The Octave Day of Christmas
Information about the Catholic Teaching on the Blessed Virgin Mary[1]
Information from the Catechism of the Catholic Church about Mary
Readings for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Numbers 6:22-27
Especially in Protestant circles this passage is known as Aaron’s Blessing and is often used as the final blessing given at their services. It is interesting for us that it is used on the Solemnity of Mary – the obvious inference is that Mary, the Mother of God is a blessing to all of us.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8.
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
Psalm 67 gives us another blessing and has elements of the ancient blessing of Aaron we heard in the first reading. This blessing has more of a plaintive tone, beseeching, almost pleading that the Lord bless us.
Reading II Galatians 4:4-7
“God sent his Son, born of a woman” this passage provides us with the important fact that Mary gave birth to Jesus. He did not mystically appear to us. Jesus is (was) true man, meaning he went through the biological birth process. That also means that Mary, the Mother of God when through all of the difficult physical process of giving birth.
St. Paul goes on to remind us that through this action we are all adopted by God and are entitled to call God our Father “Abba” (translated into American usage as “daddy”).
Gospel Luke 2:16-21
The message, given to the shepherds by choirs of angels that they, in turn, brought to Mary that she kept and reflected in her heart about was; “For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." (Luke 2 11-12)
This encounter with the shepherds further reinforces Mary’s faith, the acceptance of her child’s role explained to her by the Archangel Gabriel when this wonderful and tragic journey began.
Reflection:
We, as Disciples of Christ, always try to imitate him. We try to develop our spiritual selves and to conform our minds to His will in order to be faithful to our call. This is our life long pursuit. It is one that we know, while we constantly hold that goal up before ourselves, is impossible to fully attain until we are purified through the grace God and stand before him.
The Lord has left us helps along the way so we would not become discouraged,. First he gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit, the third person of God that dwells in us and sustains us. We are aware of this gift given to all at Pentecost and to us individually at our Baptism. But we still must learn to use it. That ability (to reach inside and tap into the strength of the Holy Spirit) is much like a muscle it must be built up or a discipline of will that must be developed.
God, in his infinite wisdom, has seen our dilemma and also provided us with additional examples, like stepping stones; inspired people of faith have proceeded us on this journey and in this task. Their lives provide us with examples, showing us the way to follow the path and the pitfalls along the way. Like lamps on a dark and winding road, these heroic figures stand like sign-posts directing us on the path of holiness. These people are, of course, the Saints acclaimed and canonized by Holy Mother Church.
Chief among these beacons of light in the darkness is Mary, the Mother of God, Blessed Virgin who is the first to know and accept our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It was she who accepted, without fear, the great blessing of bearing the Messiah long prophesied. It was she who kept all of the signs and foreknowledge in hear heart. It was she who first gave the world a peak at the nature of her son at the wedding feast of Cana when she told the steward to listen to him regarding the wine. And it was she who stood at the foot of the cross, torn by grief, as her son fulfilled his Father’s purpose.
From that high station, hanging upon the cross, Jesus sent his mother to be mother of us all; “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.” (John 19 26-27)
Through all those years since, Mary has come to the people of this earth. She has come in many places and ways; to Fatima and Lourdes, to Guadalupe, Mexico and Czestochowa, Poland. She has come with various messages but with one overwhelming purpose – to bring the people of God to faith in Her Son.
Today, on her day, we celebrate the Virgin Mary’s sacrifice and gift. We thank God for that shining example of faith that gives us hope in our own journey. May we always revere her and keep her example in our hearts.
Pax
[1] The icon used today is “The Mother of God Enthroned” by Andreas Ritzos, 1460-80
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
Information about the Catholic Teaching on the Blessed Virgin Mary[1]
Information from the Catechism of the Catholic Church about Mary
Readings for the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 Numbers 6:22-27
Especially in Protestant circles this passage is known as Aaron’s Blessing and is often used as the final blessing given at their services. It is interesting for us that it is used on the Solemnity of Mary – the obvious inference is that Mary, the Mother of God is a blessing to all of us.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8.
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
Psalm 67 gives us another blessing and has elements of the ancient blessing of Aaron we heard in the first reading. This blessing has more of a plaintive tone, beseeching, almost pleading that the Lord bless us.
Reading II Galatians 4:4-7
“God sent his Son, born of a woman” this passage provides us with the important fact that Mary gave birth to Jesus. He did not mystically appear to us. Jesus is (was) true man, meaning he went through the biological birth process. That also means that Mary, the Mother of God when through all of the difficult physical process of giving birth.
St. Paul goes on to remind us that through this action we are all adopted by God and are entitled to call God our Father “Abba” (translated into American usage as “daddy”).
Gospel Luke 2:16-21
The message, given to the shepherds by choirs of angels that they, in turn, brought to Mary that she kept and reflected in her heart about was; “For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." (Luke 2 11-12)
This encounter with the shepherds further reinforces Mary’s faith, the acceptance of her child’s role explained to her by the Archangel Gabriel when this wonderful and tragic journey began.
