Mary, The Holy Mother of God Homily Notes 2022

·  If I was to give a pop quiz today on questions about our faith, one question would be how many Christmas Stories are contained in the New Testament! A very good answer would be two, one from the Gospel of Matthew, which gives us details about how St. Joseph played an important role in the Christmas Story, and one from the Gospel of St. Luke, which focuses on Mary and her memoirs of when her son was born.

·  A even better answer would be those who say there are three stories, the third being the start of St. John’s Gospel where he speaks of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us. While there is no mention of the stable, Bethlehem, shepherds and kings in this story, St. John’s message was that the Son of God came down from heaven to be among us, to take on our flesh and become like us in all things but sin to bring us to light.

·  But the best answer would be to those who say there are 4 Christmas Stories in the New Testament. The fourth story is that short passage we read today from St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, when he speaks of how in the fullness of time God sent his son, born of a woman. While the birth of Jesus is only briefly mentioned here as his being born of woman, it reveals an all-important reality of Christmas that often gets overlooked: That Christ being born for us is what allows you and I become children of God and confidently call him our Abba, our Father.

·  When we speak of Mary as the Mother of God, we are acknowledging that she is truly the Mother of the Word made flesh and that Jesus is bone of her bone, flesh of her flesh, heart of her heart. But in becoming the Mother of God she also become the Mother of all those who would now be called God’s beloved Children. Her willingness to say yes to become the Mother of the Saviour is what allowed for us to obtain our salvation in Christ and also gain in Mary a spiritual mother.

·  As this new year begins, let us once again commit ourselves to the Mother of God, asking her to help us trust in the ways of our Heavenly Father, of her son Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit who is guiding us to heaven.

·  In the words of the high-priest Aaron, may God bless us, keep us, let his face shine upon us, be gracious to us, and lift us up to know his peace, for we are the children of God, blest and loved.