Resolve Like Mary, the Mother of God

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily on the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Friends, today is the first day of the week; the first day of the New Year, 2017 and the first day of January. The name “January” is derived from the Roman god, Janus. Janus is the god with two faces—one looking to the past and the other looking to the future. It’s actually the time to look back at the year that ended yesterday and also to look forward to the new year which begins today. In case you haven't noticed, that’s exactly what people do that eventually leads to what we call, “A New Year’s Resolution.” Making a new year’s resolution is the end product of self-reflection and examination. After looking back at the life we lived in the course of the year that just ended, we resolve and promise to change and reform our lives moving forward. We resolve to make amends, to do things better, to right the wrong, to heal a broken relationship, to get back up in our relationship with God and with others. I am sure, many of us have already done our new year’s resolutions.  

Now, here is the most interesting part, and it is all good news. While we were doing our new year’s resolutions, our awesome God was also doing his own. But his resolution is not caused by error. It’s not a resolution inspired by God’s failing, weakness and imperfection. God is a spotlessly perfect being. There is no error in God. His new year’s resolution is inspired by boundless love and goodness. While we have a list of something bad we do not want do again, and something good we want to do, God’s list is full of amazing things he wants to do for us in this new year. In the first reading taken from Numbers 6:22-27, he says: I will bless you and keep you! I will let my face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! I will look upon you kindly and give you peace! And if you ever invoke my name, I will always bless you. 

God’s New Year’s resolution is to bless us beyond our imagination. As we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, the Church teaches us to look upon her as a model, that is, as a perfect exemplar, as someone to imitate. She is the model of a new life in Christ, the new life we want to live in this New Year. Like us, Mary too made a resolution. From the moment she declared, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38), she never looked backwards. She was faithful to the end largely because she pondered and reflected God’s words to her. She wasn't the talking type. She valued the word of God so much, pondered and reflected over them in her heart (Luke 2:5). Her holiness is attributed to the grace of God, but that does not mean that she did not make effort to cooperate with the grace of God. 

God spoke to the blessed Mother through angels and through her own experiences. Today, God continues to speak to us through the Sacred Scripture, the Church and our personal experiences of life. But we need to make out time for God in order to hear him. One of our New Year’s resolutions could be spending time with the Lord. It could be that we stop making excuses as to why we cannot deepen our relationship with God. In the lists of what we intend to accomplish, God’s matter shouldn't be the item to be crossed out or be left at our most convenient time. Let’s begin this year with God, and like Mary, resolve to be God’s handmaid.