Reflection:
We, as Disciples of Christ, always try to imitate him. We try to develop our spiritual selves and to conform our minds to His will in order to be faithful to our call. This is our life long pursuit. It is one that we know, while we constantly hold that goal up before ourselves, is impossible to fully attain until we are purified through the grace God and stand before him.
The Lord has left us helps along the way so we would not become discouraged,. First he gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit, the third person of God that dwells in us and sustains us. We are aware of this gift given to all at Pentecost and to us individually at our Baptism. But we still must learn to use it. That ability (to reach inside and tap into the strength of the Holy Spirit) is much like a muscle it must be built up or a discipline of will that must be developed.
God, in his infinite wisdom, has seen our dilemma and also provided us with additional examples, like stepping stones; inspired people of faith have proceeded us on this journey and in this task. Their lives provide us with examples, showing us the way to follow the path and the pitfalls along the way. Like lamps on a dark and winding road, these heroic figures stand like sign-posts directing us on the path of holiness. These people are, of course, the Saints acclaimed and canonized by Holy Mother Church.
Chief among these beacons of light in the darkness is Mary, the Mother of God, Blessed Virgin who is the first to know and accept our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It was she who accepted, without fear, the great blessing of bearing the Messiah long prophesied. It was she who kept all of the signs and foreknowledge in hear heart. It was she who first gave the world a peak at the nature of her son at the wedding feast of Cana when she told the steward to listen to him regarding the wine. And it was she who stood at the foot of the cross, torn by grief, as her son fulfilled his Father’s purpose.
From that high station, hanging upon the cross, Jesus sent his mother to be mother of us all; “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.” (John 19 26-27)
Through all those years since, Mary has come to the people of this earth. She has come in many places and ways; to Fatima and Lourdes, to Guadalupe, Mexico and Czestochowa, Poland. She has come with various messages but with one overwhelming purpose – to bring the people of God to faith in Her Son.
Today, on her day, we celebrate the Virgin Mary’s sacrifice and gift. We thank God for that shining example of faith that gives us hope in our own journey. May we always revere her and keep her example in our hearts.
Pax
[1] The icon used today is “The Mother of God Enthroned” by Andreas Ritzos, 1460-80
[2] After Links to Readings Expire
1 comment:
At one time my wife Lhil had a lady senior citizen for a physical therapy customer. To ease the burden of boring therapy sessions, the lady decided to engage Lhil in a conversation over interesting human life experiences even though they were strangers to each other.
One of the experiences she shared was an incident that started with her brother’s death.
The lady said that her brother and his wife died in a car accident. While she was on her way to their place to attend the funeral, the bus she was riding in suddenly had engine trouble. The bus driver told them to transfer to another bus.
Because she was so preoccupied with thoughts of who would take care of her late brother’s children, she didn’t notice that she was the only one left in the bus.
And because of her deep sorrow, she even failed to notice a kindly lady dressed in white wearing a rope-tied sandal, who patted her shoulder, comforted her and said: “Just don’t worry about your serious problem. It’s better that we pray in church in order to obtain for you the graces you need to care for the problems ahead.”
She said that she and the lady left the bus and went to the church, which was just around the corner. Inside the church she cried and cried while embracing the statue of the dead, wounded Jesus, locally called hinulid. Seeing her grief, the lady in white added more comforting words: “Don’t worry, I will help you. Just pray.” With these words, she felt as if a thorn had been removed from her breast and heart. But when she got up to thank the lady, she was no longer around.
After the Internment and burial of her brother and his wife, she and the couple’s eight surviving little children, had to look for a residence to rent in Igualdad Street in Naga City , Philippines . They found a little house inside of which, to her surprise, was a calendar with a picture of the Virgin Mary, the same lady in white who patted her shoulders and accompanied her to church.
After that, she said her boyfriend broke up with her because he can’t bear the thought of feeding eight children not their own.
Because of the meager pension of her deceased brother, she could not depend on anything else other than the assurance given her by the lady in white that she should not worry.
At the time, all her eight nieces and nephews have finished their studies. There is an accountant, a dentist and two who work overseas.
The question was how was she able to provide them with good education? God works in mysterious ways. He provided the eight children with special talents that each one of them was able to obtain a scholarship grants. But still, there was the need to provide for food, clothing and health care. I don’t know the answer myself, neither the old lady but if you have strong faith in God, nothing is impossible because He has a way of making things happen.
Now, my wife’s lady customer is already very old. Although she never married and had no child of her own, I believe she is the happiest person that I have ever talked to.
I tell this story not to boast about but to strengthen our faith in God and to know that He is with us in our everyday life ready to help us in our needs if we sincerely pray.
Praise the Lord!
Ephraim T. Echano
Banco de Oro-Cash hub
Naga City, Philippines
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