20230101 JOURNEYING WITH MARY OUR MOTHER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
01 January, 2023, Sunday, Mary, Mother of God
First reading | Numbers 6:22-27 © |
They are to call down my name on the sons of Israel, and I will bless them
The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Say this to Aaron and his sons: “This is how you are to bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.”
This is how they are to call down my name on the sons of Israel, and I will bless them.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 66(67):2-3,5,6,8 © |
O God, be gracious and bless us.
O God, be gracious and bless us
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth
and all nations learn your saving help.
O God, be gracious and bless us.
Let the nations be glad and exult
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples,
you guide the nations on earth.
O God, be gracious and bless us.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
May God still give us his blessing
till the ends of the earth revere him.
O God, be gracious and bless us.
Second reading | Galatians 4:4-7 © |
God sent his Son, born of a woman
When the appointed time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law and to enable us to be adopted as sons. The proof that you are sons is that God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts: the Spirit that cries, ‘Abba, Father’, and it is this that makes you a son, you are not a slave any more; and if God has made you son, then he has made you heir.
Gospel Acclamation | Heb1:1-2 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
At various times in the past
and in various different ways,
God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;
but in our own time, the last days,
he has spoken to us through his Son.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 2:16-21 © |
The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger
The shepherds hurried away to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told.
When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.
JOURNEYING WITH MARY OUR MOTHER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [NUMBERS 6:22-27; GALATIANS 4:4-7; LUKE 2:16-21]
Today, we begin a New Calendar Year. We begin a new chapter in the journey of life. What is ahead of us we do not know. Life is full of uncertainties. We may fall sick. We may lose our job. We might find ourselves in a difficult situation at home. There might be more natural disasters. Worst of all, the economy continues to be uncertain because of military and economic wars. Lifestyle is also under threat as the world becomes more inclined to abortion, euthanasia and even suicide. Family and marriage are under threat. Even raising our children is very challenging.
Indeed, the unpredictability of life means that we are not in control of life. Science and technology alone cannot save the world. In fact, science and technology in the hands of selfish, ignorant and evil men will destroy the world and bring misery to humanity. The world must be saved by first saving humanity. St Paul wrote, “When the appointed time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law and to enable us to be adopted as sons.” Indeed, we need to be redeemed ourselves first, before we can redeem the world.
The world ultimately is dependent on God’s grace and mercy. Hence, we need to implore God’s blessings at the very beginning of the New Year. Today’s first reading invites us to receive God’s blessing as the people of Israel did. The Lord instructed Moses to bless the sons of Israel with the words, “May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.” These words of blessing are more than mere words or even hope. It is a prayer of expectant faith that God will be with us in our journey, protect us by putting us under His care, show His face and love for us so that we are assured that He is present with us in bad and good times. This assurance can be seen in the life of Mary.
God’s providential care is realized in Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. She was graced by God from the moment of her conception. She was certainly not spared from the trials of life and the unknowns ahead of her. As a human being, she shared our human condition and was not exempted from walking the path in obscurity and in darkness at times. Mary, like Christ, shared in our human nature and condition so that she could show us the way by her life and example. Trotting the same path as ours, she inspires us to do the same. Indeed, Mary the mother of our Lord has gone before us. She shows us how we should live our vocation and mission. In truth, to journey with Mary is to help us journey with her Son because Jesus is our elder brother, our closest friend. As the Son of God, He will lead us to encounter His Father so that we can share in His sonship.
What is critical is that she took this journey in faith. Mary, being the mother of our Lord started this journey from the moment she accepted the call to be the mother of our Saviour. There were many questions in her mind when she said “yes” to God’s call. She would have had a hard time trying to explain to Joseph, her parents and relatives, her pregnancy in the power of the Holy Spirit. Who would ever believe her incredible story? Her integrity would be questioned; her life and her future were at risk. In faith, she said “yes” to the angel’s announcement. In faith when Herod wanted to kill the new-born child, she and Joseph fled to Egypt with Jesus. They certainly understood what it meant to be refugees in a strange land, the difficulties of surviving in an alien soil with a different culture, language and religion. To make this journey in life, we too need to journey in faith so that we can enjoy the blessings of God. Mary, the mother of God and our Blessed Mother shows us how to make this journey of faith. Mary, being the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, is our ideal model in journeying with our Lord so that we can arrive at our destination.
