Merry Christmas to all of you.
Today we bring about the conclusion of our celebration of the Octave of Christmas with our celebration of this Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God.
Calling Mary the Mother of God is a proclamation to who Jesus Christ really is. It is a proclamation that Christ is the second person of the Holy Trinity and thus Mary is the very vessel which brings forth the Christ child.
This title has been rejected by many Protestants, but to reject this title would reject the fact that Christ is fully human as well as fully divine. This is not a statement to say that Mary brought God into existence, but rather it is a statement that her Son is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity and thus is God made Flesh.
Thus today we have the opportunity to turn our attention towards our Blessed Mother in order to glance upon her Son through the use of her eyes. So often we get caught up in the ways of the world and thus fail to see Christ as we ought. Nevertheless, Mary never fell into the stain of sin and thus she assists us in our ability to see her Son more clearly.
We must fashion for ourself and within our home devotion to the Blessed Mother. If we allow ourself to push devotion to her to the side we in return will be pushing Christ to the side. We need the loving, tender assistance of our Blessed Mother in order that our home may truly become a dwelling place of God's love.
Saint John's Gospel instructs: "And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." The dwelling place of this love was within the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. God fashioned her before time to be this perfect dwelling place where God's love would come and dwell. Her family had assisted her in her upbringing in order that she may be found receptive of God's great gift. For this reason she was fully aware and prepared for this gift which she would undertake.
Devotion to Mary leads us to love of Christ. It leads us towards stripping away our sinfulness and allowing our heart and soul to become a dwelling place of God's love. How sad is it to fathom that so many have stripped away their devotion to our Blessed Mother. That the home and family is not a place to foster such devotion. That so many fail to pray the Most Holy Rosary and thus fail to build up a crown of roses to be placed upon her blessed head.
Pray the rosary, make a consecration to our Blessed Mother, wear her Brown Scapular, and thus begin to foster within yourself her humility and love for her Son. In the season of Christmas we celebrate that God's great love was so great that He came to dwell among us. May we truly desire for Him to dwell among us by the way in which we come to order our life. May the Blessed Mother intercede on our behalf that we may grow in our love and devotion for our Blessed Lord and thus we may better be able to serve Him by our life.
