|
 |
|
Homilies are posted no later than during the week
prior to the Sunday they are needed |
|
|
Mary Holy Mother of God
|
|
|
http://www.st.ignatius.net/pastor.html
Mary Holy Mother of God
|
Solemnity of Mary Mother of God: Mary, Mother of Faith
A while back I had a discussion with a young man about Jesus. The
young man was seriously searching and needed to be respected for where
he was in his journey in faith. He told me that although he called
himself a Christian, he did not believe that Christ was God. He said
that he believed that Jesus was just a great man. I asked
him how being a follower of Christ for him would be any different from
being a follower of Marx, or of Ghandi, or of Martin Luther King or any
other figure from history. He left pondering an answer to this
question because he knew that he recognized Jesus as far more than a
historical figure.
The whole question of whom Jesus is as well as the importance of
understanding His divinity gave rise to the great theological statement
that He is the Son of God as well as the Son of Mary. His nature,
what He is, is both God and man. His person, who He is, is the
Eternal Word of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. He has
only one Person, one Who. Therefore, the Council of Ephesus
proclaimed in 449, Mary, although herself a human being, is also
the Mother of God. Through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit,
Mary conceived within herself the second person of the Holy Trinity.
And so we pray, “Holy Mary, Mother of God,” and we celebrate this
today, the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God.
At Christmastime we sing beautiful carols and even lullabies that put
us emotionally back into Bethlehem. Babies are to be cherished
and loved and cared for and all those good things that bring out the
parental juices in all of us. So we spend time contemplating
Jesus as a baby. At the same time, though, the Church reminds us
who this Jesus is. Jesus is the Pre-existent Word of God.
He is the Lord and the Messiah. He is the Savior who is fully God
and fully human. This is all a mystery, how Jesus could be fully
God and fully human; but it is faith that we profess, not a system of
scientifically proven facts. We are reminded today that the One
whose birth we romanticize with Silent Night is the One who was present
at the creation of the universe.
Mary pondered all this within her heart, scripture tells us. She,
obviously, knew about the mysterious conception of the child nine
months earlier. She continually reflected on the events of Jesus'
birth. Normally a baby boy was received into his home with a
festival of musical instruments played by the people of the
neighborhood. Jesus was received with the songs of an Angelic
choir. Normally a boy was given the name of a relative. Jesus was
given the name, Yahweh Saves. When many years later, after Pentecost,
the apostles proclaimed, "This Jesus whom you have put to death is in
fact Lord, Messiah and Savior," Mary had to remember that the shepherds
appeared that holy night carrying the message of the angels, "To, you,
this day is born in the City of David a Savior who is Messiah and Lord."
Mary was a woman of faith, complete faith. She had faith that
somehow God would care for her in her pregnancy, in the childbirth,
throughout her life, and at the foot of the cross. She had faith
that His plan was working through this wonderful child of the common
life. She had faith that she was changing the diapers of the Son of God.
On this, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, we pray for faith, real
faith, not faith that demands proofs and is therefore a very weak
faith, but faith that God is working His plans in and through us in
mysterious ways. We pray today for the Gift of the Holy Spirit
called understanding. The gift of understanding is helps us
realize that God is far greater than our intelligence can
comprehend. This gift leads us to take the step of faith that
proclaim along with Mary that the child of Bethlehem is the Son of God.
All of us have doubts in faith. They are part of human life. The
very apostles who witnessed the resurrection of the Lord had doubts of
faith even while the stood on the Mountain of the Ascension (Matthew
28:17). Faith demands our taking a step away from our human perspective
and trusting in God to do the incomprehensible.
Today we pray to Mary, the Mother of God. We ask her to petition
her son for us so that we also might have the courage, the humility,
and the faith to proclaim with the Church that Jesus is Lord.
|
|
http://stmaryvalleybloom.org/
* available in Spanish - see
Spanish homilies
Mary Holy Mother of God
|
The
Power of a Blessing
(January 1, 2012)
At the beginning of the baptism ceremony, the priest (or deacon)
welcomes the child with a sign of the cross on the baby’s forehead. He
then invites the parents and godparents to also mark their child with
the same sign of our Savior. During the baptism homily I always
encourage the parents - and godparents – to continue that practice.
