The Catholic Calendar for Sunday, January 1, 2006
The Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, The Mother Of God

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Numbers 6:22-27
Psalm: 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8
Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 2:16-21

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

Today God sends us fresh hope for a new calendar year, and He does it through Mary who has just delivered by human birth the Savior of the world. Shepherds are still lingering in awe, maybe sneaking back from the fields after a day’s work for a second look at this wonderful Child. Tucked away in corners of the cave are gifts brought by poor neighbors for the new mother and child.

Mary had listened to all the rumors of angels and exciting messages told the shepherds. What a busy place that cave had become! How she must have longed to return to Nazareth for some peace and quiet, where Joseph could resume his carpentry trade. But it was not to be yet for a while. There were still the Magi from the East to come. These sages would innocently stir up a political storm and eventual massacre, causing the Holy Family to flee for their lives. And all the while, Mary did what mothers do best — she cared for the child, and pondered and dreamed.

In the midst of political turmoil then as now, a mother calmed Joseph’s fears, and on this New Year’s day, she invites us to do the same for our families. When we promised on Christmas to give our hearts to the Lord, it was also understood that we would give our minds as well (in the Hebrew, ‘heart’ includes ‘head’). All our Advent prayer and reflection was a blessing. No reason not to keep it going! In these unstable times, daily prayer and daily reflection is tremendously healing for the stresses and pressures from news reports, talk shows, debates over the Iraq War, the breakdown of morals and drug-induced social misbehavior. Only prayer can keep us aware that the Savior has come, and His name is Emmanuel: God with us!

We invoke you, Mary, under the title of Mother of God,
who pondered all these things in her heart!

- Msgr. Paul Whitmore
(smartins at frontiernet dot net)

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