How can we undertake this journey of faith? Firstly, Mary undertook this journey with her Son, supporting Him in His ministry. Although it is true that Mary looked after Christ and brought Him up according to the faith of Israel, but in looking after our Lord, she was also instructed by Him. As much as Mary accompanied Christ in His journey, she learnt much from her Son as well. She began to understand her Son’s commitment to the Heavenly Father’s affairs when He was found at the Temple of Jerusalem. Jesus had to grow in wisdom and knowledge under the tutelage of Mary and Joseph. This is what the scriptures says, “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Lk 2:51f)
Mary was always quietly following our Lord in His public ministry although she never sought to be in the limelight. She never hindered or inconvenienced Him during His ministry. Mary as a gracious mother left Him free to exercise His ministry as God inspired Him. She was able to let go of our Lord when He began His public ministry. She knew that her role was simply to give Him moral and spiritual support. She stood by our Lord when the townsfolk rejected Jesus when He came back to preach in their synagogue. When their relatives thought that Jesus was mad and reported to her, she went to give Him her support, for as the Lord said, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” (Lk 8:21)
Mary journeyed with our Lord right to the last day of His ministry, supporting Him when He hung on the cross. She was with Him, suffering rejection, humiliation and pain. Mary shared the grief of our Lord for His enemies. There was no resentment, rancour or revenge, or even words of condemnation for her Son’s enemies. Such was the moral support Mary gave to her Son. She is truly the mother of God and mother of our Lord because she conducted herself with magnanimity and forgiveness. Mary remained strong for our Lord. We must make this pilgrimage of faith with her, especially when we carry the cross so that we can share in His resurrection.
Secondly, Mary journeyed with the early Church, standing by the apostles to give them strength and encouragement after the Lord ascended into heaven. She was there with them in prayer as they wait for the Holy Spirit. She gathered them together in prayer so that they would not feel hopeless. She was conscious of the role the Lord gave to her on the cross when He gave John to her and said, “Behold, thy Son!” She understood that her role as spiritual mother of the Church had begun. That is why, as we celebrate the Feast of Mary, the mother of God, the mother of our Lord, we also celebrate her as the mother of the Church. She is our mother in faith. She shows us the face of God in her life, especially in giving us her Son who reveals the face of the Father’s unconditional mercy and love. We are called to draw our strength from her as we journey in this life. Indeed, in and through her and her Son, the blessing promised to Israel is fulfilled.
Finally, let us never forget that Mary did not take this journey of faith alone. She was accompanied by Joseph. Indeed, it is a great blessing for Mary to have a supportive spouse. Joseph was also a man of deep faith in God. Both Mary and Joseph were contemplatives in action. They were people of prayer and contemplation, always pondering on the events that unfolded in their lives. They were never rash or reactive. Mary always silently pondered over events, like the visit of the Magi, the words of Simeon when Jesus was brought to the temple, and our Lord’s response to her when He was found in the Temple at Jerusalem. Joseph, like Mary, would take his problems to God in prayer, especially in matters where he could not understand, as in the pregnancy of Mary, or when he had to bring Mary and Jesus to Egypt to save them from Herod’s persecution.
It is certainly important that we have someone to journey with us in faith. For those of us who are married, we must look for a spouse who is God-fearing and who has a deep love for the Lord and faith in Him so that we can support each other in faith, especially when the journey becomes difficult. One of the loneliest experiences of married couples is when their spouse lack faith or has no faith in God. They are left to journey alone in faith. And this is such a lonely journey, especially when they are facing trials in family life, whether it comes from raising the children or attending to their elderly, or finding the means to provide for their children and their elderly. For those of us who are single, we too need someone who can journey with us in faith as well. If we can find a confidant or a friend who can support us in faith as we journey through life, who can share with us their faith in God and our struggles, we will feel supported and not as if we are alone in this journey of life. For Catholics particularly, we need good Catholic friends to journey with us in faith. A Catholic without a faith community to share his or her faith is in great risk of losing his or her faith especially in times of trial, confusion and difficulties.
At the end of this journey, we must with confidence be able to confess that Jesus is our Saviour. Jesus is indeed our Saviour. We read that “the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told.” Let us be like the Magi, astonished by His love and mercy for us. Let us be like the Magi, never travelling alone but having the company of each other so that we can arrive at the feet of our Lord, rendering Him worship and going by a new and different way in living our life courageously, adventurously, joyfully with meaning and purpose.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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