Ornaments of Grace - Mary, Mother of God

They went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger; once they saw, they understood what had been told them concerning this child. All who heard of it were astonished at the report given them by the shepherds. Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen…Luke 2:16-20 Today, on the Octave of Christmas, we celebrate Mary, the bearer of God, the Mother of Jesus, and our Blessed Mother. Honoring Mary today, we recall how she shared in the mystery of salvation by welcoming Jesus, by saying “yes” to whatever God asked of her. The feast closes out the Octave of Christmas and helps us to renew our love for Mary and to adore with her the Son of God who came to be with us as a tiny, helpless baby. Having this feast on New Year’s Day certainly seems right because it is a day when we call upon the Prince of Peace through Mary, Queen of Peace, to bring peace to our world. We hear the songs of angels and join in happy singing as well because we know our sins are forgiven and new life is ours. We join with the shepherds in glorifying and praising God for all that he has done for us. We thank Jesus for sharing his mother with us, and we ask that we, too, might say “yes” to all that God asks of us. All good parents want their children to grow into truly happy adults. Mary, our mother, wants that for us as well. She and Joseph raised Jesus so that he grew in grace and holiness, qualities that he saw in his parents and imitated. We, too, can look at our mother Mary’s holy qualities and, in this new year, try to imitate them and make them our own. We know she was a woman who trusted in God, obeyed him, and offered herself in humble service to him. We can grow, too, in trust, obedience, and service to the Lord with Mary’s help and guidance. Today’s Gospel tells us that Mary “treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart.” Our days may be full of ordinary events, but they may have extraordinary meaning for our lives. One New Year’s Resolution might be to decide to take some time each day to do what Mary did; that is, to treasure all that has happened within a day and reflect on it in our hearts. If the day brings sorrow, then we can place it in the hands of a loving mother who can ease our pain; if a day brings joys, we can rejoice in her presence. Whatever happens, be it good, bad, or ordinary, let us treasure each day as a gift from God as Mary did. Mary did not leave a lot of words for us to remember. We know what she said to the angel and we know how she greeted Elizabeth, but she’s not a big talker. So, when she does speak, it would be wise to listen. New Year’s Day is a good time to remember the words of our Mother Mary at the wedding feast of Cana: “Do whatever he tells you.” Mary, Mother of God, is our final Ornament of Grace. What might the Lord be telling you to do in this New Year? Do you have special prayers with which you honor Mary and that you find comforting? What are some of them?