January 1st: Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

Today, January first, the Church celebrates Mary as the Mother of God. The title of Θεοτοκος - Theotokos in Greek-, Mother of God, was first declared at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD. The Church fathers gathered to articulate a unified code of beliefs for Catholics in response to the many heresies that were going on (especially the heresy of Arianism which taught that Jesus was more than a man but less than God, and the heresy of Docetism which taught that Jesus was divine and not fully man) . By declaring Mary as the Mater Dei (Latin for Mother of God) the church acknowledged, affirmed, and declared the divinity and humanity of Jesus. This title of course also acknowledges Mary's role in the plan of salvation.

Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, also presented a problem at the Council of Ephesus. He rejected the idea that Jesus' humanity and divinity were inseparable. Instead, he believed that Jesus had two wills, two minds, and two natures. The Council declared him a heretic and condemned his teachings.

Most importantly, the Church fathers declared that although Jesus had two natures-- he is God and he is man- they both existed and are united within him. Nestorius also rejected the title of Theotokos for Mary. He taught and believed that Mary was only mother of the human Jesus, not the divine Jesus. This belief was also condemned and the council fathers declared that because Mary is the mother of God the Son, she is therefore duly entitled Theotokos.

Calling Mary the Theotokos or the Mother of God (Μητηρ Θεου) was never meant to suggest that Mary was coeternal with God, or that she existed before Jesus Christ or God existed. The Church acknowledges the mystery in the words of this ancient hymn: "He whom the entire universe could not contain was contained within your womb, O Theotokos."

The title of Theotokos is best translated as "the Bearer of God" or "the birth-giver of God". Both Theotokos & Mater Dei express the same belief about Mary.

Although Mary is the Mother of God, we hold that Mary is also our Mother. Through divine command from the cross, Jesus entrusted Mary to John and John to Mary. The command "John, behold your Mother" is extended to us to behold Mary as our own mother. By the same token the command to Mary, "Woman, behold [John] your son", is extended to us to be held in the eyes of Mary as her own children.

Mary's role as our mother reverberates through history. Mary is often referred to as the "New Eve" for she is the mother of the new creation that comes forth from the resurrection of Jesus. As children of Mary we are sons and daughters of this new creation in which eternal death is not the constant, but rather, the promise.

In 1531 Guadalupe, under the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe, asked the Aztec Juan Diego in response to his worries, "Am I not here who Am your Mother?"

Celebrating Mary as the Mother of God is a great way to begin the year. By remembering her as the Mother of God and Mother of us all we remember that we are united to Christ- as Mary is our common denominator.

My prayer is that this year we can draw closer to God through Mary. May our faith in God mirror her own faith so that in the same way we can also say to God, "Behold your servant, let it be done in accord to your will." Perhaps then, we may also, together with Mary, bear God to the world.