Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 1, 2021
The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.
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.
In Solomon’s temple, the most sacred area was the holy of holies, an innermost section housing the ark of the covenant. The ark contained three items: manna, supernaturally preserved since the time of Moses, the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, and Aaron’s rod: a staff made from a dead tree branch which miraculously produced buds, blossoms and ripe almonds. The 3 items within the ark represent and foreshadow Jesus, the living bread from heaven (manna), the perfect fulfillment of the law (Ten Commandments), and the resurrection (a dead branch that returns to life).
As we celebrate Mary, the Mother of God, we appreciate that she is the ark of the new covenant. While the original ark carried symbols of the messiah, Mary carried the actual messiah. With Jesus in her womb, Mary was intimately connected to the savior and brought him everywhere. The Eucharist gives us this same opportunity to be intimately connected to Jesus and bring him wherever we go. Partaking of Jesus’ Body and Blood fully profits us when we allow him to become part of us. We must follow Mary’s example.
Mary also became Our Lord’s first disciple when she accepted her calling and said, “may it be done to me according to your word.” Once she agreed, Mary never abandoned or deviated from her purpose. During the most difficult times of her life–from the side of his manger to the foot of his cross–she remained completely and wholeheartedly dedicated to her son. Mary’s uncompromising faithfulness is one reason that all generations call her blessed.
Each day, let us honor our Blessed Mother by adhering to her standard of uncompromising faithfulness and complete dedication to Jesus, especially during the most difficult times. May we intimately connect to her son and carry him with us always.
Prayer
Gracious God, you have given us the mother of your Son to be our mother and protector. With the support of her prayers may we grow in holiness and experience the rewards of everlasting life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Today’s feast, which honors Mary as the Mother of God—the one who bears Christ to the world—has been on the Church calendar since the seventh century. Given the role Mary plays in the narratives of the birth of Christ, it is appropriate that the Church honors her in the days after Christmas, and this feast falls within the octave that extends the feast of Christmas through eight days. As it says in the Catechism:
"Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. For the first time in the plan of salvation and because his Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the dwelling place where his Son and his Spirit could dwell among men. In this sense, the Church's Tradition has often read the most beautiful texts on wisdom in relation to Mary. Mary is acclaimed and represented in the liturgy as the 'Seat of Wisdom.'"
— CCC 721
The chapel in Malloy Hall, which houses theology and philosophy programs and faculty, is named after Mary, Seat of Wisdom. A bas-relief of Mary with Jesus, pictured above, is placed on the exterior wall of that chapel. Today's featured image of the statue of Mary and Jesus stands in the Log Chapel.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us in this new year!
To learn even more about Mary, watch this video lecture from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame.