Theotokos, World Day of Prayer for Peace (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is a day of many blessings, a holy day, when we celebrate once again the important role that the Blessed Virgin Mary had on the plan of salvation of the world.today we celebrate the World Day of Prayer for Peace, but even more importantly for our faith, we celebrate today the Feast of the Theotokos, that is Mary as the Mother of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ.

Theotokos is the term in the Greek language, given since the earliest times of the Church to honour Mary, meaning the ‘Mother of God’. The Church and the faithful had, since the very beginning recognise the special role that Mary played in our salvation. Mary is a lowly and humble woman, but one who was destined to bear the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ, who is none other than God Himself incarnate into man, to be one of us.

Therefore, to believe in the mother of the Divine, Mary, as the mother of God in Jesus, is to believe in the divinity of Christ Himself. Both of these beliefs are completely inseparable in nature. Christ is God just as He is man, He is the Son of God just as He is the Son of Man. We cannot believe in that Jesus is God if we do not believe that Mary is the mother of God.

Of course, in her motherhood of Jesus, this does not make her divine in herself, nor does this make her a goddess, as some enemies of the faithful and the false prophets have proclaimed. As the mother of God, Mary was made preeminent before all the other creations, over all mankind, save her own Son, Jesus, who is God and who existed before all ages, while Mary was created just as any other men and women.

Yet without Mary and her acceptance of the role which she had been given, we would not have Christ in our midst. Even though Jesus is Lord our God and was conceived wholly by the power of the Holy Spirit without human intervention, it was in the womb of Mary that the Saviour gestated for nine months before His entry into the world. It is through womb of Mary that the Saviour was born into the world.

That is the truth about our faith, that Jesus was born into this world as one of us, through Mary His mother, because through her womb, He was born. Many people over time would try to attack this fundamental part of our faith but they did not succeed. They would either attack the divinity of her Son, denying it and claiming that He was merely human and not divine, or by separating the humanity of Jesus from His divinity, and thus claiming that Mary was merely the mother of Jesus the Man and not the Mother of God.

No, brothers and sisters in Christ, we cannot fall into the same erroneous thinking as what was espoused by these people. We cannot deny the motherhood of Mary, who birthed the Lord and Saviour as the Mother of God, not that she is a goddess, just as we cannot separate the humanity of Jesus from His divinity. Jesus our Lord is fully and perfectly human just as at the same time He is also perfectly divine.

Many seemed to think in the erroneous ways because they were misinformed about the faith or misunderstood its true meaning. They failed to understand that in honouring Mary as the mother of God, we do not idolise or make a goddess out of her. We do not idolise or worship Mary, but instead honour her greatly as the blessed one among us, for having been the one chosen to bear the Saviour as He entered this world as a baby.

Mary is our role model, because she is truly obedient to God and she walked righteously in God’s way, without succumbing to the wickedness of the world. She is a person of love, peace, and faith. And that is why we glorify and honour her, as the greatest one among all those that God had created. God made her the first among all of us, so that we too may follow her example and be ever closer to her Son, Jesus.

Today we also celebrate the World Day of Prayer for Peace, which fits perfectly with today’s celebration on Mary as the Mother of God. Our world has forgotten peace and the values of peace, because mankind has given themselves up to the corrupting nature of the world. The world is filled with good things, but unbridled, they also feed our human weaknesses of greed and jealousy. Many of the wars in the past and even present, as well as the conflicts of the future will be fought because of mankind’s greed.

People fought over resources and material goods, and even siblings fought one another for their parents’ properties, often before even the latter’s departure from this world. Mankind always have their wants, and frequently they alwaiys desire more and more, and this is fueled by the world and the evil inside it. Mankind find it hard to satisfy their needs and therefore disregard the love they should show one another, and instead fight for their own benefits.

Wars, conflicts, and fightings are abhorrence of nature, because the devil has planted in us the seeds of division, pitting one man against another. We kill each other because hatred and greed has taken over our heart. We often allow the ways of this world to take us over, rather than to listen to the will of God, which exhorts us to seek peace and to love one another.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, even as we celebrate the coming of this new year of our Lord 2014, we should not forget that in the midst of all the celebrations and rejoicing, we should also seek for the peace and love in this world, that as we all pray for peace, we too lead the way for peace through our own actions, that we truly represent peace, love and harmony in all of our actions, our deeds, and our words.

May this day, the World Day of Prayer for Peace, then be a day where we all as one humanity, may reach out ever closer towards peace, following the examples of our role model in faith, Mary, the Mother of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, in her obedience to God, and her faithfulness in Him, showing it through her loving actions, that we too ought to follow. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners. Now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

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Wednesday, 1 January 2014 : Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Theotokos, World Day of Prayer for Peace (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 2 : 16-21

So the shepherds came hurriedly, and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in the manger. On seeing Him they related what they had been told about the Child, and all were astonished on hearing the shepherds. As for Mary, she treasured all these words, and pondered them in her heart.

The shepherds then returned, giving glory and praise to God for all they had heard and seen, just as the angels had told them. On the eighth day, the circumcision of the Baby had to be performed; He was named Jesus, the Name the angel had given Him before He was conceived.

by

Wednesday, 1 January 2014 : Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Theotokos, World Day of Prayer for Peace (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Galatians 4 : 4-7

But when the fullness of time came, God sent His Son. He came born of woman and subject to the Law, that we might receive adoption as children of God. And because you are children, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of His Son which cries out : ‘Abba!’ that is, ‘Father!’

You yourselves are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and yours is the inheritance by God’s grace.

by

Wednesday, 1 January 2014 : Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Theotokos, World Day of Prayer for Peace (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 66 : 2-3, 5, 6 and 8

May God be gracious and bless us; may He let His face shine upon us, that Your way be known on earth and Your salvation among the nations.

May the countries be glad and sing for joy, for You rule the peoples with justice and guide the nations of the world.

May the peoples praise You, o God, may all the peoples praise You! May God bless us and be revered, to the very ends of the earth.