1 January 2025 – Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God | New Year’s Day

by Fr Raymond Raj

Abraham Lincoln, once he said this:
The best way to predict the future is by creating it. The best way to predict the future is by creating one.

Brothers and sisters, speaking of New Year’s celebration, New Year Day is indeed every man’s birthday. New Year’s Day is every man’s birthday because a fresh start, a new chapter in life waiting for each one of us to be written. So brothers and sisters in the Lord, today is the first blank page, blank, of 365-page book. And I pray each one of us today we shall write a good book this year.

Speaking of New Year, a little story.

John and his wife were busy preparing to celebrate the New Year Eve last night. Considering John’s wife is too busy with cooking, preparing the meals, she got a little bit tired and she slept off before the New Year countdown last night.

So today, this very morning, John’s wife woke up and told her husband, ‘I had a beautiful dream last night. And my dream was I received a diamond ring. I wonder what does this dream mean.‘ She is telling her husband. ‘I wonder what this dream means.‘

So that very evening, today’s evening, John gave his wife a nicely wrapped present. And John’s wife, excited, hoping her dream will come true. As she opened the present, her present, she saw a book with the title ‘Interpret your dreams.‘

Brothers and sisters, as we begin the first day of New Year, the Second Reading from Galatians is reminding each one of us today that through Jesus, each one of us through the very act of baptism, each one of us are adopted as God’s children. Therefore, Saint Paul tells the Galatians:
No one is a slave. Don’t consider yourselves slaves because you are adopted as God’s children.

So brothers and sisters in the Lord, as adopted children of God, we should not be dreaming. Very important word. As adopted children of God, you and I should not be dreaming. Instead we must walk with hope. More than hope, you and I, we are called to live our lives by faith. Walk with faith.

Brothers and sisters in the Lord, when you and I live our lives according to faith, God’s blessing is assured.

Speaking of God’s blessing, when God blesses us, it does not mean there will be no trails this year for us, there will be no suffering this year for us, there will be no illness for us this year. That is not the meaning of God’s blessing but rather the blessing of God is an assurance that God is with us. Period. God’s blessing simply means I AM WITH YOU be it good times or even bad times.

In today’s First Reading from the book of Numbers, God is granting His blessing to the people of Israel for their obedience and faithfulness. Likewise my dear friends, if you choose to remain under the umbrella of blessing, under the blessing of God, you and I, we are called to be obedient, to be faithful to this Living God.

So let us pray this New Year as it marks our faithfulness to the Living God, be it good times or even bad times.

In a very special way today also the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary as the Mother of God. Brothers and sisters in the Lord, the whole idea of Mary, Virgin Mary, presented as Mother of God is not fairly welcome by many scholars because our sense of logic will say the whole idea God has a mother is absurd.

How is it possible? God, the Supreme, the Ultimate, can have a mother? If God has a mother, then He is not supreme at all. He is not the beginning and the end if He has a mother. Some scholars will say like that.

So brothers and sisters, listen carefully. Tell your children. The whole idea of Mary becoming Mother of God is because of only ONE reason. And the reason is? Can I have answers? Why do we call Mary as the Mother of God? You all look stunned. Can I have an answer? I was told this church is an elite church. Can you please enlighten me why we say Mary is the Mother of God? I am sure your children ask these kind of questions to you. God help us.

The only reason why Mary became the Mother of God is simply because of Jesus Christ.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus is Divine, Jesus was human. And Mary is presented, understood as Mother of God because Jesus is God. Therefore, Mother Mary is not the mother of the Triune God. Mother Mary is not the mother of God the Father. Mother Mary is not the mother of the Holy Spirit.

But Mother Mary is the Mother of the 2nd Person in Trinity, Jesus Christ. If Jesus is God, then it is appropriate we call her, we address her Mother of God.

So brothers and sisters, as we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary as the Mother of God, let us ask her intercession to pray for each one of us today as we begin a new chapter for this year.

We pray for the grace to be obedient, to be faithful to the Living God, be it good times or even bad times. We pray for faithfulness.

Amen.

Click below to listen to homily and watch video:

Click to live-stream Mass on 1 January 2025