01/01/2011 - MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
1Reading Num 6,22-27 Psalm 66 2Reading Gal 4,4-7 Gospel Lk 2,16-21
Mother of God! Is the most beautiful name by which we can call Mary. When we call
her "our mother", we give her the most affectionate title, but more so
for her, that expresses her unique unity with her Son, is this:"Mother of God"!
Her Son is the Son of God, of that God who intervened in a new way so that she could
generate a man. Jesus is God and man, and therefore Mary is Mother of God. Mother
of God the Creator, little Mother of a great God, Holy Mother of Holiness itself.
All praise is small to express who Mary is, and for this we do not cease to praise
and bless her with words, names and feasts. And every name and every feast that
we can think and create is nothing but a way to glorify God, that God who has given
her to us as Mother. He could her as Mother because he accepted her as a servant,
and she accepted with joy and love. Mary is a servant of God's love: in her the
lowliness of the most humble and most venerable grandeur come together. St. Paul
speaking of Jesus says, "born of woman". It is the only time that the
apostle mentions the mother of Jesus, without saying anything else about her. But
she says the biggest thing, because he says that she is to have given birth to the
"Son of God", the Son whose Spirit is sent to us to cry, " Abba,
Father".
Today's Gospel presents the Mother of God in silence. Her silence is listening,
is meditation, is contemplation of God of whom she holds the Word. Around her is
a great commotion: the shepherds who come and go, who speak and spread stories,
and then those who perform circumcision, to whom she has to give the name that child
already has in heaven. Her silence is more eloquent than anything that is said and
done. We learn a great lesson from her silence that help s grow. We become able
to observe the intentions of God, and be patient when we do not understand. From
Mary's silence we learn to listen, and listening is the first step towards true
love.
The listening of Mary marks the beginning of the new calendar year, the year that
we spend together with her Son. He will be our blessing, that blessing that Aaron
had already prophesied to the people of Israel and is now being given to us: "The
Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine for you and give you his
grace. The Lord turn his face to you and give you peace". Just today we speak
of peace, because today is the day of peace.
What is peace? It is a mystery. It is the will of God for us, a will that Jesus
alone can realise. "He is our peace," says St. Paul. The ture peace, one
that gives man joy, satisfaction, inner serenity, does not come from men. They can
not give it to anyone and even take it. True peace is Jesus in our heart, is Jesus
in our families, is Jesus in the world. Therefore we call upon even more his Mother
to help us contemplate him, to love him, to be united with him throughout the new
year.