Most Blessed Mary, Mother of God (solemnity)
Proper Liturgy of the Hours
On this first day of the new year, enlightened by the word of God, let us, like Mary and with her, receive God's blessing: “May the Lord bless us and keep us. May the Lord let his face shine upon us and be gracious to us. May the Lord turn his face toward us and grant us peace.” Happy New Year!
Texts taken from the missal “Sulla Tua Parola,” January-February 2021 bimonthly edition.
FIRST READING
From the Book of Numbers (Nm 6:22-27)
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: ‘This is how you shall bless the Israelites. You shall say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you and grant you peace.’ So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.” – The word of God.
Reflection on the First Reading
The first reading that the liturgy offers us at the beginning of the year speaks to us of “blessing,” literally, “speaking well” of someone: “May the Lord bless you and keep you.” The Lord speaks with us and about us in a beautiful, positive, fruitful way. Or rather, he takes hold of all our difficulties, suffering, and illness, thereby making everything a fragment of divine life. 2020 was certainly a difficult, burdensome year; it probably turned the lives of many of us upside down. Today more than ever, however, we are called to authentic Christian hope: it is not made of illusion or the naivety of children who lack awareness; hope - accompanied by faith and charity - instead traces a path of light toward goodness and toward “finding God again.” The blessing we all receive together at the beginning of the year is very different from a banal and false: “Everything will be fine”; the year just past has shown that this is by no means guaranteed. There will be hardships, illnesses, and difficulties, but we will be able to live through everything with the Lord beside us; in him we will discover the deep joy that is hidden and dwells in every event.
SECOND READING
From the Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Galatians (Gal 4:4-7)
Brothers and sisters, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to ransom those under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And that you are sons is proven by the fact that God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then also an heir through God. – The word of God.
Reflection on the Second Reading
Most Blessed Mary, in the “fullness of time,” offers her complete availability to God, so that the Father may carry out his plan of love for every person. Today is the “fullness of time” for us as well: the time when we pass from being slaves to being sons and daughters. The first step toward becoming children was given to us in Baptism, the gift of new life in Christ. Subsequently, sacramental life - weekly participation in the Eucharist at least and frequent Confession - gives us the strength to persevere through the countless difficulties that arise each day. Saint Paul states in this letter that today is precisely the “fullness of time,” just as it was 2,000 years ago. From this perspective, January 1, 2021, is not an empty time that can be wasted or spent merely celebrating. Participating in Holy Mass opens us to dialogue with God, to give thanks for the past year and to begin praising him for the year ahead. Every moment of the day and year is suitable for singing praise: “We praise you, God; we thank you, Lord.”
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Luke (Lk 2:16-21)
At that time, [the shepherds] went in haste 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. Mary, for her part, 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 by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. – The Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection on the Gospel of the Day
Beginning with the shepherds, all those who hear the announcement of the circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth are filled with and overflow with wonder: they glorify and praise God “for all they had heard and seen.” The attitude of Most Blessed Mary is different: although she was much closer to and more involved in what had happened, she simply “keeps” and “reflects in her heart.” What did keeping and reflecting mean for Mary? And what do they mean for us today? Mary does not make a commotion; one never hears her shouting; she is not an overbearing presence, but at the same time absolutely humble and constructive. At the birth of her Son, she “kept” things; beneath the cross, she “stood”; not a word. For Mary, keeping also means welcoming every man and woman on earth under her mantle and living in communion with each one. For each of us, keeping and reflecting might mean setting aside a moment during the day to devote to gratitude and selfless service toward God and our brothers and sisters; coming to look at our existence not only with human eyes, but in God's reflection, according to his perspective, often very different from ours.
