Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Feast Day: January 1
“And Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.” – Luke 2:19
A young mother held her newborn Son close.
Around her, shepherds spoke excitedly about angels who had appeared in the night. They told Mary and Joseph that the child had been announced as a Savior, Christ the Lord.
Everyone who heard the shepherds was amazed.
But Mary did something quieter.
She “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).
The child in her arms was truly her Son. Yet He was also the eternal Son of God who had taken on human flesh. Mary had carried Him in her womb, given birth to Him, and now watched over Him with a mother’s love.
That is why the Church calls Mary the Mother of God.
This does not mean Mary existed before God or that she is the source of Christ’s divinity. It means that the child she gave birth to is one divine Person: Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
On January 1, the Church begins the new year by honoring Mary under this ancient title and by turning our attention once again to her Son.
Mary always leads us to Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Why Do Catholics Call Mary the Mother of God?
The title “Mother of God” comes directly from what Christians believe about Jesus.
Jesus is not two separate persons—one human and one divine. He is one divine Person, the eternal Son of God, who possesses both a divine nature and a human nature.
Mary gave birth to that Person.
For this reason, Elizabeth greeted Mary as “the mother of my Lord” when Mary visited her during pregnancy (Luke 1:43).
The Greek title traditionally used for Mary is Theotokos, meaning “God-bearer” or “Mother of God.”
The title protects an important truth about Jesus: the baby born in Bethlehem was truly God made man.
The Council of Ephesus
In the fifth century, controversy arose over how Christians should speak about Christ and His mother.
Nestorius, the patriarch of Constantinople, objected to calling Mary Theotokos and preferred language that could suggest a stronger separation between Christ’s humanity and divinity.
The Church responded at the Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431.
The council affirmed that Jesus Christ is one divine Person and that Mary may therefore rightly be called the Mother of God.
The council was not trying to elevate Mary above Christ.
It was defending the truth about who Christ is.
Mary Treasured These Things in Her Heart
The Gospel reading for this solemnity gives us a beautiful picture of Mary’s interior life.
After the shepherds came to Bethlehem and told everyone what the angels had said, St. Luke tells us:
“Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).
Mary did not understand every mystery of her Son’s life all at once.
She listened.
She remembered.
She reflected.
And she trusted God.
Her example teaches us that faith does not always mean having every answer immediately. Sometimes faith means receiving what God gives us and carrying it faithfully in our hearts.
What This Solemnity Teaches Us
The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, teaches us first of all about Jesus.
The child born of Mary is God with us.
It also teaches us something about Mary herself. God chose her for a unique mission in salvation history, and she responded with faith and obedience.
At the beginning of a new year, Catholics are invited to imitate that same trust.
We do not know everything the coming year will bring.
Mary did not know everything that awaited her either.
But she trusted God.
And we can do the same.
When Is the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God?
The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, is celebrated each year on January 1, eight days after Christmas.
It is one of the great Marian celebrations of the Catholic Church and also brings the Octave of Christmas to its conclusion.
The day keeps our attention firmly on the mystery of the Incarnation: Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, is truly God and truly man.
A Prayer for the Solemnity
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
teach us to treasure the things of God in our hearts.
Help us to trust your Son when we do not understand His plans.
Pray that we may begin this year with faith, humility, and courage, always following Jesus wherever He leads us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us. Amen.
