Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 1, 2026
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.
The image of Mary holding her newborn son in the manger scene has always been impressive to me, ever since I was a little girl. I would sit and look at my mother’s antique nativity pieces, gently moving them around, taking in the fact that this young, brave woman experienced childbirth in such an unlikely place, surrounded by unlikely creatures. And yet, to me, she always looked so peaceful.
Now that I am a mother myself, my awe for her has only increased. And I wonder, as shepherds and kings came to pay homage to her son, whether she found peace, knowing exactly who Jesus was. She knew in her heart, better than anyone in the world, the joy of God’s creation looking into the face of her child.
The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, is often celebrated as a day of peace. This has always made perfect sense to me, as my own mother always encouraged us to be peacemakers in this world. She often had that same look as Mary—of brave peacefulness—of total reliance on God. None more so than when she was looking at us, my brother and I, with the same tenderness that this selfless girl in Bethlehem looked down into the face of Jesus. It’s the second new year for my family without my Mom, and as our grief is still fresh, it is tempting to turn away from the beauty of the season.
May we have Mary’s courage to look into this new year with eyes of wonder for creation, and gratitude to God’s immeasurable power to bring peace in the unlikeliest of places.
Prayer
Good and loving God, you give us the gift of Mary as a model of faith, hope, and love. In her motherly protection, we offer to you the needs and prayers of our hearts. Help us to grow in our faith when we doubt, our hope when we despair, and our love when we face difficulty. May we be humble of heart and witness to joy in our world. 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.