Born to Save

Homily for the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God

Today is the eighth day of Christmas. On this New Year’s Day, we focus our attention on the role of Mary as the Mother of God. She gave birth to the Son of God, a divine person with divine and human natures. As a faithful Jewish maiden, she and her spouse raised their son according to the Jewish traditions and Law. That faithfulness is exhibited in today’s Gospel text, for on the eighth day after his birth, Jesus was circumcised as a member of God’s covenant with the chosen people.

St. Paul reminds us that Jesus was born under the law in order to free those under the law. He emphasizes this because he is concerned about what is happening in Galatia: some people are teaching new Christians that they are still subject to the Jewish law regarding circumcision. He is reiterating to the community that such rituals and prescriptions are no longer necessary.

While Jesus was initially subject to the law, he himself is the fulfillment of the law, making prescriptions such as circumcision no longer necessary for us. Through him we have received his own Spirit, making us children of God. Through, with, and in Christ, we can call God our Father. We are no longer bound to the law for our salvation. Rather we are heirs of God’s promises through our faith in Jesus.

Mary is both the Mother of God and our mother on this feast, we are invited to follow her example by pondering the works the Almighty has done for us, both in the story of salvation history and in our own stories. As we ponder these events in our minds and hearts, may they increase our humility and our obedience to God.