Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God
Sermon by Emmanuel Suntheni OSB – Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God – Year C
Sermon and Christian Act In The Word
Theme: Blessings on Earth and in our hearts!
Point of Reflection: The start of a new year is an occasion for the celebration of hopes and expectations regarding the future. For Catholic Christians, New Year’s Day is also the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, and the World Day of Peace. However, these celebrations are only possible because God has poured his blessings upon the world, which is the dominant theme of today’s liturgy. We need blessings and graces! You cannot receive any blessing if you don’t open your heart and change your life for the better. We need to open our hearts to receive God’s graces and blessings, then, we need to change our lives to be better people by having very good resolutions for life and following them in the year 2025.
First Reading: Numbers 6:22–27
Psalm: Psalm 67:2–8
Second Reading: Galatians 4:4–7
Gospel: Luke 2:16–21
Sermon (Reflection): What we need in the year 2025 are graces and blessings: in the first reading of today, we encounter blessings, and a blessing was an essential feature of Israel’s life. The Israelites understood blessing as something very real and concrete, something that could be seen, felt, and experienced in their daily life. Thus, blessing meant having numerous children, abundant harvests and fertile flocks, good health, safety, and protection from enemies. Above all, blessing meant a long life. To bless someone implied imparting all these benefits. Obviously, only God was able to ensure that his people would enjoy all such privileges. Therefore, for an Israelite, having God’s blessings was imperative for a dignified, happy, and successful life. Aaron’s blessing in the first reading reflects this understanding.
Aaron and his sons were the first priests in Israel. In addition to offering sacrifices, they were entrusted with invoking God’s blessing upon the people. Since the blessing formula from today’s first reading was presented by God himself, it reflects God’s own vision of his people’s life. This blessing has a parallel structure consisting of three lines, with each line containing two phrases. The first phrase in each line evokes divine action, while the second describes its effect.
The first line, “the Lord bless you and keep you” calls for God’s blessing shown in extending his protection over the people.
Here, God’s blessing finds its concrete expression in securing peoples’ lives in all circumstances. Security, in the sense of protection from death and destruction, is a very fundamental condition for all life. Hence, a plea for the preservation of life is fundamental and stands at the very beginning of this blessing formula.
The second line, “the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you” is a plea for God’s grace.
The expression, “making his face shine upon someone”, appears numerous times in the Old Testament, always referring to God’s goodwill and benevolence expressed through grace. The term “grace” refers to acts of kindness performed by someone superior for the benefit of someone lower in status. It implies that the recipient neither merits nor can reciprocate the gifts of the superior. Thus, the benevolent action of the superior flows purely from his or her goodwill. God the supreme being, is implored here to show such unmerited goodwill to his people.
The third line, “the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace”, requests God’s gift of peace.
The expression, “to lift up the countenance [face]”, refers simply to a smile. In the biblical language, smiling upon someone means taking pleasure in and having affection for another. Thus, this part of the blessing requests God’s tender care for his people. Like an affectionate father, God gives his people rest and peace, thus ensuring a life of general tranquillity and contentment.
Aaron’s blessing contains a broad threefold depiction of the state of general blessedness. It recognises that people’s good life depends entirely on God. Consequently, this blessing formula is really a plea for God’s closeness, benevolence, and affection, without which a secure and prosperous life is impossible.
The words of Paul in the second reading form arguably the most powerful passage in the letter to the Galatians. Paul makes a sweeping statement which, in one breath, summarizes the whole of salvation history, by briefly describing the work and role of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. However, this incredibly rich and profound statement could itself be further summarized as a description of God’s blessing poured upon humankind. God’s work is described by the twice-repeated word “sent”.
First, God sent his Son into the world as a human being, born of a woman, and born a Jew. His mission was to redeem the people, which he accomplished by his passion and resurrection. Second, after Jesus’ ascension, God sent the Holy Spirit into the world. The Spirit enters the hearts and souls of the faithful with the cry “Abba! Father”. This means that the Holy Spirit enables believers to call God their Father and to relate to him in a very intimate way. In Hebrew, “Abba” was a term used by young children when addressing their fathers. Thus, the Holy Spirit unites believers with their Heavenly Father as children are united with their parents. Paul describes this union as “adoption”. Jesus’ mission of redemption, followed by the Holy Spirit’s descent into the believers’ hearts, enables human beings to become God’s children. This process of adoption is nothing else but the fullest expression of God’s blessing upon humankind, because, as God’s adopted children, believers are in possession of the fullest and indestructible life – life eternal.
