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Dear Friends in Christ,
The church celebrates the beginning of the 2023 new year with the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God. It’s yet another reminder that Jesus in his humanity is also God in his divinity. Bishop Robert Barron in his acclaimed documentary “Catholicism” observes “The church fathers never tired of repeating this phrase. . . Deus fit homo ut homo fieret Deus (God became human so that humans might become God). . . . We are called not simply to moral perfection or artistic self-expression or economic liberation but to what the Eastern fathers called theosis, transformation into God.”
Mary is the icon par excellence of a human being who totally surrenders herself to this transformation into God. We see that as we celebrate and reflect on her vocation to be the mother of God who is nothing but love. One special image of that is on our bulletin cover this weekend where we see Mary holding the child Jesus who tenderly touches her face, even as he looks at us. This sacred art is a reminder that we are always held by God’s love and invited to allow that love to touch every moment of our lives in 2023.
That’s not wishful thinking my friends. St. Luke in his gospel tells us that after Jesus was born, “Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.” (Lk 2:19). She takes in the mystery of God’s love revealed in Christ and reflects on how she might “Let it be” in her life and the life of the world.
That’s a powerful question to ask as we begin a new year with all of its worries and challenges, but also its hopes and dreams. How will you and I, and all of us as a community of faith grow in sharing the love of God every day in 2023?
Mary Mother of God…pray for us! Live Jesus in our hearts…forever!
A blessed and happy new year to you all!
Fr. William Heric, Pastor