When the mom places the child in the crib, she can call to the dad to
bless his child. Then she does the same. This blessing has great power.
Let me give you an example of the power of a blessing. I heard about a
family who had blessed their children every day. The oldest son was now
leaving the home to go to college. At the moment of parting, the mom
and dad made the sign of the cross over her son. The parents,
particularly the dad, were not great talkers. In fact, they kept things
pretty close to their chest, but they had blessed their children every
day. They had a bond more powerful than words.
Today Moses instructs Aaron on how to give a blessing. The words are
simple:
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!
This blessing has passed the test of time. Originating with chosen
people, the Levitical Blessing has been pronounced three millennia. The
apostle Barnabas, who was a Levite, undoubtedly gave many people that
blessing. St. Francis, himself a deacon, used those words to bless
others. Rabbis, priests, deacons, ministers and parents have all
employed the blessing. If you don’t remember all the words, you can
simply say “The Lord bless you.” Or like the rather taciturn parents I
mentioned, you can just make the sign of the cross with your hand or
your thumb. The blessing will have great power.
The blessing will not only help your child; through him it will come
back upon you. If you have a strong bond with your child, you yourself
will succeed. A recent study demonstrated this. Researchers analyzed
the variables that enabled a person to rise from poverty to prosperity.
They found that a combination of two factors almost guaranteed
financial success. If a man could make a commitment to his wife and
family – and hold a job, any job, for one year, he was almost certain
to overcome poverty. It did not matter what his background was, where
he had come or what his education was. A family commitment and the
ability to hold onto a job – even a very low paying job – for one year
were the strongest predictors of a rise to relative prosperity.
A person who blesses their child forms a strong bond between the two of
them. That bond can motivate a person to overcome many obstacles. A
woman once told me about the rather miserable conditions she was
working in. She had to take quite a bit from her boss and co-workers.
But she did not just walk off the job. She had two children who
motivated her to make the sacrifice. When she blessed them at night,
she knew the sacrifice was worth it. Eventually something better did
come along – but even if it did not, she would have supported a lot.
She blessed her children every day and saw them as her greatest earthly
blessing.
As we begin the New Year, I ask you to make this resolution: Bless
those who are close to you. At first it may be awkward to do so, but at
least begin with a blessing in your heart. When you see your child – or
whatever person you live with – say, “The Lord bless you.” Little by
little, you can extend that blessing to others: those you work with,
your friends, people you meet as you go about your daily business. Your
blessing will help them – and it will also help you. I would like to
conclude with the levitical blessing Moses taught to his brother Aaron:
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!
|
|
http://www.agreeley.com/homilies.html
Mary Holy Mother of God
|
|
|
http://www.saintvincentarchabbey.org/sunday_homily
Mary Holy Mother of God
|
January 1, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Octave Day of Christmas
Luke 2:16-21, Year B
Gospel Summary
Today's gospel text suffers somewhat from being removed from its
biblical context. We are told that the shepherds "went with haste and
found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger." It is
helpful to note that they did this only because they had received a
vision of angels who told them, "This will be a sign for you: you will
find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger"
(2:12). The shepherds are thus taken out of their workaday worlds and
asked to see their lives in a new and wonderful way.
The insistence on the image of an "infant wrapped in swaddling
clothes," that is, wrapped in warm flannel, alerts us to a profound
symbolism here, for the flannel bands stand for God's loving care which
is shown to us in the coming of Jesus as our Savior. In a very real
sense, we can say that God has wrapped the whole world in secure and
loving bands by sending his beloved Son to us as an embodiment of
unwavering and endless loving kindness.
Since this feast is also the feast of "Mary Mother of God," it is
important to note also that "Mary kept all these things, reflecting on
them in her heart". We are not told what "all these things" might be,
but we can rest assured that they embraced the whole wonderful
experience of bearing a child who is already destined to change the
course of human history in ways that will be revealed only later--ways
that will involve both painful self-sacrifice and glorious victory.
