back to calendar   « » 

January 1, 2009
The Octave Day of Christmas Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

Read

Daily Readings

Pray

Prayer for the New Year

Reflect

Pope Benedict XVI , Mary, 40

 Theotokos (The Mother of God)
[In the Letter to the Galatians] St. Paul said: “God sent forth his Son, born of woman” (Gal 4:4). Origen commented: “Note well that he did not say, ‘born by means of a woman’ but ‘born of a woman’” (Comment on the Letter to the Galatians, PG 14, 1298). This acute observation of the great exegete and ecclesiastical writer is important: in fact, if the Son of God had been born only “by means of” a woman, he would not truly have taken on our humanity, something which instead he did by taking flesh “of” Mary. Mary’s motherhood, therefore, is true and fully human. The fundamental truth about Jesus as a divine Person who fully assumed our human nature is condensed in the phrase: “God sent forth his Son born of woman.” He is the Son of God, he is generated by God and at the same time he is the son of a woman, Mary. He comes from her. He is of God and of Mary. For this reason one can and must call the Mother of Jesus the Mother of God [in Greek, Theotokos].

Homily at First Vespers, Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
December 31, 2006

Act

January is Poverty Awareness Month.  During this special month of observance, we devote our efforts to heightening the nation's understanding of the breadth and depth of the problems of poverty in our society. 

To learn about ways you can do to to get the word out about poverty:  visit: 

www.usccb.org/cchd/povertyusa/povamer.shtml

http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/globalpoverty/