The first of January is the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin
Mary as the Mother of God. Our Lady has many titles but
the greatest is “Mother of God.” These three words denote
a number of realities, all of which should be celebrated at
this Feast.
First of all there is the Motherhood of Mary. Motherhood
by its very nature is self-giving. A mother gives her all for
her child, having carried the child for nine months under her
heart; she gives birth to the child under great physical pain,
and then nourishes the child from her own body. Her focus
is not on herself but solely on her child, and should the
child be threatened the mother becomes a virtual lioness in
his defense. The mother is truly selfless. For this reason
the feminist movement largely overlooks the Blessed
Mother, preferring Mary Magdalene and her perceived
status as a fallen woman – the concept of total giving of
self, and especially in Motherhood, is totally alien to a
movement that promotes self-empowerment.
This brings us to the second reality, namely that Mary’s
identity as Mother is tied up in the identity of her Son. This,
too, is anathema to feminists, but is common among
dedicated mothers who will introduce themselves as their
child’s “Mom”. In the case of Mary, however, there is a
singular defining difference between her Child and the
children of all other Mothers. Mary’s Child, although fully
Human is also fully Divine. The second article of the
Nicene Creed which we profess every Sunday hammers
away at stressing the divinity of Mary’s Child.
God from God, Light from Light,
True God from True God,
Begotten not made,
One in being with the Father.
Through Him all things were made …
By the power of the Holy Spirit
He was born of the Virgin Mary …
The Creator became part of His creation. In the early
centuries of the Church there was much controversy over
whether or not Mary could be called “Mother of God.”
Some theologians wished to say that she was “Mother of
Christ,”, but not “Mother of God,” as they feared the latter
would imply that Mary herself was divine. The matter was
settled at the Council of Ephesus in 431 when it officially
affirmed the Twelve Anathematisms of St. Cyril against
Nestorius which declared Mary to be the Theotokos. The
word Theotokos is commonly translated as Mother of God.
A more precise translation would be “God-bearer,”
meaning that she bore God as her Child, motherhood thus
being implicit. To use the words of St. John in Mary’s
Child, “the Word became flesh.” The Child of Mary is God
even though Mary herself is human.
This brings us to a third reality of this feast, namely that
Mary is the conduit through which God joins His creation.
Mary’s Child is Emmanuel – God with us. As stated
previously Mary’s Child is true God and true Man and as
the Word of God took flesh in Mary’s womb, the Creator
joined His creation. Mary’s Child – Jesus – took His entire
humanity from His Mother. Through her He becomes one
of us and experiences His work from the inside as it were.
And just as Jesus comes to us through Mary so we may go