Life Implications
The beginning of a new year provides us with an opportunity to reflect
on the special gift of time. We recall the events of the previous year
and express our gratitude for all the good things that have happened,
all the while being aware that there have also been sad and painful and
perhaps sinful realities. But most of all we celebrate the promise of a
new set of months and we try to be hopeful in spite of threats of war
and recession and just growing older.
Today's gospel has a special message for us as we hang up the new
calendar with mixed feelings. The fresh New Year is in some ways like
the infant Jesus "wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."
Both the new year and the new child seem so vulnerable but the almighty
power of God is hidden in the new year, just as it is in the tiny
infant. God is fully prepared to wrap our fragile lives and hopes in
the warm blanket of his ever present and constant love. With such
assurance, we can face the future with generous hope and with light
hearts. For we too need to realize that the angels who spoke to the
shepherds are speaking to us also when they say, "This will be a sign
for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying
in a manger." Come, let us adore him.
Demetrius R. Dumm, O.S.B.
|
|
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/lowhome.html Meeting Christ in the Liturgy
Mary Holy Mother of God
|
Solemnity
of Mary, Mother of God
Numbers 6, 22-27; Psalm 67, 2-3.5.6.8; Galatians 4, 4-7; St. Luke 2,
16-21
Quickly after acclaiming the birth of the Messiah we turn with equal
wonder in contemplation of his mother, immaculate and therefore "full
of grace", who does not know man because she has vowed herself to
perpetual virginity and whom all generations have called "blessed": the
Blessed Virgin Mary.
We proclaim and preach the marvel God has brought forth in her,
granting her a unique role in our redemption as "Mother of God".
"Mary is the Virgo Praedicanda, that is, the Virgin who is to be
proclaimed, to be heralded, literally, to be preached. We are
accustomed to preach abroad that which is wonderful, strange, rare,
novel, important. Thus when our Lord was coming, St. John the Baptist
preached Him; then, the Apostles went into the wide world and preached
Christ. What is the highest, the rarest, the choicest prerogative of
Mary? It is that she was without sin... This then is why she is the
Virgo Praedicanda; she is deserving to be preached abroad because she
never committed any sin...
"Preaching is a gradual work: first one lesson, then another. Thus were
the heathen brought into the Church gradually. And in like manner, the
preaching of Mary to the children of the Church, and the devotion paid
to her by successive ages. Not so much was preached about her in early
times as in later. First she was preached as the Virgin of
Virgins--then as the Mother of God--then as glorious in her
Assumption--then as the Advocate of sinners--then as Immaculate in her
Conception. And this last has been the special preaching of the present
century; and thus that which is earliest in her own history is the
latest in the Church's recognition of her." (John Cardinal Newman)
Called in the Gospels "the mother of Jesus," Mary is acclaimed by
Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of
her son, as "the mother of my Lord." (Lk 1:43; Jn 2:1; 19:25; cf. Mt
13:55; et. al.) In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy
Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other
than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity.
Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly "Mother of God"
(Theotokos). (Council of Ephesus (431): DS 251.) (CCC 495)
I look forward to meeting you here again next week as, together, we
"meet Christ in the liturgy", Father Cusick
(Publish with permission.) www.christusrex.org/www1/mcitl/
|
|
http://www.ctk-thornbury.org.uk/
Mary Holy Mother of God
|
Feast of Mary the Mother of God
Today we are celebrating the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God. This is
a very ancient title for Mary and goes back to the very earliest days
of the Church.
Its use was confirmed by the First Council of Ephesus which was held in
the year 331 and which condemned the Nestorian Heresy. The idea being
that this title for Mary confirms the Church’s understanding that Jesus
was both truly human and truly divine, Mary therefore being the
Theotokos or God-bearer
In liturgical terms this feast was kept on the 11th October under the
title Mother of the Saviour until it was transferred to 1st January by
Pope Paul VI in his reform of the calendar. We Salvatorians continue to
keep the 11th of October because the title Mother of the Saviour is so
connected to our charism.
The readings for today are extremely short; probably the shortest in
the whole liturgical year, but this does not mean that they are without
meaning.
