Feast of Mary
Today we celebrate more than the start of a new year. We also celebrate the feast of Mary, Mother of God, for without her, we could not have celebrated Christmas. Sometimes, we lose sight of that reality. We see the nativity as Jesus lying on the hay. With such an image, it is hard to think of the infant as fully God and yet he is. The title, “Mother of God” says more about Jesus than it does about Mary.
Misunderstanding this title has caused tragic divisions among Christians. First of all, the title, Mother of God, doesn’t suggest that Mary existed before God did or that she is equal to God. Because of her role in salvation history, some call her co-redeemer but like us, Mary is fully human. She had two parents just as we do. Secondly, we do not worship Mary. We worship God alone. We honor Mary, who was first honored by God.
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