January 1 is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. To celebrate this feast, let us contemplate some of the ways that Mary serves us as mother. You will notice that everything that Mary is, she is because of Christ.
- Mother of Christ
Mary is the only one who got to share flesh and blood with Christ in the natural bond of mother and child. No one else has and will ever know this privilege. This is one of the reasons why she is considered a unique or singular vessel. However, this is not the only reason why she is called “Blessed” by all generations. She is Blessed because she believed that the word spoken to her by God through his Angel, would come true. Luke 1:45. We too, her children, remain Blessed when we imitate her trust in God, Luke 11: 27-28.
2. Mother of Humanity
Mary is the new Eve whose existence was predicted since Genesis: Gen 3:15. Together with Christ, who is the new Adam, Mary and Jesus renewed creation.
Where Eve failed, Mary did what was right by obeying the will of God. She stood by Jesus at the new tree of the Cross, and consented to his obedience to God. We are therefore no longer a cursed people because of the sin of Adam and Eve. We are a renewed creation because of Mary’s cooperation with Christ in his salvation of the world. Therefore, look at Mary and Behold your Mother, John 19: 25.
3. Mother of the Church
Jesus promised that he would not leave us orphans, John 14: 18. Mary is the mother of all Christian believers, whether they acknowledge her or not. Every single person born into the Kingdom of Christ, led by the Church on earth, is a child of two Divine Parents: God the Father through Christ and Mary. Therefore, we have both a father and a mother and shall never be orphans as promised.
4. Mother of Divine Grace
Mary’s yes to God’s plan that she will be the mother of God including the suffering that would come with that, released an infinite amount of Grace on us. Indeed she was already Full of Grace, when the Angel appeared because she was conceived without original sin. Where Eve closed the door to supernatural paradise, Mary opened it through her obedience. This is why we praise her as the Gate of Heaven in the Litany of Loreto.
5. Mother Most Pure
Mary is the purest of all women and of all creatures that were ever made by God. This is because God needed a pure place for his son to be conceived and to rest. Just as the Ark of the Covenant was supposed to be made only from the purest forms of material, to hold the most sacred objects including the word of God on tablets of stone, (Ex 25) so too, Mary was made without original sin to be a fitting place for the Word made flesh, Psalm 132:8, 2 Chronicles 6: 41, Rev 11: 19.
6. Mother Undefiled
Mary remained a virgin even while a mother. The only human woman to have conceived and bore a child without the intervention of a man. This is not to diminish the role of men which is fundamental to the preservation of humanity. Rather, it is indicative of the role of God in the motherhood of Mary: Mt. 1:20 , Luke 1: 32-33.
7. Mother of Good Counsel
Mary is our advocate before Christ, because she fulfills the role of Queen-Mother of the Davidic Kingdom. The Queen-Mother intercedes to the King on behalf of his subjects, 1 Kings 2: 19-22. In the order of Christ, the ultimate Son of David, her request shall never be refused.
Mary is also perfect counselor on life matters because she lived life so perfectly in union with the Will of God. Therefore, ask to intercede for you on any and every matter you need help on. She will never fail you. She will answer you in accordance with God’s perfect will for you.
…….
“Am I not Your Mother?”
– Mary to St. Juan Diego, Mexico (16th Century)
RESOURCES
Dr. Prant Pitre, “God-Bearer”: The Second Reading from Mass for the The Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, Catholic Productions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_vmwkOVg34
Enzo Lodi, “The Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God”, EWTN: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/solemnity-of-mary-mother-of-god-5826
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox