Theotokos
Dear
Parishioners,
On
January 1st the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. While Catholics may use the term Mother
of God regularly when praying the Hail Mary, some people may have questions
about the meaning of this particular title. The Council
of Ephesus (431) declared that the Blessed Virgin Mary is Theotokos
or God-Bearer (in Greek). In the Latin Church, we use the term Mater
Dei. Simply stated, our Catholic
belief teaches that:
Although Mary is the Mother of God,
she is not his mother in the sense that she is older than God or the source of
her Son’s divinity, for she is neither. Rather, we say that she is the Mother
of God in the sense that she carried in her womb a divine person—Jesus Christ,
God "in the flesh" (2 John 7, cf. John 1:14)—and in the sense that
she contributed the genetic matter to the human form God took in Jesus Christ. Catholic Answers
We should remember that the Blessed Virgin Mary is solely
responsible for the genetic material for Jesus’ human body (in cooperation, of
course, with the Holy Spirit) as St. Joseph was Jesus’ foster-father.
As
we begin the New Year, I customarily entrust and consecrate my parish family (wherever I am pastor) to the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary on New Year’s Day. I give this
parish and all of its parishioners over to the loving care of the Mother of
God. I invite you to join me. I
can think of no better way to begin the New Year.
Why
not take the time to consecrate your individual
families to the Blessed Virgin Mary’s maternal care as
well? Parents, you can (and should) pray for your children and families
at home daily. Here’s a prayer of consecration to help:
Oh Mother Most Pure,
We come to You as a family and
consecrate ourselves to your most Immaculate Heart.
We come to You as a family and place our
trust in Your powerful intercession.
Oh Dearest Mother Mary,
teach us as a mother teaches her
children, for our souls are soiled and our prayers are weak because
of our sinful hearts.
Here we are Dearest Mother, ready to
respond to You and follow Your way, for Your way leads us to the heart of
Your Son, Jesus.
We are ready to be cleansed and purified.
Come then Virgin Most Pure,
and embrace us with Your motherly mantle.
Make our hearts whiter than snow and as pure as a spring of fresh water.
Make our hearts whiter than snow and as pure as a spring of fresh water.
Teach us to pray, so that our
prayers may become more beautiful than the singing of the birds at the
break of dawn.
Dear Mother Mary,
We consecrate to Your Immaculate Heart of
hearts,
our family and our entire future.
our family and our entire future.
Lead us all to our homeland which is
Heaven.
Amen.
Amen.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
My
Masses and prayers are continually offered for your spiritual well-being.
Please remember me as well so that I have the graces necessary to live up to my
responsibility as your pastor.
God’s
blessings in the New Year!
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
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