Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God (ABC)

January 1, 2019

Readings:

First Reading: Numbers 6: 22-27

Psalm: 67

Second Reading: Galatians 4: 4-7  

Gospel reading according to Luke 2: 16-21

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Homily:

Mary gave birth to the Son of God and became the Mother of God, as what the angel Gabriel told her. On the day when Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man (of Mary) was born, the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds while keeping the night watch over their flock in the field and made an announcement of the good news.  After learning of that great event that had happened, they went in haste to see the newly born infant.  “The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger” (Lk. 2: 16).  When they reached and found the cave where the Babe of Bethlehem was lying in the manger wrapped with swaddling clothes with his parents, they believed and worship the infant.

They told their stories on how they knew and learned the birth and the coming of the savior, Christ and Lord.  They retold what the angel told them about the birth of Jesus.  “When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child” (Lk. 2: 17).  They shared and reported what the angel told them about all these things, and said to them “Do not to be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord” (Lk. 2: 10-11).  They continued the story of the apparition of the angel about the sign of knowing this event of the birth of an infant, and the angel said as they retold the announcement, “And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Lk. 2: 12).  These were exactly what they have found and saw in that cave where Mary, Joseph, and the infant savior, Christ and Lord, were.  They told everything, every detail of what the angel told them to Mary and Joseph.

Although Mary and Joseph knew all about these, but still they were amazed about the stories of the shepherds on what they have heard from an angel.  “All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds” (Lk. 2: 18).  They could not imagine that the shepherds will bring them great joy and rejoicing, of the good news for the love of God and for the salvation of all peoples throughout the whole world.  These shepherds had to leave their flock of sheep and goats just to see the infant in the manger, in Bethlehem (which means the House of Bread), and retold the message of the angel.       

As a mother, despite of her young age and less experience or no experience at all, nobody told her what to do; she treasured all the things that are happening to her child, every minute detail was inscribed and written and stored in her heart.  “And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Lk. 2: 19).  She reflected everything.  Since the visit of the archangel Gabriel up to the coming of the shepherds in Bethlehem, all these things were kept in Mary’s heart.  If she knew how to write, she wrote them in her diary or notebook, but because of her sharp memory, she retained them all in her heart.  There is no best treasury box except the heart of a mother to keep the memories of her children.

Then the shepherds returned to their flock.  They too were amazed with the good news announced to them by an angel.  “Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them” (Lk. 2: 20).  They saw everything and they believed.  They were the first witnesses of the birth of the Savior, Christ and Lord. Then, they worshipped and praised God for his mercy and love towards his people, to us, and to all creatures.

As human, (and at the same time God), Jesus will undergo and submit to the human precepts and laws of his ancestors and countrymen.  He has to be circumcised as the tradition given to Abraham and his children forever as a sign and symbol of the covenant between God and men that God will be their God and theere is no other and the people will be His people forever; and the cleansing for Mary after giving birth.  After seven days of cleansing of Mary, Joseph together with the infant and his mother went to the Temple to subject the infant in circumcision.  “When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb” (Lk. 2: 21). This tradition of circumcision is also a time of giving name to a child.  Mary and Joseph gave the name to their child Jesus as announced and given by an angel, the archangel Gabriel, the messenger of God before he was conceived in her womb.  Everything happened according to  the will and plan of God.