Daily Retreat 01/01/06

2006 Jan 1 SUN: MARY, MOTHER OF GOD S (Octave of Christmas)

Nm 6:22-27/Ps 66(67)/Gal 4:4-7/Lk 2:16-21

From today’s readings: "The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.... May God bless us in His mercy.... When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman.... When eight days were completed for His circumcision, He was named Jesus, the name given Him by the angel before He was conceived in the womb."

Best Place to Start

Today, the beginning of the civil new year, is also the solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God - her most exulted title! A most festive feastday throughout the world, not because of this date’s position at the head of the civil calendar, but because of it’s status as the octave day of Christmas (cf. Luke’s gospel: "When eight days were completed for His circumcision, He was named Jesus, the name given Him by the angel before He was conceived in the womb." Although we would refer to today as the seventh day after Christmas, the ancient tradition of counting days always included the day of reference as the first day, so January 1^st is the "8^th day" - "octave" of Christmas).

This raises the question of what we recognize as our own central point of reference: the birth of our Lord, or merely the civil tradition. The Church calls us to celebrate this day in the context of Christmas, recognizing Mary as not just the mother of Jesus’ human nature, but the mother of His entire person (including His divine nature) and therefore, veritable Mother of God. So the festivities of this day need to focus on these religious reasons. There’s nothing wrong with festive New Year’s Eve/Day activities, but if champagne and party hats and football games are all that you think of today, then your most crucial resolution should be to realize what it’s all about: the mystery of God made man, through the loving cooperation of Mary, Mother of God.