First Reading

A reading from the Book of Numbers (6:22-27)

The Lord said to Moses: "Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them."

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (67:2-3, 5, 6, 8)

(R) May God bless us in His mercy.

May God have pity on us and bless us; may He let His face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation. (R)

May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity; you guide the nations on earth. (R)

May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you! May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear Him! (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians (4:4-7)

Brothers and sisters: When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. As proof that you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then also an heir, through God.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (2:16-21)

The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

(P) The Gospel of the Lord.
(R) Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

One day a young man, while travelling through a desert, came across a spring. He drank some water from it to quench his thirst and found it quite refreshing and delicious. So he filled one of his leather canteens with water from the spring to bring it to his village teacher. His teacher was a wise and respected village elder. After five days of journey, he presented the water to the old man. The teacher drank some and smiled warmly and thanked his student for his thoughtfulness and bringing the water all the way from the desert. The young man was very pleased and returned home. Later, the teacher let some of his students taste the water. The students spat the water out saying that it was awful. Apparently, the water had become stale because of the old leather canteen. The students asked, "Master, the water is awful and foul. Why did you pretend that it was good and thanked him for it?" The master said, "My sons, you tasted only the water, whereas I tasted the gift of his kindness and love."

It is a great story that teaches us an important lesson. Life itself is a pure and gracious gift and yet many of us grumble about it because we are too concerned about what it brings to us. Many people complain throughout their life. The fact that you are here today to celebrate the beginning of another year while many people have died in different circumstances throughout the world is a reminder for us of the preciousness of life.

Today we honor Mary as Mother of God. But her calling to be Mother of God demanded great suffering and sacrifices as well. Her sufferings for her son Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, must have been painful beyond comprehension. She was just a young ordinary Jewish girl engaged to a carpenter. With the appearance of an angel of the Lord, her life suddenly changed forever. She must have been fearful and troubled over the news that she would have a son and he would be the Messiah. She must have thought of the disgrace as an unwed mother or being stoned to death. And yet she responded to God with gratitude and faith. Her anxiety and worry must have continued to haunt her when she was looking for a place to give birth and during the escape to Egypt to avoid Herod. She must have been confused over all the hardships she had to endure because of her son. However, for Mary, being chosen as Mother of God among so many women, was already a great gift and privilege. So she recognized that her humiliation, pain and suffering are insignificant compared to the blessings of the Lord on her. She valued not only the gift but also the grace of God embodied in the gift. God's promise of hope, peace, joy, love and light to the humankind is in the gift of her son Jesus. Therefore, she willingly accepted all that is contained in the gift - both joys and sorrows.

In today's gospel we hear, "the shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told to them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told by the shepherds. And Mary was not just amazed but kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." While Mary was delighted and amazed to hear, like everybody else, that God Himself has chosen people like shepherds to spread the good news of the birth of Jesus, she did not stop contemplating on the suffering that came with it either. Her heart was full of gratitude and praise for God for both grace and suffering. It is said, "gratitude is the sign of noble souls and the memory of it is stored in the heart and not in the mind." This is so true in many of our lives. Oftentimes our gratitude to God and others perhaps just stops with a polite "thank you". True gratitude involves acknowledging and cherishing the acts of kindness and using them as means to build or strengthen relationships. I have wondered many times why children who have learned to thank their parents in childhood, choose to conveniently forget all that they have done and the contributions and sacrifices they have made for them and abandon them in their old age. Is it because the memory of their gratitude is stored only in their mind and not in their heart?

Friends, today as we have gathered to acknowledge and celebrate the feast of Mary, the Mother of God and welcome the year 2014, we are also encouraged to look back at the past year and express our gratitude to God for two great gifts - life and faith. We thank God for the gift of another year of life and the faith that always encourages us to accept life and whatever it offers us, cheerfully and courageously.

Mother Mary is a powerful intercessor for all who turn to her. As a mother she never abandons anyone, because it is her joy to intercede for all of us. She has worked many wonders and miracles since her first intercession at the wedding feast of Cana. Today we ask for her prayers as well.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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