OMELIE / Omelie EN

01 gen 2019

01/01/2019 Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God  - C

01/01/2019 Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God  - C

Reading 1 NM 6,22-27 * Psalm 66 * Reading 2 GAL 4,4-7 * Gospel LK 2,16-21

Mary is carrying in her womb and in her arms the Son of God. She lives for Him, she serves Him with a motherly love, she is His mother! In the short text from today’s gospel she is featured three times, a clear clue that we cannot forget her or let her pass by without noticing. The center is Jesus indeed, He is the Lord, He is the Savior of the world! But He has hidden Himself inside Mary, He has received nourishment from her, He has been carried by her arms, He has been growing up thanks to her love! Being the Mother of Jesus, she has prepared for Him an environment based on poverty, simplicity, faith, prayer, silence, attention to the Word. He is our God, a single thing with the Father and not only united to the Father: so much so that we do not hesitate to call Mary “the Mother of God”! The Christian people rejoiced when it heard this title coming from the voice of the conciliar fathers in Ephesus (431), who, while proclaiming Mary “the Mother of God”, confirmed the sure thing that the Son of God is indeed God Himself, that inside the man-Jesus is hidden and is shown the beauty of divinity, the richness of the divine love, the perfection of the Father’s mercy.

We too are happy to give Mary this title. We know that she is not the one who gained it, that she is still the humble handmaid, but that God is rewarding with His honor who serves Jesus with love.

Today we are looking at her while she carries in her arm the child that is given to His people through the marking in His flesh of the symbol of the covenant of Israel, the circumcision. We look at her, quiet and attentive: she “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart”. Everything she sees is topic of her mediation. She is comparing the simple events she can see happening around her, events that create astonishment, to God’s words, those of the Scriptures and those she heard from the Angel. We look at her in order to learn, because in a meditating silence our interior life grows, becomes mature and bears fruit of obedience to the Father. The attention of comparing what happens to God’s Word makes us firm and positive, because through this exercise we realize we are loved.

We also are children of God, Saint Paul reassures us. And therefore we can also consider ourselves children of Mary. We are children of God, because his Spirit dwells in us. We are children of God, because we are united to the Son, with whom we form a single body. Since Jesus from the cross said to His mother “This is your son”, we can call Mary «our mother», and we can rely in her motherly love. If her love has been so great to be able to love the Son of God, in her heart there is certainly enough space for me also, for you as well!

On the beginning new year we ask for the light coming from God’s face to shine, as Aaron’s benediction says in the first reading. Nay, we ask for this light to shine upon us all and each one of us, in order to be seen and to be able to see everything as the father does, to see the people and the things with the same love as the one He sees them with.

He gives us rest with His peace. The true peace is Jesus, who is able to let us see all men as loved by God, worth then of our love as well, of our attention and communion. True peace is communion, is taking part all together in the same love coming from the Father, taking part in Jesus’ offering, taking part in the Spirit’s grace and joy.

“The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!”