Mary, Mother Of God

On New Year’s Day the Church honours Mary under the title of "Mary, Mother of God". This young woman,who God had destined from all eternity was to become the vessel that he had chosen to bring salvation into the world.

Motherhood, in both it's forms, physical or spiritual is often seen as a sub standard job. However the Catholic Church has always placed great importance on this distinguished role and If God himself chose  to enter into the world through the gift of a family then surely this is a good  blue print for us to follow.

Mary's role was pivotal to the whole plan. Her yes was a gift to all mankind.Can you imagine how the whole of creation must have held it's breath waiting and hoping for her answer to be yes. It must have let out a collective sigh of relief when that one simple word was forthcoming. Two thousand plus years later we are still benefiting from that gracious answer.

We know at the moment of the annunciation Mary was commissioned by God to bring Jesus into the world and God, in a certain sense extends that same invitation to us.  Like Mary we have a choice, we can say yes or no, again, like Mary, our answer holds eternal consequences not only for ourselves but for those God has entrusted to us.

The title, Mary Mother of God originated at the council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. The council confirmed that the humanity and divinity of Jesus could not be separated and that they existed in one person. This had implications for Mary as well; it meant that she can justifiably be called the Mother of God. In fact  one of the earliest titles given to Our Lady was "Theotokos" which literally means "The one who gives birth to the one who is God" or in short "God Bearer".

if we choose to give our yes to God we to can become God bearers taking the love and light of Christ out into the world.

Although this day is no longer a Holy day of Obligation  in the U.K it would be nice to go to mass as a family and kneel before Our Lady and consecrate your whole family to her Motherly care.