Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
One of the central mysteries of our Christian faith is that God has a mother. God, who is without beginning and without end, became a human individual. From Mary, Jesus assumed the human image and likeness, sharing in our human nature. It may sound more reasonable to just say Jesus had a mom. But we go beyond that statement. In Jesus, the union of the human and divine is so complete that what is said of Jesus human nature can also be said of his divine nature. For his humanity, Jesus had to have a mother. God had a mother.
And not only are the human and divine united completely in Jesus, Jesus unites each one of us with himself, so that what is said of Jesus should be also be able to be said of us. Mary is Jesus’ mother. Mary is also our mother. Jesus rose from the dead. We too, in baptism, have risen with Jesus to eternal life. Eternal life is not something that we just hope for at the end of our mortal life. It is a gift that has already been given us! We carry in ourselves the life of Jesus.
As we begin a new year, it might be good to renew your resolution to live the life Jesus offers you. How can you bring something of God’s love to your family, your neighborhood, school or workplace, and to your parish?