1st January, 2011

O God, be gracious and bless us.


The solemnity of Mary, mother of god, is the oldest of all Marian celebrations. From the earliest times, Mary has been honored under the title of the mother of god. Love and veneration for her have wonderfully increased since the Council of Ephesus (AD 431) which declared as dogma of faith the truth that Mary is the mother of god.

The liturgical celebration has not always been fixed on this date. In the west, the Motherhood of Mary used to be celebrated on October 11. With the reform of the second Vatican council, the new roman calendar of 1969 places it on January 1.by placing the celebration on the first day of the year, the church entrusts the believers to the love and protection of a mother. Just as a child calls “Mama” as soon as it learns to speak, so also the believers call on the mother of god and their mother in their first act of the New Year.

Mother of god is the highest title of Mary, the source from which other titles given her flow and find their meaning. The title, however, has more to do with her son who is truly god, who remains to be god even when he chose to become a human being for the sake of our salvation. Mary is the mother of Jesus not just as a man, but as he is God-man and “Emmanuel” – God-with-us.

“In order that the body of Christ might be shown to be a real body, he was born of a woman; but in order that his Godhead might be clear he was born of a virgin.” – St Thomas Aquinas