Word to the Wise
Friday, January 1, 2021 - Jan. 1: The Octave Day of Christmas: Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, The Mother of God - ABC
[Num 6:22-27; Gal 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21]In the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law to ransom those under the law so that we might receive adoption as sons. [Galatians] The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. [Luke]
Until the reform of the liturgical calendar after the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), this feast day was known as the feast of the circumcision of Jesus, an act that completely established Jesus' Jewish identity. The reform of the calendar shifted the emphasis from Jesus' Jewish identity to the identity of Mary as the Mother of God. This latter title was the subject of great dispute in the church until the Council of Ephesus (431 AD) declared that Mary was not simply the mother of Jesus, but because Jesus' divine identity, she was also the "mother of God - THEOTOKOS."
The gospel scripture for today, taken from the infancy narrative of the Gospel According to Luke, focuses, however, not on Mary's identity as mother, but as ideal disciple, with the shepherds playing a similar role. Mary "kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." The same thing is said of her again after the incident of Jesus being found in the temple (Luke 2:31). This attitude of discipleship is also repeated later in this gospel in the story of Jesus' visit to the Bethany home of Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus. That Mary is pictured as sitting "beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak." When Martha complains, Jesus replies that "Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her." The shepherds are also portrayed as disciples who, when they believed the angel and went to Bethlehem and saw Mary, Joseph and the child in the manger, "made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds." The nativity of Jesus is to be pondered and proclaimed.
The great Dominican mystic in the 14th century, Meister Eckhart, once wrote: "What good is it to me that Mary gave birth to the son of God fourteen hundred years ago, and I do not give birth to the son of God in my time and in my culture? We are all meant to be mothers of God. God is always needing to be born." Mary is shown on this day to be the first disciple. We can follow her and the shepherds in making known the message that has been told to us. In doing this, we put skin on the nativity in our time and in our culture. AMEN
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