The first reading is the account of a lesson in prayer that God gives
to Moses and how he is to instruct his brother Aaron and his successors
to bless the people. Aaron was the first High Priest and the founder of
the Levitical priesthood and as such it was his role to pray to God on
behalf of the whole community.
It is a very beautiful prayer and one that we would do well to invoke
on this day when we seek a blessing for ourselves on the first day of
the year. It contains the important teaching that true peace, true
satisfaction, comes from our seeing the face of God.
Paul in his letter to the Galatians stresses how it is because Jesus
fully took on human nature that we are able to be saved from our sins.
From this he goes on to point out that as adopted sons and daughters of
God we can pray to him in the most intimate way possible using the
title Abba, Daddy.
But because of our salvation and adoption by God it is no longer us who
prays but the Holy Spirit who prays in us. In this way we are drawn in
to the very internal life of God.
People often say to me that they can’t pray anymore and they feel that
they have lost the ability to pray. Often, I think that they are trying
too hard and as a consequence they are experiencing a severe spiritual
dryness. They have made themselves the centre of their prayer lives.
What I think that people in such a situation need to do is to stop
trying so hard. St Paul teaches us that now it is the Holy Spirit who
prays in us. We are no longer the focus.
We are no longer the author of our prayers; what we have become is a
conduit for the prayer of the Spirit. What we need to do is to take a
back seat and give the Holy Spirit the space and time to work and pray
in us.
Yes, we need to continue giving time to prayer, and if anything to
increase it, but we don’t have to fill our prayer time with words. We
just have to sit there and give God the time and stay silent. We empty
ourselves rather than impose ourselves on God. Then it is the Spirit
who will pray and work in us, in his own time and in his own way.
Of course, this means giving up a certain amount of control and this is
maybe where the real problem lies.
The Gospel reading is from St Luke and is about the Shepherds and the
naming of Jesus and contains the beautiful line about Mary ‘pondering
these things in her heart.’
We notice that the Shepherds are the first witnesses to Christ. They
saw the infant Jesus and realised the truth of the Angel’s message. The
Shepherd’s repeated this message to those around him and then they
went on their way praising God.
They are in a sense the model for all subsequent disciples of Jesus. We
come to a realisation of the truth and we tell others and we praise
God. This, boiled down to the bare bones, is what a Christian does.
The Child is named Jesus. We know the significance of his name –it
means ‘God saves’. And in this name we find the essential truth about
the identity of Jesus. He is fully human and fully divine and his
mission, his sole purpose is to save us; to save us from our sins and
to enable us to join him forever in heaven.
These, the very shortest of readings, are full of significance and they
set the tone for the whole year. They teach us to pray, they tell us
who Jesus is and what he came to do, they tell us about Mary, they give
us a model for our discipleship and they invoke a blessing on the year
ahead.
This day is not only the feast of Mary, the Mother of God, it is also
the World Day of Prayer for Peace. It is highly appropriate that the
whole Church pauses at the commencement of the New Year to take time to
pray for world peace.
War is surely the ultimate expression of evil in the world. While we
have to admit that there can be such a thing as conducting a just war,
this is only possible in the face of an unjust aggressor.
So much damage is done in war, so much is unleashed which harms the
life of ordinary citizens and innocent people, that war should only
ever be seen as a last resort and then only when all other efforts and
avoiding it have completely failed.
What the world needs is not war but peace. What the world needs is
leaders who serve the people, leaders with humility, leaders who
understand that their role is to guide and protect and not to exploit
things to their own advantage.
Peace is what the world wants, peace is what the innocent want, peace
is what builds up the world and makes for stability and progress. War
is destructive, war is exploitative, war destroys families.
Let us pray today for peace; peace in our hearts, peace in our
communities, peace in the world. In the words of the Book of Numbers
let us pray that ‘the Lord will uncover his face to you and bring you
his peace.’ Amen.
Copyright © ctk-thornbury.org.uk 2011
|
|
These
homilies may be copied and adapted for your own use;
however, they may not be commercially published without permission of
the author. |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
