PRAYER: “O GOD, WHO THROUGH THE FRUITFUL VIRGINITY OF BLESSED MARY BESTOWED ON THE HUMAN RACE THE GRACE OF ETERNAL SALVATION, GRANT, WE PRAY, THAT WE MAY EXPERIENCE THE INTERCESSION OF HER, THROUGH WHOM WE WERE FOUND WORTHY TO RECEIVE THE AUTHOR OF LIFE, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON. WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Num 6:22-27; Ps 66:2-3,5-6,8; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2:16-21.
“MAY GOD’S ABUNDANT BLESSINGS COME UPON US”.
A brief historical background of the Feast of the Motherhood of Mary: This feast is the oldest of all Marian celebrations. From the earliest times, Mary has been honoured under the title of the Mother of God. Love and veneration for her have wonderfully increased, especially since the Council of Ephesus (AD 431) which declared, as a dogma of faith, the truth that Mary is the Mother of God.
In the West, the Motherhood of Mary was traditionally celebrated on May 31. Later, with the reform of the Second Vatican Council, the New Roman Calendar of 1969 places it on January 1. By placing this celebration on the first day of the civil or physical year, Mother Church wants to entrust her children, that is, all believers to the love and protection of a mother. The title given to Mary as Mother of God has more to do with her Son who is truly God, and who remains to be God even when HE chose to become a human being for the sake of our salvation. Mary is the Mother of Jesus not as a man, but as He is God-man and “Emmanuel”-God-with-us.
A brief meaning of the name of the month, within which this feast is fixed and celebrated by Mother Church could also help us appreciate and understand the importance of this feast. This feast is usually and normally celebrated on the first day of the first month of the civil year, known as JANUARY. This name is derived from the name of a Roman god called “JANUS”. Janus, the god, had two faces, one facing forward while the other facing backwards. It is like the one that is facing backwards is trying to look at and evaluate the past or the ‘back’, and whatever activities that took place in the past.
Maybe good ones are appreciated and acknowledged, but the bad and evil ones are not and might even be thrown away so as not to be part of what is ahead. On the other hand, the face that looks forward is, so to speak, focusing on the future. It probably directs and guides the good along better and more prosperous paths and ways than those in the past.
We have to let go, leave behind and forget about all our bad and evil, as well as all destructive actions during the past year in order to focus on what is ahead of us. We should look for better ways to do good things in the world.
Every year we listen to these readings during this celebration. Again, Mother Church does this on purpose. All readings contain the message or the theme of God’s blessings either directly or indirectly (that is, through fellow human beings) upon us. “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons (and daughters)”. Directly, God showered his abundant blessings upon us. Through the Incarnation, we, though sinners have been raised to the status of God’s children and we have been saved and redeemed by his Son who became man. We are therefore no longer under the slavery of sin and Satan, but are now children and heirs of God the Father (Cf. Gal 4:4-7).
In several indirect ways and moments, God also continues to shower his abundant blessings upon us. In most cases, he does that through fellow human beings. God, through Moses and Aaron, showered his abundant blessings upon the people of Israel. In the portion of the scripture passage we are meditating on from the Book of Numbers, God is instructing Aaron and his sons through Moses how they should always bless the people. They should say: “The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD looks upon you kindly and gives you peace! So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them” (Cf. Num 6:22-27).
Also, when the angels brought the glad tidings about the birth of the Saviour to the shepherds, they went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. Immediately when they saw this, they went and made known the message that they received about the child from the angels. They also glorified, praised and thanked God for all they had heard and seen. Invariably, they were blessed and they also brought some of their blessings to others.
This feast has a lot to teach us. When we receive God’s blessings, we in turn, have that duty and responsibility to bring some of our blessings to our fellow brothers and sisters.
My dear friend, over the past year, some of us certainly have received some blessings from the Lord, who is the Giver of all good things. Each person could count his or her blessings one by one, or day by day. How have I handled these blessings? How have I behaved with the blessings that I received from God either directly or through fellow human beings? Have I been able to share a bit of my blessings with others who are probably less fortunate than I am? Have I been able to share the gifts and talents God gave to me with God, the Giver of that gift, and with fellow human beings? If I have been able to share my blessings with God and with others, or if I have cooperated with God to bless other people, then let me praise and thank God for that and pray for more of his blessings to use that to help other people in this New Year. Otherwise??????????????????????????????
It is, however, unfortunate that instead of sharing our blessings with others or instead of cooperating with God to bring his blessings to fellow human beings, we prevent God’s blessings upon them, or we try all we can to destroy that, sometimes through our actions, commissions, inactions, omissions and neglect. This sometimes leads some of us to destroy other people instead of blessing them or allowing God to bless them. This sometimes also discourages others from using their talents to bless us.
We could ask ourselves these questions to help us prepare ourselves very well to go through this year. Have I destroyed someone’s marriage? Have I destroyed a relationship? Have I destroyed human life, either directly or indirectly? Have I destroyed someone’s work or job? Have I neglected anyone who was in dire need of my help, assistance and support? Have I deformed any person’s character or image? Have I in politics, destroyed anyone through speech, actions and thoughts? Etc. Etc. If I am found wanting in any or some of these questions, may I humbly ask God to forgive me and fill me with his grace to do better this year. Remember, if you wish someone blessings this year, you will receive ‘doubles’ or ‘triples’ of blessings this year and vice versa.
Happy and prosperous New Year to you. May this year be a more blessed one than the old one and as you receive your blessings and count them day by day and one by one, may you be ready to share that with others as well as be ready to cooperate with God to use you like Mary, Joseph, Moses, Aaron and sons to bless others.
Story: There was a man called “KANDABANKALE” (HAD I KNOWN) who saw that his neighbour by name “SONG-MAALA” (THERE IS BLESSING IN GOODNESS) was receiving more blessings than he was receiving. Jealousy set in and KANDABANKALE was always in church praying that even if God could not stop blessing this SONG-MAALA, then God should give double of whatever that SONG-MAALA had to him. Kandabankale pestered God until such a time that God was fed up with Kandabankale’s wicked prayer.
God, at this point, decided to grant him his prayer intention by giving Kandabankale “doubles” of what Song-maala had. Unfortunately, sorry to say, Song-maala was a lame and one-eyed man. So, you can imagine what God granted Kandabankale. Obviously, both legs were lame and both eyes were blinded. Remember, whatever you wish others or do to others, you will receive doubles, tens, hundreds and millions-fold of it.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, THURSDAY, ON THE MYSTERIES OF LIGHT: ‘THE BAPTISM OF JESUS, THE WEDDING AT CANA, THE PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM, THE TRANSFIGURATION, AND THE INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST’. (WE PRAY FOR OPENNESS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT, PRAY TO JESUS THROUGH MARY, FOR REPENTANCE AND TRUST IN GOD, THE DESIRE FOR HOLINESS, AND WE PRAY FOR THE SPIRIT OF ADORATION) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
PRAYER: “WE HAVE RECEIVED THIS HEAVENLY SACRAMENT WITH JOY, O LORD: GRANT, WE PRAY, THAT IT MAY LEAD US TO ETERNAL LIFE, FOR WE REJOICE TO PROCLAIM THE BLESSED EVER-LIVING MARY MOTHER OF YOUR SON AND MOTHER OF THE CHURCH. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!