Homily – Fr. Carlos Rodriguez – 1/1/26 “Mary, Mother of God”
One of the most misunderstood devotion catholics have is the honor they give to Mary. Non-catholics do not have the crucial instrument of catholics in understanding Mary as the Mother of God. We call it Tradition.
When fifth century Nestorians began to preach that Mary was the Mother of Christ but not the Mother of God, there was a strong reaction among lay people as well as theologians-similiar -to what might be expected today, if a new version of the Hail Mary read “Holy, Mary, Mother of Christ…’ The doctrine about Mary being the mother of God was not “thought out” by expert theologians who have nothing to do. Even before its proclamation as dogma at Ephesus in 431 the common people were already defending this truth that Mary is the mother of God against the Nestorians. Just to give examples the churches in Alexandria, Rome, Jerusalem, Cappadocia and Syria under the leadership of their saintly bishops were honoring Mary as the Mother of God.
The reason for declaring that Mary is the mother of God is because the Nestorians were denying the divinity of Christ. So, in the first place the feast today is really to affirm our belief that Jesus who became man through Mary is truly God. And if he is truly God, then Mary is the mother of God in His human nature. All the honor and respect and love we give to Mary must always be seen from the point of view of our worship and love for Jesus the Savior, Mary’s son. Mary cannot be isolated from her son. It is not giving her a decorative title but affirming the core truth of Christianity: God truly entered human existence. Mary is the concrete place where God’s self-communication becomes flesh. Her motherhood is therefore the first human “yes” to the Incarnation, and the Incarnation is the center around which all Christian faith turns. To contemplate Mary is to see how God’s mystery takes root in human history.
If we take notice, among the many characters in the gospel who met heavenly messages, it was only Mary who kept all these things in her heart. Zacharias argued with the angel, the crowds were afraid what would happen to John when he grows up, the shepherds after glorifying God went back to their work and soon the Magi will do the same, go back to their own countries. If theologians and heretics are having difficult times in explaining or believing in christ, Mary did too but her approach is different. She waits for heavenly guidance in silence. It must have been difficult for Mary to really understand Jesus even when he was young like… going on his own and being in the temple discussing deep things about the law.
Because Mary kept all these things in her heart, it helped her understand later the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. What it was for. She remained faithful at the cross. She remember what the angel Gabriel said to her: Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Even at the cross she found strength, she was obedient, she was humble and trusted that her Son is the Son of God. The angel does not tell a lie. Mary knew especially at the Resurrection her son is God and she is the mother of God. If you want to know deeper about the difficult things that happened in your life you have to be like Mary: ponder things in your heart. Then God will reveal why it happened to you.
You see it was God all the time who was behind Mary. Mary is the perfect messenger of God and her Son. Mary is the best intercessor human beings could ever have. She is the most complete realization of redeemed humanity. She let her humanity totally open to the message of God. Her yes is a human decision to gift of grace. She represents humanity’s free cooperation with God’s saving plan. Salvation is brought about by God’s initiative and human response. Honoring and loving Mary and making her at the core of our spiritual life is giving honor to God and His Son in the Holy Spirit. Can there be anything better than the Mother of God herself!