Word to the Wise
Sunday, January 1, 2023 - 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]And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. [Luke]
The line quoted above is repeated in the Gospel According to Luke after Mary and Joseph find the "lost" Jesus in the temple: "He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. In this gospel, Mary is presented as the first disciple. The title, "Holy Mother of God," came later and was the subject of considerable theological debate before being accepted as part of our faith. The Greek title is theotokos, meaning "God-bearer."
We know that there is more than one way to become a "mom!" Legal adoption springs to mind right away. There are also informal ways in which a wonderful woman can serve as "mom" to one or more children or even adults! The role is a channel of love and grace. The mother is the first source of love to a newly conceived child! The sense in which Mary became "Mother of God" is not quite the same as our ordinary way, as we know, but she underwent the standard nine month gestational pregnancy!
A lot of theological ink has been put to paper on this subject. Today we can be grateful that Mary accepted the role assigned to her by God and became the mother of Jesus Christ. Besides, the title of this feast, Mary the Holy Mother of God, is, in my humble opinion, a lot better than the pre-Vatican II title: the feast of the Circumcision!! AMEN