Jan 01 - Homily: A New Year with the Mother of God

[@wilmakassman8603]

T hank you Fr. Elias, I feel so blessed to listen to your homily...........I continue to place my family and I in the hands of Mother Mary and dear St.Joseph to guide us and lead us to Jesus and that we remain in their love to follow Jesus always in our lives, especially those most difficult and trying times.......May Mama Mary continue to cover you with her holy mantle and guide you always too..

[@rarerepair]

How beautiful to see a priest cry openly because of his tender love for our Lady. This is not sentimentality. This is what a world gaging on counterfeit is longing to see and needs to see more of. Thank you.

[@josepha.spadaro7881]

+rarerepair Frits I agree with your comment. Thanks.

[@sabaghebreghzabhier3382]

This is excellent homily, thank you father

[@jayanthkumar1618]

Thank you very much father... For the lovely reflection... God bless you&your work

[@marcihf9763]

Thank you Father.

[@TuyenPham-jm5eq]

The Council of Ephesus proclaimed in 431 that Mary truly became the Mother of God. To many Christians, however, Mary can not be the mother of God for God has no beginning and no end. So to those who objected this proclamation, I have these to share: First, Jn 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” Here, Christians should ask these two questions: 1. How did God give his only Son to the world? 2. Did God give the world his only Son as one whole, undivided person, or did God give the world only a portion of his only Son? To question #1, God gave his only Son to the world through Mary. To question #2, God gave the world his only Son wholly and undivided. So, through Mary, the second person of the Holy Trinity entered this world and became man by taking on human flesh and a human soul in the womb of Mary. For this reason, Jesus is true God and true man. In His person are united both a divine nature and human nature. Mary gave birth to this true God and true man person; she is the Mother of God. To say that Mary gave birth only to the ‘man Jesus’ is to say that God did not give the world his only Son. Second, though the Son of God has no beginning and no end, “for us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” This means, at some point in time between eternity and eternity, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity comes down from heaven, becomes incarnate of the Virgin Mary and becomes man. This point in time belongs to God, and when it comes, God creates Mary, the handmaid of the Lord, to fulfill his plan. This point in time is the time which St. Paul wrote:Gal 4: 4-5, (4) But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (5) to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. So Mary did not create the divine person of Jesus, who existed with the Father from all eternity. Rather, when the fullness of time came, the divine person of Jesus came down from heaven, united himself to one egg in Mary’s womb and became man. This man, therefore, must be truly man and truly God. Since Mary gave birth to this truly man and truly God person; she truly is the mother of God. If Mary did not give birth to Jesus who is true God and true man, then who became man? Who became incarnate of the Virgin Mary? If the divine person of Jesus did not unite himself to one egg in Mary’s womb and became man, how did the Word became flesh? Where and how did the incarnation take place? Therefore, those who believed that Mary gave birth only to the man Jesus and the divine Jesus united himself to this man afterward denied the mystery of the incarnation; they believed in possession instead. Third, - Before Mary became pregnant, the angel clearly said to her that the Son she will conceive is the Son of the Most High, not a mere regular man. Lk 1:31,32, (31) Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. (32) He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of David his father,” - While Mary was pregnant, filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth proclaimed that Mary is the mother of God. Lk 1:42, 43, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. (43) And how does this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” - The night Mary gave birth to Jesus, the angel, again, proclaimed that the child Jesus is our Savior, the Messiah and Lord. Lk 2:10, 11, (10) And the angel said to them, "Be not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people; (11) for today in the city of David a Savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. So to reject Mary as being Mother of God is to deny that Jesus Christ come in the flesh. To these St. John wrote: 1-Jn 4:2-3, “(2) This is how you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God, (3) and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus does not belong to God. This is the spirit of antichrist, as you heard, is to come, but in fact is already in the world.” Finally, it is written that the angel proclaimed that the child born of the Virgin Mary is the Son of the Most High; he is the Messiah, our Savior and our Lord. It is also written that Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and proclaimed that Mary is the Mother of God. By proclaiming that Mary truly become the Mother of God, the Catholic Church did no more than reaffirming what was already written in the Bible.