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Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God

Today's Lectionary Readings
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We often begin the New Year by making resolutions and promises. 
We commit ourselves to make changes for our own self-betterment or
that of others.  We hope, we pray that these changes last. 

At the same time, though, it's important to recognize the good
we do each day, and recommit to those also.  There are many good
habits we have developed through the course of our lives and we
don't want to lose sight of them.

In the Church year, we take time today to recognize the solemnity of
Mary, the Holy Mother of God. In a sense we start the calendar new
year by going back to some basics: by recognizing Mary as the Mother
of God.  This title doesn't reflect that Mary herself was
divine, but rather that Jesus was. 

Today's gospel is the familiar story Jesus' birth.
Shepherds visit Mary and Joseph and Jesus in the stable, reminding us
that even as he lay in a manger, Jesus was divine.  Mary bore the
divine in her womb and gave birth to Jesus.  As such, she can be
called the Mother of God.  So, we begin the secular New Year with
a reminder of a basic element of our faith.  No resolutions are
needed.

Today is also the World Day of Peace.  By becoming human, Jesus
divinized humanity.  Because of that, we can never look at our
neighbor the same way again, for each person is a locus of the
divine.  Each human being is worthy of respect and honor. 
Our faith teaches us that humanity is sacred.  I am reminded of
Pope Francis' analysis of the Good Samaritan in his encyclical
Fratteli Tutti and how everyone is our neighbor. 

If we can commit to treating each other with respect, with dignity,
and recognizing the divine in each person we encounter, we could live
in a world of peace today, and always.  Let's make that be
our resolution for this year.

Deacon Paul Kipfstuhl is the Director of the Social Action Office for
Wayne, Ashland and Medina Counties for Catholic Charities in the
Diocese of Cleveland.  He is also assigned as a deacon to St.
Francis Xavier Parish in Medina, Ohio, and is a member of
CCUSA's Parish Social Ministry Leadership Team.




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