Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God 1/1/24
Nmbrs 6:22-27 turn his face .. put my name on Israelites & I will bless them
psalm 63 May God bless us in his mercy, may God bless us in his mercy
2nd rdg Gal 4:4-7 When time had come, God sent his son born of a woman
gospel Lk 2:16-21 found JM and child in a manger, 8th day name Jesus…
Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem brings us to honor Mary today, as Mother of God. We honor one who gives us the example to treasure and ponder (home turf for the monastic community and all who find themselves with us called to adopt a contemplative stance) mindful that since the pontificate of Paul VI this is also a day of prayer for peace in our world. Our minds turn to reflect on Mary in her service as mother of the savior – for being Jesus’ mother is a service both to him and us. Hers is a unique place in history, a very particular place, if you will, because the one saving us is first nurtured in his vulnerability as an infant by a poor seemingly insignificant figure who helps him to grow into the redeemer of all humanity. ‘Born of a woman’ Paul writes to the Galatians, emphasizing the fulfillment of the promise handed down generation to generation. Mary trusted and believed that someone would have this particular place in history, never asking for the role or demanding attention for having it. Augustine notes that Jesus is conceived in the womb of Mary to emphasize that he is fully human. We reflect on that willingness to depend on her and continue to hear Guerric of Igny and other monastic authors tease out the implications of this manner or method God chooses to accomplish our salvation. If God becomes one of us, what are we to become? If God participates in our humanity, how is God inviting us to participate in his divinity?
The love of a mother for her child – this is what God trusts in as God endeavors this work of taking us into the fullness of life which is made ours to share, through Jesus who is son of Mary. The words ‘she treasured’ and ‘she pondered’ afford as a way to enter into this new year in a stance of faith. These are no less uncertain or untroubled times than the first Christmas. There is certainly no less need for God today, for guidance today, for grasping the dignity of the gift of being alive, no less a desire to understand to what we are to give our gifts, our abilities, ourselves. And so the example of one who chooses to be available in service for the good of every other person encourages us to accept our own call to nurture the inbreaking of God in our time, to foster respect not by arguing people into our position but by living what we profess in such a way that others are pointed in the direction of God present with us, God ever acting in our behalf; but easy to miss because it is happening in the familiar, ordinary experience that a person of faith pays attention to and realizes quite a lot of people can miss.
To care for a baby is eminently important and at the same time strikingly ordinary. But this is the means God uses, not in theory but quite concretely to set in motion an unfolding that brings all of us into the paschal mystery. For the mother at the manger is the mother at the wedding feast and is the mother on the road going up the hill where she is the mother at the foot of the cross who then goes to the tomb and whom we find in the company of the eleven waiting behind closed doors and is present with them for the descent of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church at Pentecost.
The mention of time in the second reading – when the fullness of time had come – and in the gospel – when eight days were completed – offers us the opportunity to pause and acknowledge we are not simply moving through time. By our choices we are preserving a consciousness of God, not taking time for granted and using time in a cavalier manner. Monks consecrate the day to God stopping seven times each day to come together and offer praise to God in the liturgy of the hours. As we leave behind 2024, what is the sense of time in relationship to God that informs our choices? For Mary from the birth of her son ever on, she is mother in all that comes to be a part of her relationship to Jesus. And her capacity to live at all times in the awareness of what God is inviting her to do, becomes a reminder to us to live our lives in the awareness of being given life by God, of each of us being given our call by God and making our choices with Mary, the expression of our gratitude to God for being so richly blessed.
Which brings me to the first reading and the prayer uttered centuries ago: “The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace.” With new tensions in places marred by war and violence, there is the reality of our world struggling with huge numbers of people unable to remain in their homes but struggling to find a new place to have security and well being. We make the words from Numbers our own our own asking the Lord to grant peace to everyone in the world.
The woman who cooperates with God to bring about the marvel of the incarnation, is being celebrated today for her faith filled service; that inspires us to want to serve in the humble and simple ways afforded to us that bring us to be clearly known as people who are not merely existing, not merely surviving, not merely getting by, but who are living the richness and fullness of life into which the Son of Mary is calling us to live. May this new year be a season of grace for us who are willing to live like Mary, the Mother of God, cooperating with God at all times.
