JANUARY 1 — MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD: WHAT MARY'S MOTHERHOOD TEACHES US

On this first day of the year, the Church places before us Mary, the Holy Mother of God, and invites us to begin the year by learning from her gentle, humble, and contemplative heart. The title Mother of God—Theotokos, meaning “God-bearer”—is the Church’s oldest and most solemn title for Mary. It proclaims a profound truth: Jesus is one divine Person, fully God and fully man, and Mary is truly His Mother.

This truth was solemnly affirmed in 431 AD at the Council of Ephesus, which declared that Christ is one Person with two natures, human and divine. To deny Mary as Mother of God is to misunderstand who Jesus truly is. Thus, whenever the Church honors Mary, she is really protecting and proclaiming the mystery of Christ.

In today’s Gospel, Luke tells us that the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. Mary does not speak. She acts as a mother—present, attentive, and loving. Luke tells us that she “treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Mary teaches us that God’s greatest works are often received not with noise, but with silence.

Mary’s motherhood is not only biological; it is deeply spiritual. Each time we profess the Creed and say that Christ was “born of the Virgin Mary,” we proclaim that God chose humility as the pathway to salvation. This same truth echoes in Mary’s words to Juan Diego at Our Lady of Guadalupe, where she identifies herself as “the Mother of the True God for whom we live.” Mary always points beyond herself to her Son.

We may imagine that Mary, like any young woman, had questions and fears. Her life plans were interrupted. Her future became uncertain. Yet Scripture records no complaint. Instead, we hear her quiet surrender: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord.” Her peace did not come from understanding everything, but from trusting God completely.

This is where Mary speaks powerfully to our world today. We live in a culture that fears silence. We rush, we worry, we fill every space with noise. But peace is born in silence. As Saint Paul reminds us, Christ “came and preached peace to those who were far and those who were near” (Eph 2:17). Mary is rightly called Queen of Peace because she carried within her the Prince of Peace. She contemplated Him before she proclaimed Him.

As we begin a new year, Mary reminds us that God’s beauty and peace begin within the heart. If our hearts are like Mary’s—open, trusting, and reflective—God’s peace can dwell in us even amid struggles and uncertainty. Pain may still be present, but it no longer has the final word. The Word made flesh desires to dwell in us and reveal His glory, full of grace and truth.

Today, let us ask for the grace to begin this year as Mary did—with trust rather than fear, silence rather than noise, and surrender rather than control. And as we do, may the ancient blessing of Israel become our prayer for this new year:

“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.” Amen.

Readings: Num 6:22–27; Gal 4:4–7; Lk 2:16–21

Reflection Questions

1.    What situations in my life right now call for trustful silence rather than anxious control? How can Mary’s example guide me?

2.    Where do I seek peace—externally or internally? What practical steps can I take this year to cultivate interior peace through prayer and reflection?

3.    If Christ truly desires to dwell in my heart, what needs to change in my attitudes, habits, or relationships to make room for Him?