January 1 2020 - Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God - The Octave Day

It is good for us to gather for Holy Mass on this 1st day of the New Year for a number of reasons.
Firstly, it’s a good day to come to mass, simply because it is a new year. We begin the new year offering the most powerful prayer we can, the holy sacrifice of the mass, the eucharist, looking back with gratitude upon God’s grace and mercy last year, and placing 2020 into His providential hands.

A second reason why this is an important day for the Church is because it is the octave day of Christmas, the 8th day. Biblically, the number 8 is important. Just like the octave note in music resonates with the same tone as its root, biblically, the 8th day resonates and recalls the major feast that proceeded it. The Old Testament prescribes that Passover, Hanukkah, and other major feasts be celebrated for eight days, and so, too the eighth days of major feasts of Easter and Christmas are celebrated have special solemnity.

Another reason for us to gather, goes back a little over 40 years. Pope Paul VI made January 1 a special day of prayer for peace. Pope Paul said, "The world must be educated to love Peace, to build it up and defend it." And so today we gather to pray for peace in our world desperately in need of it—the peace of the Christ Child, offered to all who believe in Him.

Fourthly, the eighth day after Christmas was for many years, centuries really, celebrated the feast of the circumcision of the Lord and the Holy Name of Jesus. For the Mosaic Law prescribed circumcision to occur on the 8th day after birth. It was through circumcision, the shedding of blood that the child would enter into the covenant. For the Christ child, the circumcision would no doubt foreshadow the blood to be shed on Calvary.

And as we heard in the Gospel, Mary and Joseph had the Lord circumcised. And it was then that he was given his Holy Name. The Holy Name of Jesus, given by the angel, signifies his identity and mission. For the name of Jesus, derives from the Hebrew for “God saves”. Jesus the Christ is God incarnate, who brings salvation for his people.

Yet, on our liturgical calendar, January 1 is no longer the feast of the circumcision or the feast of the holy name. A new solemnity was instituted after Vatican II: the solemnity of Mary, the mother of God. This new feast is really a return to an ancient custom of the early church both in the east and the west, to honor the Lord’s Blessed Mother during the Christmas octave.

While much of the world is sleeping off a hangover, having spent last night with little or no reference to Christ, the Church gathers today soberly—with great solemnity and seriousness—to celebrate once again his incarnation through the ever-Virgin Mary, that our year, our life may always be in reference to Him.

As Mary’s life revolved around Him, so must ours. As her life was placed in total submission to God’s, so must ours. As she was found worthy to receive the Author of Life, so may we receive Him in our minds and hearts, and allow Him to reign in our lives completely. May his peace be ours. May his burning charity be ours. May his power to withstand the temptations of the devil be ours. May the Spirit of Him who was not slave, but Son, be ours. May the salvation that comes through Him be ours.

We along with Mary-Mother, keep all these, and reflect upon them in our hearts, that the invisible God may become visible in our lives, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.