In the Gospel passage, the shepherds respond to the angelic proclamation and rush to meet the infant Jesus in Bethlehem. There, with their own eyes, they see that what the angels told them about the coming of the Saviour, Messiah, and Lord was true. Rejoicing and praising God, they return to their flocks. Here, Luke confirms that this newborn child is the fulfillment of the longings and expectations of the people of Israel.
Next, the infant Jesus is circumcised according to the Mosaic Law and given the name “Jesus”. In the Bible, a person’s name is never merely a designation. Rather, the name expresses identity. The name is bound with the person’s identity to such a degree that to call out someone’s name means to come into that person’s presence. The word “Jesus” means “God saves”. Thus, the newborn child represents God saving his people. Angels told the shepherds that the Saviour has arrived, and Jesus’ given name confirms that proclamation.
Like blessings, salvation is real and concrete. For the Israelites, the blessing was about happy life in this world. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus opens the way to a life that far surpasses all expectations and desires regarding life in this world, a life intrinsically linked with salvation. For believers, salvation means eternal life as already enjoyed by the faithful in this world, based on their faith in the Risen Lord. With Jesus, the effects of blessing move far beyond this life and into eternity.
Bringing salvation to the people, Jesus brought them the fullest and greatest blessing – a peaceful and unending existence in God’s presence.
Christian Act in Word of God “Blessings”
Blessings can come in many forms. We see the importance that God’s blessing held for the people of Israel in the first reading, with detailed instructions for Aaron on how to bless the people of God. The Israelites knew that without God’s blessing their life’s journey would not be a happy one. They believed that blessings are measured by how successful a person is in terms of wealth, health, a large family, and security. Blessings led to an increase in all that was considered good and beautiful. The Old Testament portrays God’s blessing as what can be seen and felt. Therefore, life depended directly on God’s blessing, while its absence leads to a slow death.
The New Testament broadens our understanding of blessing. In the second reading, we read that God’s greatest blessing is the grace of becoming God’s children through Christ. This blessing is attested by the presence of the Spirit, who helps us to cry out to God in words, “Abba Father”. This gift of becoming God’s children must not be taken for granted. With Christ’s salvific death and resurrection, God shows us a different logic of blessing. Thanks to Christ, what would normally be considered manifestations of a curse, such as a sickness, weakness, misfortune, and even death, lose their destructive potential. These negative aspects of life do not mean that we have been rejected or cursed by God. We experience them because we are a part of a fallen world, we live among weak people and inhabit frail bodies. But, thanks to Christ, even these experiences can become life-giving when endured with faith. Being a part of God’s family means that even negative experiences will not ultimately destroy us. When we see ourselves as God’s children, we know that God, as a good parent, stands by our side even in pain and misfortune.
We are used to counting our blessings according to our own reasoning. However, our faith teaches and challenges us to search for God’s blessings in every situation, God uses every opportunity to bless us. Sometimes our blessings come through God’s discipline in our life, and through challenges. But even those are meant to make us more obedient and responsible and to protect us from dangers, especially when we lack the wisdom to foresee them.
During this festive season, we must especially rejoice in the blessing that comes with ordinary moments of joy and togetherness that we share with others. Christmas festivities help us to step back and see the blessing in what we normally take for granted – the presence of a loved one or a friend. These are the blessings that come from belonging to God’s family, and to the human family. Their value far surpasses all other forms of blessings that we might seek and cherish.
Action: What do I count as the greatest blessings in my life? I will conclude every day of this week reflecting on the blessings I have received from God and spend some time in the prayer of thanksgiving for all I have received.
Prayer: Jesus Christ my Savior, thank you for your many blessings in my life, and in the lives of all who journey through this life with me. Teach me to be more appreciative of your gifts, even in the midst of this life’s challenges and pain. Continue to bless me and all my dear ones, and grant us hearts full of faith to seek you and your blessings in every life situation, may the year 2025 be a blessing to me, my family and all my friends and all people of goodwill, Amen.
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