How would you like your new year?

 

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR NEW YEAR?

Mario D’Couto

            Finally, the new year has come and at the very outset, a happy and blessed year ahead to you. While the new year brings with it new opportunities and challenges, the 1^st of January is also the solemnity of Our Lady, Mother of God and while I know I may be one day late, nonetheless I thought this would be a good opportunity to share some thoughts on Our Lady as the Mother of God and how Her example can help us prepare for the year ahead.

            Protestants and non-Catholics sometimes can accuse Catholics (which I have personally experienced in my life) saying that all the Marian dogmas and the teachings on Our Lady add up to Mary worship which is clear idolatry, pure and simple some of whom have even compared Her with the Babylonian goddess Ishtar whose worship is described by prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:18; 44:55-17). The fact of the matter is that the Church gives Her honour and veneration as the greatest of saints while reserving adoration and worship for God alone. Indeed, looking back at Church history, the early Christians who were most vigorous in their Marian devotion were equally vigorous in denouncing any local remnants of goddess worship and we can be sure of it because the faith we preach and practice today has been handed down from them and there is no change whatsoever.

            To understand the role of Our Lady as the Mother of God, we need to go back to the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady. Now I have written about this at length in some of my previous blogposts/reflections [do feel free to check them out, https://insightsfromacommonman.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-immaculate-conception.html and https://insightsfromacommonman.blogspot.com/2022/12/towards-understand-of-immaculate.html ], however, to recall some of the more salient points, it is through the Immaculate Conception that God preserved Our Lady free from all stain of Original Sin (the sin committed by our first parents, Adam and Eve, leading to the fall of humankind). From the first moment of Her conception in the womb of Her mother, She lived in a state of sanctifying grace won for Her by the merits of Her Son, Jesus.

            The Immaculate Conception then is a fruit of redemption applied to Our Lady by way of anticipation for the redemption was always in view for the eternal God Who is not bound by time as we are. Her redemption was an act of preservation while for all others, it is an act of deliverance. For example, some people turn away from sinful habits such as shoplifting, drug abuse or adultery and so on after they receive the grace of conversion (an act of deliverance) while there are others who reject sin habitually from an early age because God has given them the grace of a good upbringing in a Christian family (an act of preservation). Either way, whether it is through preservation or deliverance, redemption is ultimately the work of God; only He can save us. Hence in His providential plan, He found it fitting that Mary should be preserved from sin completely, all the days of Her life.

            Now if Our Lady (Mary) was sinless, did She really need Jesus to redeem Her? Yes, absolutely! Her singular preservation could not have taken place without the redemption won for all by Jesus. Jesus is God and so He is both our Creator and our Redeemer. In the very act of creating Mary, He redeemed Her from any limitations of human nature or susceptibility to sin. Hence in as much as She too is a creature, given that She was chosen to be the Mother of Our Blessed Lord, we can say for certain that She was given the necessary graces to bring forth Our Lord into this world and He perfectly fulfilled the commandment to honour Her in a way that is singularly beautiful like no other.

            There are 4 Marian dogmas and Mary, the Mother of God is one of them. But what is a dogma? According to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (the then Pope Benedict XVI), he explained that a dogma is by definition nothing other than an interpretation of Scripture. The cardinal’s insight was confirmed by the Church’s International Theological Commission in its 1989 document, “On the Interpretation of Dogmas”, where it states, “In the dogma of the Church, one is thus concerned with the correct interpretation of the Scriptures.” Thus a dogma is in essence the Church’s infallible exegesis of scripture; it’s not like someone can wake up one morning and just interpret Scriptures according to one’s own whim.

            There are certain facts of Mary’s life that the Bible teaches explicitly. Her virginal conception of Jesus, for example, is put forth clearly and unequivocally in Luke’s gospel (Luke 1:34-35). Other facts are implicit in the Biblical text but have always been taught by the Church, such as Mary’s Assumption into heaven and Her Immaculate Conception. The truth of these implicit facts are no less important for an understanding of the Gospel. In fact, implicit details are often more important to a narrative because they show us what the narrator takes for granted. Though these details remain unspoken, they make up the fabric in which the narrative is woven. Without their tacit presence, the narrative disintegrates.

