Mother of God - Jan. 1st

 

 Today, we celebrate with great joy, the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God.

When St. Paul began preaching in the city of Ephesus, he stirred up the anger of citizens devoted to their Greek goddess, Artemis. He told them that gods made by human hands are not gods at all. Enraged, the people shouted for two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.” 

Four hundred years later, Bishop Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, began preaching Mary was only the mother of Jesus, a human person, not God. 

But  to refute this heresy, the Council of Ephesus, in 431AD, which took place in the same city of Ephesus, where St. Paul refuted the false Greek god, Artemis, now affirmed and proclaimed Mary as the Mother of God, who is not a goddess, but rather, Mother of God. The council said, “…we confess the holy virgin to be the Mother of God because God the Word took flesh and became man and from His very conception united to Himself the temple He took from her.”

Due to their infallible proclamation, the council refuted the heretic Nestorius and affirmed that Jesus is God, a divine Person, so Mary truly is the Mother of God. When the people heard the affirmation of the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God, the enthusiastic crowds surged through the streets as they did four hundred years earlier, but now in stead of shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians”, they people in the streets cried out, “Holy Mary, Mother of God!” 

Because of this proclamation, centuries later, the prayer, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.” would be added to the Rosary.

When the dogma was proclaimed, it helped to better define who Jesus is. That He has two natures, both human and divine, and yet Jesus is only one person and Mary is the Mother of Jesus and person of Jesus is God. This does not mean that Mary is divine nor does it mean She created Jesus in Her womb. No, rather, all it means is Jesus is God and Mary is His Mother.

Therefore, the dogma of Mary being the Mother of God, clarified who Jesus really is. Both God and man, and whose person-hood is God.

The night of His birth, the shepherds, who watched over their flocks, came upon Mary, His Mother, with Joseph, and the Infant lying in the manger. They gazed upon the face of God, as a little Child, as Jesus shed His face upon them, and was gracious to them. The Virgin Mary was the first person to see the face of God (the face of Jesus) and then St. Joseph. Outcast poor shepherds were chosen by God through the angel in the shepherd’s field, to be the next human beings to see the face of God in the little infant lying in the manger.

When Our Blessed Mother visited Her cousin, Elizabeth, Elizabeth cried out, “Who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” In the New Testament, whenever the word “Lord” is used, it always refers to God, so when Elizabeth said, “Mother of my Lord”, she was saying “Mother of my God.”

Later in Mary’s life, a woman in the crowd cried out, “Blessed is the womb, who bore you, and the woman, who nursed you!” Mary was blessed, because, as His Mother, She carried Him in Her womb, gave birth to Him, and held the baby Jesus in Her arms! She was blessed because She adored the face of God, kissed His chubby cheeks, touched His tiny nose, and grasped His little fingers, nursed Him, bathed Him, and changed His diapers. She cooked and sewed for Him and cared for His every need.

The Virgin Mary and all mothers give their blood during pregnancy. They give their milk after the child is born. They give up sleep for the first two years; they give immense amounts of her time, sweat, tears, anxiety and attention to Her child. They teach their children to read, to write, to learn the faith, as Jesus was taught the Jewish traditions and prayers.

At the Cross, when Jesus said, “Woman behold thy Son and Son behold thy Mother!”-- It is then all of us became Her children. At the foot of the Cross, John took Mary into His home. And since Our Lord providentially wanted His Mother at the foot of the Cross at His death, then He wants us to know Mary is our Mother too--- from our birth to our death. He wants us to be like John and to take Mary into our home and to make Her our Mother.

Have we taken Mary into our home and into our heart? Do we approach Her, as our Mother, and ask Her to obtain everything we need?

While scripture and tradition is important, we truly need to have a personal friendship with Mary, as our Mother. We should pray the rosary every day, but also speak personal words to Her. Do we talk to Her, ask Her intercession, and address Her—as—Mother?

For example, “O Mother Mary, when I am lonely or saddened, please console me. “Mother Mary, when I am in pain, help me to suffer for Jesus, as you suffered for Him! Or we can say to Mary, “Please O Mother turn your eyes of mercy upon me and hear my prayers. I am in great need. Do not abandon me your little child! And Most importantly--- my Mother Mary, help me to get to heaven, when I stray-- bring me back, when I fall--- pick me up, when I am lost-- please find me and when I need a Mother, let me know you are there!”

Today, each and everyone one us, no matter age, young or old, should call upon Mary, as our Mother. If She is the Mother of outcast shepherds, then surely, She is also the mother of all of us sinners, who are mothers, fathers, grandparents, children, teachers, farmers, nurses, ordinary workers, & nurses.

In short, She is the Mother of us all. “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”