World Day of Peace 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

Numbers 6:22-27

 Then Yahweh spoke to Mo­ses saying, 

“Speak to Aaron and his sons and say to them: This is how you shall bless the people of Israel; you shall say:  May Yahweh bless you and keep you!

 May Yahweh let his face shine on you, and be gracious to you!  May Yahweh look kindly on you, and give you his peace!

 In that way shall they put my name on the people of Israel and I will bless them.”

 

Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8(2a)

May God bless us in his mercy.

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Galatians 4:4-7

 But when the fullness of time came, God sent his Son. He came born of woman and subject to the Law,   in order to redeem the subjects of the Law, that we might receive adoption as children of God.

 And because you are children, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of his Son which cries out: Abba! that is, Father!  You yourself are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and yours is the inheritance by God’s grace.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊   

Luke 2:16-21

So they came hurriedly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby lying in the manger.   On seeing this they related what they had been told about the child,   and all were astonished on hearing the shepherds.

 As for Mary, she treasured all these messages and continually pondered over them.  The shepherds then returned giving glory and praise to God for all they had heard and seen, just as the angels had told them.

 On the eighth day the circumcision of the baby had to be performed; he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

 

Mothering God

Everyone needs a mother. Even God. God, who is unbegotten and without beginning, needed a mother to mediate his beginnings in human form. Today, as we are being birthed into a new year, how wonderful it is to celebrate the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God!

Everyone needs mothering. What is mothering other than delighting in her children, cherishing their storied lives in her heart, and blessing them unceasingly? The priestly blessing in the first reading is a motherly blessing.

Look at the key verbs in it: bless, keep, shine, be gracious, look kindly, give peace. Only a maternal heart can do all those at once. God, who blesses us so, has a mothering heart.

We shall walk this year holding the hands of the tenderly motherly God and Mary, his mother and ours. We shall hold hands with one another as one family of God, blessing one another.