The Feast of Mary, the Mother of God (January 1) is celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church as the Christmas celebrations end and a new year begins. Eastern Christian churches have a similar feast honoring the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God at this time.

“Marvelous is the mystery proclaimed today
Our nature is made new as God becomes man;
He remains what he was and becomes what he was not,
Yet each nature stays distinct and undivided.” Canticle, Morning Prayer

Mary’s Son who came “in the fullness of time” blesses all time:
“The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon you,
and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!” (Numbers 6, 22-27)

This January feast honoring Mary begins a month named for the Roman god Janus, the two faced god who looks ahead and looks…

“The Virgin has given birth to the Savior (4 panels)”
From the Liturgy of the Hours, January 1, Morning Prayer, Antiphon 1
©️2021 by Gloria M. Chang

Totus Tuus (“totally yours” or “all yours”) was the personal and episcopal motto of St. John Paul II. The motto is inspired by the teaching of St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort who wrote:

Tuus totus ego sum, et omnia mea tua sunt...

I am all yours, and all that I have is yours, O most loving Jesus, through Mary, your most holy Mother.

Treatise on True Devotion, n. 233

from Google Images

After the religious debates of Luke 20 and Jesus silencing all his enemies, Luke seems to imply that Jesus simply looked up from where he taught in the previous chapter (Luke 21:1). However, Mark seems to say Jesus moved to a position near the place in the Temple treasury where Jews deposited their offerings (Mark 12:41), and there he observed what was done. Nevertheless, whatever actually occurred, the fact is that Jesus had to call his disciples to himself (Luke 21:3), and this does indicate Jesus was no longer formally involved in teaching them. So, the debates were over, and Jesus moved on to something else.

BySt. John Henry Newman

FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2021

Now I have said all I mean to say on what I have called the rudimental teaching of Antiquity about the Blessed Virgin; but after all I have not insisted on the highest view of her prerogatives, which the Fathers have taught us. You, my dear Friend, who know so well the ancient controversies and Councils, may have been surprised why I should not have yet spoken of her as the Theotokos; but I wished to show on how broad a basis her dignity rests. independent of that wonderful title; and again I have been loth to enlarge upon the force of a word, which is rather matter for devotional thought than for polemical dispute. However, I might as well not write to you at all, as altogether be silent upon it.

It is…