As the New Year begins, our Mother Church celebrates the first day of the year with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
Jesus is God and since Mother Mary brought him into the world, therefore, She is rightly identified as the Mother of God. It is the celebration of Mary’s motherhood.
Now although Mary is given such a title, we have seen how the events before the birth of Jesus, during the birth of Jesus and even after He was born, Mary did not rely on herself, though she was the Mother of God.
Mary relied on the divine providence of God. Mary’s source of hope came from God alone because she was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
As children of God, we desire hope and we can rely on the simple, humble and powerful lesson taught to us by Mary. And as the new year begins, let us look up to Mother Mary as our model of hope and rely on the divine providence of God at all times, especially during times of uncertainty, despair and hopelessness.
We must also be grateful to God for guiding us through this challenging year of 2020.
In a special way, I would like to invoke the intercession of Mother Mary for our doctors, nurses and health care workers; our volunteers and all those who worked day and night, selflessly responding to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
I also invoke the intercession of Mother Mary for our donors who supported our diocesan COVID-19 outreach program.
Let us also remember those whom we lost in this past year and pray for their souls and that God gives strength and comfort for their families.
I wish all of you and your families a Happy Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God and a Hopeful and Blessed New Year 2021.
+Bishop Alwyn Barreto