Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God
(Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21)
Most people watching television at midnight today heard the
old Scottish song “Auld Lang Syne.” The
words mean “old long since” or, more sensibly, “past times” and refer to the
need to recall the people and events that shape men and women into who they
are. The song is appropriately sung on
New Year as people launch into a new beginning sometimes unappreciative of their
families who raised them, their teachers who guided them, and their friends who
helped them. Although by no means a religious
hymn, “Auld Lang Syne” fits into the theme of today’s liturgical celebration.
Today’s feast is called the “Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother
of God.” The title, proclaimed by the
Church at the ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431, actually says more about
Jesus than about his mother. Prior to
the declaration, there was a raging debate about how Jesus can be both God and
human. Some thought that he is in effect
two persons -- one divine and the other human -- such that Mary can be said to
be the mother of Jesus, the man, but not of God. That position was condemned at the council which
recognized Jesus as one divine person with both a human and a divine nature. Mary then is truly “Mother of God.”
Because Jesus is like the rest of humankind, we can
relate to him as a friend who truly knows our joys and troubles. He will not forget us in our needs for he too
experienced “auld lang syne,” or times past when he was assisted by those
around him. But let us not forget to
call upon him for help throughout the year beginning today.