            Thus, down the centuries, the Church has carefully preserved, protected and defended its Marian teaching because to give them up would be to give up the Gospels altogether. To suppress them would be to deprive God’s family of its Mother. Without the dogmas, Mary becomes unreal, just a random female from Nazareth, insignificant in Her individuality, incidental to the Gospel’s narrative. And when Mary becomes unreal, so does the incarnation of God which depended upon Mary’s consent, become unreal; so does the suffering flesh of Christ, which He took from His Mother; so does the Christian’s status as a child of God which depends upon our sharing in the household and family of Jesus, the Son of David, the Son of Mary.

            Together with the scriptural accounts, the Church’s Marian dogmas keep us close to the incarnate reality of God’s family. Many Protestants are known for taunting Catholics or trying to insinuate them into thinking that praying to Our Lady is wrong but that certainly isn’t the case. If we look back to the early Christians and the Fathers of the Church, as early as the 3^rd century A.D. (and probably even earlier than that), people such as St. Clement of Alexandria, Origen and others called upon Mary as ‘Mother of God’ or its equivalent, ‘Mother of the Lord’. In Luke 1:43, we find Elizabeth asking Mary (who is her kinswoman), “And why is this granted me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” In the Greek translation, the word ‘Theotokos’ is used which literally means ‘God – bearer’.

            Thus with so much evidence both from history as well as from scripture, the title ‘Mother of God’ went uncontested in the first centuries of the Church. Moreover this statement follows logically from a Christian’s necessary acknowledgment of Christ’s divinity. For if He is God and Mary is His Mother, then She is the Mother of God. However in the 5^th century, there were some theologians who began to raise scruples about the title ‘Mother of God’, worrying that it implied Mary was somehow the ‘originator’ of God. They could accept the title ‘Mother of Christ’ but not ‘Mother of God’. They further argued against the unity of Christ’s nature saying that Virgin gave birth to Christ’s human nature but not His divine nature.

            Before we go into the response against this argument, just to provide some context for the response, there is a theological principle called the communication of idioms. According to this principle, whatever one says about either of Christ’s nature can be said truly of Christ Himself; for the 2 natures, divine and human were united in Him in one Person. Thus, for example, Christians can boldly say that God the Son died on the Cross at Calvary, even though in truth, He is immortal. This is also why Christians have always maintained that God was born in a manger in Bethlehem, even though God is eternal and omnipresent.

            With that being said, while there were disagreements and opposition in addressing Our Lady as the Mother of God, Pope Celestine I, vigorously defended it by drawing strong support from St. Cyril of Alexandria, a leading theologian of the day. Cyril pointed out that a mother does not just give birth to a ‘nature’; she gives birth to a person which also includes the nature of the child. Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ, Who was and is a Divine Person. Though Mary did not originate God, She most certainly bore Him which is why the word ‘Theotokos’ as found in the original Greek translation makes perfect sense as it means, ‘God-bearer’, something which we have alluded to already [there is also a nice video which I came across which explains this concept beautifully. Feel free to check it out, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxGiYzEzsxw]. To add to this, given that by virtue of Christ’s death on the Cross we become God’s adopted children, we in turn, become brothers and sisters of Christ, the Son of God and Mary, becomes Our Mother too who is the Mother of God whom we honour and venerate.

            So how does Our Lady as the Mother of God teach us or how does this feast apply to us and what can we learn from it as we begin this new year? In the Annunciation, we find Our Lady unsettled not so much by the Angel appearing to Her but rather by the Angel’s words and ponders the implications for Her life as we see in Luke 1:29. She recognizes that something weighty is about to be asked of Her. Like Moses, Gideon and others who are called by the Lord in this way, Our Lady was probably wondering what this mission entails and if She is capable of fulfilling it which is where the Angel Gabriel says, “Do not be afraid Mary for you have found favour with God” (Luke 1:30). The phrase, “Do not be afraid”, is something we see throughout scripture and this is mainly due to the fact that those to whom this phrase has been addressed have always found favour with God. So what does it mean to find favour with God?

