Solemnity of MARY MOTHER OF
GOD
Year of the Youth
January 1, 2019
Jesus, I trust in you!
When the shepherds went to
Bethlehem, they glorified God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had
been told them by the angels. What was it that they were told? What was it that
they had seen? They were told that they shall find in Bethlehem an infant
wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. That was the sign given to
them and the moment they saw the infant of Mary, they already knew what it
meant. They knew that this infant is the Savior who is Christ the Lord: “Today
in the city of David a Savior has been born to you who is Christ the Lord.” All
these are summed up in the Name which today is given to the child: “He was
named Jesus.” The Name “Jesus” means “God Saves.” This name tells us who the
child is and what was he sent to do. He is God and he comes to save: “You are
to name him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins.” The Son of Mary
is God, therefore he is called Lord. The Son of Mary comes to save us from
sins, therefore he is called Savior.
St. Paul tells us the implication
of the great mystery of the Incarnation of God’s Son: “God sent his Son, born
of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we may
receive adoption as sons.” Jesus was born of a woman named Mary. God became
man. Today, he is circumcised. He became subject to the law. Circumcision is
the sign of the covenant between Abraham and God. Abraham was circumcised when
he was 99 years old. Today, when the eternal God entered time, he was
circumcised when he was 8 days old. God, who is above the Law, became subject
to the Law. He went down to our humble level and he did this for a purpose. He
came to ransom us from the Ancient Law of sin which subjected all mankind. He
ransomed us at the price of his Blood shed upon the Cross. This is neither
absurd nor silly as the president claims it to be. Christ died because a price
has to be paid. That is what ransom is all about. It is about paying a price in
order to obtain the freedom of a captive. We were captives, hostages of sin.
Christ liberated us by shedding his blood on the Cross and dying for us.
By ransoming us from sin, Jesus
obtained our adoption as sons of God. “To those who did accept him, he gave
power to become children of God.” “As proof that you are sons, God sent the
Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out: ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no
longer a slave but a son.” We are no longer slaves but sons and daughters of
God. Divine Filiation is the great gift of Jesus to us. To make us his sons and
daughters is the ultimate reason why God created us. He wanted us to share in
his Divine life. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is that share, that access
that God gives us to himself. The Holy Spirit dwelling in us testifies to our
freedom. The Holy Spirit in us helps us approach God with the confidence of
sons and daughters. Because of the Holy Spirit in us, we are truly rich. He is
the inheritance promised to us because he brings us to communion with the
Trinity even here on earth. He is our foretaste of heaven, our pledge of
eternal life.
The Holy Spirit is the Blessing God
gives us every year, year in and year out. Every New Year we should never fail
to beg God to send us the Holy Spirit. This is why the Church, at midnight of a
new year, sings “Veni Creator Spiritus” (Come Holy Spirit). More than fortune
and success for the New Year, the ever abiding presence of the Holy Spirit is
most important for us. Sending Him to us is the ultimate reason why the Son of
God was born of a woman. So long as the Holy Spirit is with us, we have nothing
to fear. As long as the Holy Spirit dwells in us, all will be well. We will
always be at peace.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray
for us who have recourse to thee!
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