New year, new chance to head to Mass! And what better way to kick off the New Year and the Jubilee Year of Hope than turning to the Blessed Mother?
As the New Year dawns upon us, faithful from across the world will turn to Mary, the New Dawn, under the title Theotokos, or Mother of God.
Through her “yes” to the Angel Gabriel, Mary bore God himself as Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, became man. This unique privilege was foretold throughout the Scriptures, even as early as the book of Genesis (3:15), and is a powerful turning point in salvation history. Through her “yes,” God becomes Emmanuel, with us.
From the Church's very beginnings, Christians have held Mary in high esteem, turning to her for intercession, guidance and example — and rightly so. But in the fifth century, the Church saw the need to come together and consider Jesus’ divinity and humanity as they relate to Mary. Was she “Mother of God” (Theotokos) or “Mother of Christ” (Christotokos)?
In the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D., the Church solemnly declared that Mary was indeed Mother of God (Theotokos): “If anyone does not confess that God is truly Emmanuel, and that on this account the holy virgin is the ‘Theotokos’ (for according to the flesh she gave birth to the word of God become flesh by birth) let him be anathema.”
Because God truly became man, because Jesus was truly God and man, Mary is therefore considered “Mother of God.”
The tradition of honoring Mary on the first day of the New Year stretches back to the fifth century. Though other feasts and celebrations supplanted the Marian tradition over the centuries, a 1969 revision of the liturgical year established the current Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, on Jan. 1.
In his 1974 exhortation on devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope St. Paul VI explained: “In the revised ordering of the Christmas period it seems to us that the attention of all should be directed towards the restored Solemnity of Mary the holy Mother of God. This celebration, placed on January 1 in conformity with the ancient indication of the liturgy of the City of Rome, is meant to commemorate the part played by Mary in this mystery of salvation. It is meant also to exalt the singular dignity which this mystery brings to the ‘holy Mother...through whom we were found worthy to receive the Author of life’” (Marialis cultus, 5).
So, as we begin the New Year and the Jubilee Year of Hope, what better way to celebrate than turning to Mary, Mother of God and our mother? The pivotal Solemnity is a Holy Day of Obligation not to be missed this year.
Whether you find yourself in the Archdiocese of Denver or on vacation during the holiday season, there is a Mass for you! Be sure to use the Archdiocese’s Parish Locator and/or masstimes.org to find the Mass that works best for you!
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