THE SOLEMNITY OF MARY, Mother of God
New Year’s Eve, Wednesday December 31, 2015
St. Christopher—4:00pm
Our Lady of the Angels—4:00pm
St. Raphael—5:30pm
New Year’s Day, Thursday January 1, 2016:
St. Christopher—8:00am
Our Lady of the Angels—9:00am
St. Raphael—10:00am
Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God
Pope Benedict explained in his Homily on January 1, 2011
Mary, in fact, is the true Mother of God precisely by virtue of her total relationship to Christ. Therefore, in glorifying the Son one honours the Mother and in honouring the Mother one glorifies the Son.The title of “Mother of God” which the Liturgy highlights today, stresses the unique mission of the Blessed Virgin in the history of salvation: a mission that is at the root of the worship and devotion which the Christian people reserve for her.Indeed, Mary did not receive God’s gift for herself alone, but in order to bring him into the world: in her fruitful virginity, God gave men and women the gifts of eternal salvation (cf. Collect).
And Mary continually offers her mediation to the People of God, on pilgrimage through history towards eternity, just as she once offered it to the shepherds of Bethlehem.She, who gave earthly life to the Son of God, continues to give human beings divine life, which is Jesus himself and his Holy Spirit.For this reason she is considered the Mother of every human being who is born to Grace and at the same time is invoked as Mother of the Church [Homily, January 1, 2011].