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Mary the God-bearer
Catholics celebrate the Blessed Virgin on Jan. 1
By Andrew Junker, ajunker@catholicsun.org
January 1, 2009
When Mary greeted her cousin Elizabeth all those years ago, she first gave glory to God for her miraculous pregnancy, because He had “looked with favor on His lowly servant.”
Then, she predicted, “from this day all generations will call me blessed.”
Even a cursory glance at the Orthodox and Catholic churches confirms this prediction. Honoring Mary by calling her “Mother of God” or “Blessed Virgin” goes back to nearly apostolic times. Her role as the Theotokos — or God-bearer — was officially confirmed at the Council of Ephesus in 431.
Three of the six holy days of obligation for American Catholics are Marian-centric. Catholics pray the rosary, offer novenas and engage in other Marian devotions. Children and churches are named after her, and she is the patroness of the Phoenix Diocese under her mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
And on Jan. 1, the Church will celebrate her feast as Mary, Mother of God, a holy day of obligation that should remind Catholics why all generations continue to call her blessed.
“We honor Mary because we are really honoring Christ,” said Sr. Ginger Downey, OLVM, director of the Office of Worship for the diocese. “Mary always leads us to Christ. She never leads us to herself.”
Mary herself perhaps best expresses this sentiment. In older translations of her greeting to Elizabeth in Luke’s Gospel, Mary says, “My soul doth magnify the Lord.” The idea is that rather than glorying in herself, she acts — both literally and metaphorically — as a vessel for the Lord.
“Celebrating this feast reminds us of her principal role and her fiat [or acceptance of her role], and how God wanted to work through her,” said Ryan Hanning, director of adult catechesis for the diocese.
And while this feast has been celebrated in the East and certain parts of the Western Church since at least the 5th century, its prominence as a holy day of obligation is a recent development.
From 1570 and on, Jan. 1 was reserved for the Feast of the Circumcision, which commemorated that, in accordance with Jewish law, Jesus was circumcised eight days after his birth.
In 1969, Pope Paul VI replaced the Feast of the Circumcision with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, citing both its history as a Roman feast day and its theological connection to the Nativity of Christ.
“This celebration, placed on January 1 in conformity with the ancient indication of the liturgy of the City of Rome, is meant to commemorate the part played by Mary in this mystery of salvation,” the pope wrote in his apostolic exhortation Marialis Cultus.
During last year’s homily on Jan. 1, Pope Benedict XVI praised his predecessor’s decision to place the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, in the Church’s calendar.
“We find the mystery of the Incarnation of the Divine Word and the Divine Motherhood of Mary summed up in a few words: the Virgin’s great privilege is precisely to be Mother of the Son who is God,” the pope said. “The most logical and proper place for this Marian feast is therefore eight days after Christmas.”
This connection between mother and Son goes even a little bit further, said Deacon Tom Bills, who leads classes on Marian consecration.
“After all, according to God’s plan, Mary’s free will consent needed to precede the Incarnation,” he said. “In a very real sense, then, we owe the inestimable gift of the Holy Eucharist to Mary’s faith-filled, hope-filled, ever-loving and unconditional ‘Yes.’”
Deacon Bills suggested Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Redemptoris Mater to anyone who wanted a deeper reflection on Mary’s role as Mother of God.
“It is impossible to sum up in just a few words everything that is contained in the title ‘Mother of God.’ In fact I would say that an infinite number of books could be written on the subject, without us ever being able to fathom all that Mary’s unique maternal role means,” he said. “And yet, there is a great deal about this mystery that is easily accessible to us.”
The feast day also shares its date with the World Day of Peace, a day instituted by Paul VI, which highlights the role Jesus and Mary both play in bringing peace to the world.
“It is likewise a fitting occasion for renewing adoration of the newborn Prince of Peace, for listening once more to the glad tidings of the angels, and for imploring from God, through the Queen of Peace, the supreme gift of peace,” he wrote in 1974.
“Mary bore the Prince of Peace,” Sr. Ginger said. “If you think about His teaching, the whole social Gospel is not about revenge, it’s not about winning over. It’s about bringing a substantial peace to the world that the world cannot give.”
Sitting as it does on the first day of the secular calendar can focus Catholics on peace and peace-making for the New Year, Sr. Ginger said.
Hanning agreed.
“This is the beginning of the year. What a wonderful way that we can begin our year, that we can recognize Mary’s role as Queen of Peace,” he said.
“Her yes was not some abstract thing. She intimately involved herself. We need to resonate that yes,” he said. “We need to be willing to, in confidence, say yes to God and trust in Him. We’re called to be evangelizers and to be God-bearers.”
And as Pope Benedict said last year, the feast reminds Catholics that Mary is a great teacher, because she showed how important faith in the Lord really is.
“By learning from Mary, we can understand with our hearts what our eyes and minds do not manage to perceive or contain on their own. Indeed, this is such a great gift that only through faith are we granted to accept it, while not entirely understanding it,” the pope said.
“And it is precisely on this journey of faith that Mary comes to meet us as our support and guide,” he said. “She is mother because she brought forth Jesus in the flesh; she is mother because she adhered totally to the Father’s will.”
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