1 January 2017 - true mother

[ Today's Readings ]

And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.

The shepherd's bring a message from angels to the parents of this newborn child. Mary is his mother. She is not an accident, nor merely a physical accessory to the birth of Jesus. She is true mother. He receives not only his human nature from her but he continues to receive her love and nurturing as he grows. The unique bond that they have from before Jesus is born continues as he lives his life. The nurturing motherhood of Mary is exemplified in how she treasures "these things, reflecting on them in her heart." It is an amazing love that Mary has for Jesus, open to all the possibilities of the future, yet willing to provide whatever she can to help him along the way. Today we are invited to share in this love and to love Mary in return.

When 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.

The Holy Spirit perfectly overshadows and fills Mary to bring about the birth of Jesus into the world. So too does the Holy Spirit allow us to share in the family relationships of Jesus. His Father becomes our Father. His mother becomes our mother. His brothers, in turn, become our brothers. Mary and the Holy Spirit treasure us as well. Together they help us to learn our first word as spiritual newborns. They teach us to cry out to our Father even as their own love embraces us.

Mary is perfectly receptive to the word of God. In doing so she is the most perfectly able to offer that word to us as a word of blessing.

This is how you shall bless the Israelites.
Say to them:
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and
give you peace!

She says this blessing perfectly by speaking her Son to us. She embraces us and nurtures us. She helps that word to be formed in our hearts just as it is first formed in hers. It begins by treasuring the words which God speaks to her. Let us treasure them in turn. Let us be thankful for the love of so great a mother who desires nothing more than to bring the LORD Jesus to birth in each of us. She desires this because she desires what Jesus desires and this is what he wants.

May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.