In his classic, “The Everlasting Man,” C.K. Chesterton observed, “you cannot suspend the idea of a newborn child in the void or think of him without thinking of his mother. You cannot visit the child without visiting the mother, you cannot in common human life approach the child except through the mother.”
Motherhood binds a baby with its mother in a unique and indissoluble bond. This is true also of Our Lord and His Mother Mary. So, it is only natural that as we gaze into the manger scene, our vision is enlarged to include Mary. Christmas is not complete without her. The Eternal Father chose Mary to be ever present in the life of our Savior. It was also his choice that Mary be present in the life of the Church and in the life of every Christian.
Our Lord confirmed this from the cross, at the decisive moment of the redemption: “Behold your mother. Behold your son.” Mary is ours and we are hers. How appropriate that we begin the new year accompanied by the Mother of the Lord. May she intercede for us, may she protect us under her mantle of love. On this World Day of Prayer for Peace may she watch over those nations and peoples who live under the dark cloud of war and suffer from famine and natural disasters. Let’s make this prayer our own:
Loving God we thank you for the past year with its positive moments and its more difficult ones. We thank you for the love of family and friends and for the successes realized at work and at home. We thank you also for the hard moments the moments of challenge and uncertainty. As we look forward to this new year we ask for Your grace and blessing. Grant us health and strength; faith and hope. Send us Your Spirit. Grant us peace with the choices we make Grant us joy as we look ahead and discern the future. Most of all, grant us the grace that will guide us through whatever challenges we come across. Help us to walk beside each other with patience and forgiveness putting our hands in the hands of Your Son Jesus. May he guide and strengthen us. May Blessed Mary accompany us to see beyond the small ‘now’ to the bigger picture and the wider dream imagined for us by You, our Father. who live and love forever and ever. AMEN
