The Feast of The Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

It didn’t happen overnight, in fact it took over four centuries, but the early Fathers made the Church’s position on the Mother of Jesus very clear at the Council of Ephesus in 431, referring to her as Theotokos, which in Greek, means God-bearer. 

Today is the octave day, the eighth day, of the Feast of the Nativity and The Blessed Virgin Mary, whose “yes” allows the Savior to enter into time, gives birth to Him making her The Mother of God and the The Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ, The Church. 

Today, in the Book of Numbers, we will hear The Lord say to Moses, “The Lord Bless and keep you. The Lord let His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.”

And in Galatians, “So you are no longer a slave but a son,
and if a son then also an heir, through God.” 

And then in the Gospel of Luke, “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.”

Jesus, The Son of God, The Messiah, The Incarnate Word, comes into the world as a baby, through the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus,  Mother of The Church. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.