Maternity of Holy Mary
Jan. 1, 2008
In the Church’s calendar for the newer missal, today is the solemnity of the Maternity of Holy Mary, a celebration observed elsewhere in the Tridentine calendar. I have given ample demonstration of the superiority of the older rite over the newer in many ways. In this case, however, I find that the maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a fitting observance for the first day of the new year. In fact—just to be fair—the old missal did recognize the motherhood of God on this day as well, even though the feast of the Circumcision of the Lord was the predominant theme of the day. To my mind, there is no better timing for the honoring of the Blessed Mother than at the turning point of the year. The reason is that like the bridge traversing the old and new year, Holy Mary’s maternity bridges the Old Testament and the New: fulfilling all that came before Her and inaugurating the Gospel’s new era of grace.
Mary is for me a sign of the invincibility of grace. By this I mean that for all the reasons that evil has assumed such power over the world, over men’s minds and the control of their actions, it is not and will never be the final word. Saint Paul opens our epistle passage today with this message: “The grace of God our Savior has appeared to all men, instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly and godly in this world, looking for the blessed hope and coming of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” This very emphatic message of hope is inspiring to us as we begin a new year. Whatever evils we have had to confront in the past and whatever those that yet lie in wait for us, we have confidence that the fidelity of God’s grace will not be unavailing.
There were times past of a greater evil and a more terrible darkness than this time. This was the time before the Incarnation and before the dawn of God’s light upon the world in the person of the Immaculate Conception. In our day, though the forces of evil are indeed mighty, and though so many seem to be hell-bent in compounding evil upon evil by their own perverse wills, yet the constancy of God-with-us is our absolute surety about the fidelity of God and His promises for those who refuse to be defeated by the ‘opposition party.’ While I would not venture to identify this frame of mind as optimistic or as vacuous positive thinking, I would unhesitatingly declare that it is a realistic and thus right manner of thinking and of being since it is founded on the supernatural virtue of hope. Thus can I face the new year, and the new day everyday, because I rely on the divine assistance which will never fail me, despite my unworthiness of this abundant indulgence from above.
Here I recognize the providential role of the Virgin Mary in our relationship to God. Those who know Her find in Her the strength of Her wisdom, the comfort of Her consolations, and the intercessory pull of Her prayers. There are advantages untold that She brings from God to those devoted to Her. I can speak from my own experience, and I presume that many of you can as well, that without Her assistance, I’d be in a far more miserable spiritual state of soul than I am in. Holy Mary is a kind of window into the mind and heart of God, without which we would be immensely poorer in our understanding and in our love of God. But She is also a mighty Intercessor who helps shape our lives to accord with God’s designs for us. And for this reason, we should have enduring gratitude and, if not presumption, at least a good measure of confidence that we can succeed in our spiritual quest.
As I look back on the year behind me I can see the advantages Holy Mary has afforded me. This braces me to face the new year with Christian hope. Mary is, of course, the Mother of holy hope: “our life, our sweetness and our hope.” While She is a demanding Mother in expecting us to conform ourselves to the will of God—and in this She is not sparing—She is at the same time a great incentive, encouragement and helper to make us please God in what we do.
May the holy Mother of God not fail us who have recourse to Her in this new year in which we pledge ourselves to a greater fidelity to our Christian vocation to holiness of life.