            In scripture, ‘to find favour’ with someone meant a higher ranking person bestowing kindness and favour upon an inferior and putting him in an important role of leadership. For example, when the patriarch Joseph served as a slave under Potiphar in Egypt, we find that Joseph ‘found favour’ in Potiphar’s sight and was put in charge of Potiphar’s house (Genesis 39:4-5).

 

           The phrase ‘find favour with God’ brings to mind the many people in the Old Testament who were specifically chosen by God for an important office or mission that would bring blessing to others, similar to the way Joseph is placed in a role of leadership by Potiphar. Noah, for example, is the first person in the Bible to be described this way. In the midst of a corrupt world, Noah is one man who found favour with God and as a result he is protected from the flood and chosen to be the head of the renewed human family (Genesis 6:8). Abraham, through whom, God brings blessings to the whole world, is depicted as having found favour with the Lord (Genesis 18:1-5). Moses also found favour with God and becomes the covenant mediator who helps to reconcile the sinful people with the Lord at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 33:12-17).

            In each of these cases, the one who finds favour with God is specifically chosen by the Lord for a particular mission in His saving plan. Therefore, when the Angel tells Mary She has found favour with God, he is reassuring Her that She has been chosen by God. As Mary is greatly troubled, pondering in Her mind what is about to be asked of Her, the Angel Gabriel tells Her that She is being commissioned to carry out a great saving work of God’s people like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Gideon and others to which She says ‘yes’. However, New Testament scholar Francis Maloney emphasizes that Mary’s faith did not stop at the Annunciation in Her ‘yes’ to God’s call to be the Mother of the Messiah (Luke 1:38). Rather Her assent had to be repeated over and over again as She watched Her Son grow from a Child into a Man, as he explains,

“Mary’s ‘fiat’ (Her ‘yes’) did not lift Her out of the necessary puzzlement, anxiety and pain which often arises from the radical nature of the Christian vocation. Despite Her remarkable initiation into the Christian mystery, She still had to proceed through the rest of Her life, ‘treasuring in Her heart’ the mysteries revealed to Her, never fully understanding but patiently waiting for God’s time and God’s ultimate answer.”

 

           St. John Paul II speaks on similar lines when he talks about Our Lady’s ‘fiat’ as only the beginning of a profound spiritual trek. He describes it as “the point of departure from which Her whole ‘journey towards God’ begins, Her whole pilgrimage of faith”. Our Lady will be required to exhibit total trust in God which meant to abandon Herself to the living God and the mystery of His will. Indeed, Our Lady’s faith will be tested over and over and again and each time She will pass the test accepting fully and with a ready heart everything that is decreed in the divine plan.

            The Bible reveals that fear is a typical human response to God’s call in our lives. When we sense that the Lord may be inviting us to do something new, face some challenge or make a significant change, we can feel a little uneasy. However the initial emotions of fear should not control us or keep us from pursuing God’s will. Just because we feel troubled about an unexpected situation, a new possibility, an intimidating challenge or a sense that the Lord is demanding something difficult from us does not mean we should close the door on what is unfolding before us. We need to be like Mary who continued to ponder the meaning of what the Lord wanted to show Her.

 

           For most of us, when the Lord knocks on the door of our hearts prompting us to do something difficult whether it be giving up something we like, making a moral change in our lives, taking on a difficult task, moving to a new place and so on, we are afraid to let Him in. We find the demands of the Lord too much. We then close the door on our own ‘annunciations’ and turn away from the path on which He may want to lead us. That’s where the example of Our Lady comes in who responded with great courage when presented with a challenging.

            The virtue of courage is universal and besides the spiritual life, it’s crucial even in the normal dealings of one’s life. In as much as the New Year is accompanied with excitement, we may have some of our goals that we may want to accomplish yet feel like we have not been able to accomplish whether that’s a project you always wanted to work on, a new skill you wanted to learn, a place that you always wanted to travel to and so on. Soren Kierkegaard would put it in the following words, “What cowardice fear most of all is the making of a resolution; for a resolution instantly dissipates the mist” and perhaps this is what scares us – making the wrong decisions, screwing things up and the potential unintended consequences. So we keep deliberating, hoping we can put them off. But is it possible? Can we really put things off? Yes we can! But in doing so, we will lose the moment, the opportunity of what we could have done better, that particular thing which could have taken us one step closer toward becoming a better version of ourselves.

