HOMILY OF MARY MOTHER OF GOD — YEAR A

HOMILY OF MARY MOTHER OF GOD — YEAR A

HOMILY THEME: CELEBRATING MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

BY: Fr. Evaristus E. Abu

Numbers 6:22-27, Ps. 67:2-3,5,6,8, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:16-21

“But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

Today is the octave of Christmas. That is, exactly eight days ago, we celebrated the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are celebrating so many things simultaneously today. First is the naming ceremony of Jesus Christ, which occurred exactly eight days after he was born, as our Gospel passage this morning tells us (Luke 2:21).

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Secondly, we are celebrating Mary as the mother of God. In Jewish culture, the eighth day after the birth of a child is also the day to celebrate (acknowledge, thank, and rejoice with) the child’s mother. The undeniable truth that Mary is not just an envelope that God used and dumped is what St. Paul asserts in today’s second reading.

Thirdly, we are celebrating a new calendar year. This celebration is more intense because of the euphoria of a fresh start. As the saying goes, the morning shows the day. Coincidentally, our first reading today contains blessings for the New Year.

Fourthly, we are celebrating World Day of Peace. Today is a day for us to reflect on our commitment to ending wars around us, whether on the micro or macro level. It is a day to examine how well we have been living as our brothers’ keepers. Let us now consider some lessons in today’s readings.

1. Why The Name Jesus?
What is in a name? Why is it important to give names? Upon creating man, one of the first assignments God gave to man was to give names to everything He had created. Genesis 2:19-20 reads: “So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man named all cattle, the birds of the air, and every animal of the field…”

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