Catholic saints are holy people and human people who lived extraordinary lives. Each saint the Church honors responded to God's invitation to use his or her unique gifts. God calls each one of us to be a saint. Learn about the Saint whose feast kickstarts the New Year- Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

1. Jan 1- Feast of Mary, Mother of God

3. Who is Mary? Mary is given honour in the Roman Catholic Church as the Mother of God and God bearer . (Jesus is believed to be God and man.) Since Mary has such an important role to play in the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity and readily consented to God’s invitation conveyed by the angel (read full account below), Her role as mother of God places her in a unique position in God’s redemptive plan. BRIEF INTRODUCTION: The Bible tells us that traditionally, Mary was declared the daughter of Sts. Joachim and Anne. Born in Jerusalem, She was presented in the Temple and took a vow of virginity. When she was a young woman, she was engaged to be married to a man called Joseph. Living in Nazareth, she was visited by the archangel Gabriel, who announced to her that that she would give birth to a Son by the Holy Spirit whom she should name Jesus and that He would save the world from their sins. Mary said "How can this happen? I am a virgin!" The angel replied "With God, anything can happen!" When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant, he thought about what he should do. If he married her, he would be unclean. He decided to privately break the engagement and spare Mary the ensuing embarrassment and shame society would inflict on her. But then he had a dream. An angel told him that the baby was the Son of God and this was what made him decide to stick to Mary. Mary went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who was bearing St. John the Baptist. Acknowledged by Elizabeth as the Mother of God through the same words that we now recite as the Hail Mary, Mary intoned the Magnificat. At this time, Emperor Caesar Augustus declared a census throughout the vast Roman Empire, Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem, his city of lineage, as he belonged to the House of David. Mary gave birth to the baby, Jesus, in a chilly animal shed, because there was no room for them in any of the inns of Bethlehem. Mary and Joseph presented baby Jesus in the Temple, where St. Simeon rejoiced and Mary received word of sorrows to come later. Warned to flee, Mary and Joseph went to Egypt to escape the wrath of the jealous and evil King Herod, who was slaying all the first born male children in each family. They remained in Egypt until Herod died and then returned to Nazareth.

4. Nothing is known of Mary’s life during the next years except for a visit to the Temple of Jerusalem, at which she and Joseph sought the young Jesus, who was in the Temple with the learned elders. The first recorded miracle of Jesus was performed at a wedding in Cana, and Mary was instrumental in calling Christ’s attention to the need. The Bible tells that thirty-three years later Jesus was killed by crucifixion. Although many of Jesus' friends were frightened and ran away, Mary stood by the cross and was with Jesus when he died. As he was dying, he asked a young disciple, John, to care for Mary as if she was his own Mother, and the disciple took her back to his home. From that day onwards, Mary became the mother of all on earth. She was also with the disciples in the days before the Pentecost, and it is believed that she was present at the resurrection and Ascension. No scriptural reference concerns Mary’s last years on earth. The belief that Mary’s body was assumed into Heaven is one of the oldest traditions of the Catholic Church. There are various feasts that commemorate events in the life of the Blessed Virgin such as her Birthday, her Immaculate Conception etc. Pope Benedict XV wrote in 1918: “To such an extent did Mary suffer and almost die with her suffering and dying Son; to such extent did she surrender her maternal rights over her Son for man’s salvation, and immolated him - insofar as she could in order to appease the justice of God, that we might rightly say she redeemed the human race together with Christ” . Mary possesses a unique relationship with all three Persons of the Trinity, thereby giving her a claim to the title of Queenship. She was chosen by God the Father to be the Mother of his Son; God the Holy Spirit chose her to be his virginal spouse for the Incarnation of the Son; and God the Son chose her to be his mother, the means of incarnating into the world for the purposes of the redemption of humanity. As Mediator of All Graces, she is ever present at the side of each person, giving nourishment and hope, from the moment of spiritual birth at Baptism to the moment of death. The confidence that each person should have in Mary was expressed by Pope Pius IX in the encyclical Ubipriinum : “The foundation of all our confidence. . . is found in the Blessed Virgin Mary. For God has committed to Mary the treasury of all good things, in order that everyone may know that through her are obtained every hope, every grace, and all salvation. For this is His will, that we obtain everything through Mary.” Who is Mary? (contd.)

5. What does Her Feast mean? The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God is a feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church on January 1, the Octave (Eighth) Day of Christmas. In many countries this day is a Holy day of obligation. The feast was celebrated in the east before the west, but by the 5th century it was celebrated in France and Spain on the Sunday before Christmas. In Rome, even before the 7th century, January 1 was used as a celebration of the Maternity of Mary. In the 13th century and 14th century, the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ had come to replace the Marian feast on January 1. Following the Second Vatican Council in 1974, Pope Paul VI removed the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ from the liturgical calendar, and replaced it with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The feast is a celebration of Mary's motherhood of Jesus. The title “Mother of God” is a western derivation from the Greek, “theotokos,” literally translated God-bearer. The term “theotokos” was adopted at the Ecumenical Council at Ephesus as a way to assert the divinity of Christ, from which it follows that what is predicated of Christ is predicated of God. So, if Mary is the mother of Jesus. she is the mother of God. Therefore, the title “Mother of God” and the “Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God”, which celebrates her under this title, are at once Mariological and Christological. Pope Paul VI highlighted the feast's celebration of both Mary and Jesus. He also noted the connection to New Year's Day and Mary's role as Queen of Peace. January 1st, the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God is also the observed "World Day of Peace." There are many Marian feasts in the Church Calendar. These include The Assumption of Mary, The Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Consolation, among many others. However, Mary Mother of God focuses on Mary's divine maternity.

7. Other Devotionals Sub Tuum We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen. 3rd Century; Oldest Known Prayer to Mary Catholic Collect for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God Let us pray [that Mary the mother of the Lord, will help us by her prayers] God our Father may we always profit by the prayers of the Virgin Mother Mary, for you bring us life and salvation through Jesus Christ her Son who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen. New Saint Joseph Sunday Missal Alternate Catholic Collect for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God Let us pray [in the name of Jesus, born of a virgin and Son of God] Father source of light in every age, the Virgin conceived and bore your Son who is called Wonderful God, Prince of Peace. May her prayer, the gift of a mother's love, be your people's joy through all ages. May her response, born of a humble heart draw your Spirit to rest on your people. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen New Saint Joseph Sunday Missal Loving Mother of the Redeemer Loving Mother of the Redeemer, Gate of heaven, star of the sea, Assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again, To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator, yet remained a virgin after as before, You who received Gabriel's joyful greeting, have pity on us, poor sinners. Ancient Liturgy of the Hours Prayer Mary Mother of God Morning Prayer God our Father, may we always profit by the prayers of the Virgin Mother Mary, for you bring us life and salvation through Jesus Christ her Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen The Liturgy of the Hours Eastern Prayer to the Mother of God O most glorious Ever-Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ our God, accept our prayers and present them to thy son and our God, that He may, for thy sake, enlighten and save our souls.

8. Picture Gallery