            All growth is a leap in the dark. If we are afraid, we will never do anything worthwhile. It would have been nice if someone could have shown Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix, that the future of television and movies would be streaming. But they couldn’t. He had a sense though that it would be besides having a multi-billion dollar business delivering DVD’s by mail. To capture the upside of the former, he had to risk the latter. He had to leap into the insane darkness, braving the analysts and critics and his own doubts too like every successful leader and entrepreneur.

            No one can tell us whether our plans will succeed. No one can tell us what the answer to our questions will be. No one can guarantee we’ll make it home alive. They won’t be able to even tell us how far down the hole would go. If they could, it wouldn’t be scary and everyone would do it and if everyone would do it, what’s the point? There would be no value. So if fear is to be a driving force in our lives, fear what we would miss; fear what would happen if we didn’t act; fear what others would think down the road for having dared so little, for thinking of the terrifying costs of playing small. If courage is never required in our lives, we perhaps may be living a boring life. In as much as we have various plans and goals for the New Year, life can and certainly will get in the way. There may be bumps along the way that may disrupt, circumstances that may hold us back and yet while none of us can tell what it will be or how it will come about, we can be assured of Who it is that works all things together for good (Romans 8:28). So it’s important to put in the effort, give off our best and focus on what is within our control leaving the rest in His hands.

            Another thing that I would like to draw from the feast of Our Lady as the Mother of God in light with the New Year is that in as much She is the Mother of God, She never let it go to Her head but rather used the special grace given to Her by Almighty God to bring all God’s children close to Her Son. Just as Bathsheba who ruled along with her son King Solomon would intercede for those who sought favours from him through her (1 Kings 2:12-20), so is it with the Queen Mother, the Mother of God who would refuse no one as the prayer “The Memorare” beautifully highlights it. If you have read my blogpost/reflection, “Looking back” (if in case you haven't here's the link to it, https://insightsfromacommonman.blogspot.com/2022/12/looking-back.html), you would have noticed that I am a firm believer that God does not create junk and He has blessed each person with a unique set of talents, no matter how small they may be. Each of us has been put on this earth for a reason and for a purpose. We may think that we have nothing to contribute or we may underestimate ourselves but I could not think of a better example than the life of Vincent Van Gogh. 

        Today, the name “Van Gogh” is revered among artists but such was not the case when he was alive. In fact, if one were to look at his life, it was anything but ideal – a man who suffered from depression and struggled with poverty. He didn’t start painting until he was 27 years old and took his life when he was 37. In that short span, he created about 2,100 artworks, including 860 oil paintings, most of which date from the last 2 years of his life. They include landscapes, still life, portraits and self – portraits and are characterized by bold colours and dramatic, impulsive and expressive brushwork that contributed to the foundations of modern art. Yet, for all the work he did, he only sold one painting during his lifetime for the sum of 400 francs (which today equates to around a 1000 dollars approximately). Hence not commercially successful, he struggled with severe depression and poverty eventually leading to his suicide at age 37. As he only became famous after his suicide, he came to be seen as a misunderstood genius in the eyes of the public. One word that can be best used to describe his life is that of the tortured artist, while being commercially unsuccessful and considered a madman and a failure during his lifetime, today Van Gogh’s works are among the world’s most expensive paintings to have ever sold and his legacy is honoured by a museum in his name, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which holds the world’s largest collection of his paintings and drawings.

            The point that I am therefore trying to make is to never underestimate yourself, never sell yourself short. You never know whose life you will touch and inspire be it directly or indirectly. Hence as a Latin phrase goes, “Age quod agis” which means “Do what you are doing”, the new year is another gift from God given to each of us to make the best of it. Not many have been lucky to have come this far. May we strive to emulate the example of Our Blessed Mother in Her courage to live in the way God has called us to live and make the best of the talents He has given us to glorify Him and also in bringing others closer to Him, not squandering the time and resources He has blessed us with. Wishing you once again a happy and a blessed year ahead. God bless.