STARTING RIGHT
The title of “Mary, Mother of God”, Theotokos (Θεοτόκος in Greek), is one of the oldest titles the church has for Blessed Mother Mary. It can be traced back to the third century in the classic Marian hymn and prayer Sub Tuum Praesidium (“We fly to thy patronage”) which may be familiar to many Catholics who have a devotion to Blessed Mother. Indeed, the early Christians never doubted that Mary was the Mother of God since it is clear in the Scriptures that Mary is the mother of Jesus, and we know that Jesus is the Son of God. It was only until the fifth century that heresies that opposed Mary being the mother of God arose and were largely resolved in 431AD at the Council of Ephesus.[i]
There might be some of us that wonder if our reverence for Mary means that we revere God less. This is perhaps one of the biggest arguments we hear that we Catholics should not honour Mary so much, because we take away from the honour that is due to God. This is a fallacious logic because it does not make sense. To use an example in our human lived experience, does loving one parent mean we love the other parent less? When I love Mommy more, does it mean I love Daddy less? This seems absurd, since loving my mother - the person Daddy loves - also means that I love Daddy and that I want to make him happy. Love given is not divided, but it increases and multiplies and our own capacity to love should grow. This is true for our many other human relationships.
The Feast of Mary, the Mother of God also falls on 1 January every year. What is less obvious is that it is also the octave day of Christmas. In our Christian tradition, the number eight symbolises new beginnings – a week is complete and we begin a new week. We are still very much within the season of Christmas since the liturgical season of Christmas begins with the vigil Masses on Christmas Eve and concludes on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord[ii]. Socially, we also celebrate a new Gregorian year, the sign of fresh beginnings and a new start, and this feeling of newness and hope is upon all of us. This year, the theme of Hope is further reinforced as Pope Francis has declared a Jubilee Year with the Papal Bull Spes Non Confudit[iii] (“Hope does not disappoint”, from Romans 5:5) and calls on each one of us to become “pilgrims of Hope” this year.[iv] Indeed, 2025 is a year where each one of us is called to a great renewal and a personal encounter with Jesus.
Mary, traditionally referred to as the first disciple of Jesus[v], gives us examples of how to live out our calling as disciples of Jesus. She was able to love God and love others. Mary listened and obeyed God, trusting in God despite the uncertainties she may have faced. For a young woman to say with conviction “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) requires a deep faith in God, trusting that God would give her the grace to remain faithful. It also requires a relationship with God, and we know from Scriptures that Mary constantly pondered in her heart everything that she did not fully understand what she experienced and learnt about her Son. This model of trust in God’s providence goes against our modern need to verify and have proof for everything. The church does not ask us to trust blindly, but to look back on moments in our life where God has been faithful to us, and to draw on our own experiences to continue to trust that God will be faithful. We are reminded again to have this spirit of gratitude for all that we have gone through, all we have gained and learnt, and to continue to place our hope and trust in God.
Mary also had a spirit of selfless service to others. We also read in the Gospel of Luke that Mary, upon hearing about her older relative Elizabeth’s pregnancy, immediately went in haste from Nazareth to the hill country of Judah to render service and support to her. The scripture was descriptive when it mentioned that Judah was hill country. Bethlehem is lush farmland, comfortable and wide[vi]. Judah, in contrast, is harsh, steep, and difficult to navigate where there isn’t much farmland[vii]. It is a very different experience very far out of Mary’s usual comfort zone. We also need to remember that Mary is herself pregnant, and yet she would sacrifice her own safety and security and take risks to be available to her older kinswoman Elizabeth. The depth of Mary’s self-sacrifice out of love for others is quite profound when we reflect on this. Indeed, the scriptures also show Mary looking out for the bride and groom at the Wedding Feast at Cana (John 2:1-12)
In the Annunciation account in Luke, Mary’s humility shines through. She perfectly embodies Jesus’ declaration that “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28). We can learn from Mary’s model of selfless love and to put it into practice this year. This Jubilee year of Hope is certainly an opportunity to do it, day by day. Let us walk this year together with each other under the tutelage and guidance of the One who we call Mother, who we love, and who we ask to lead us closer to her Son, Jesus. “Near thee, Madonna, fondly we hover, trusting thy gentle care to prove.
https://youtu.be/B37xeQWjOvg?si=XlyCojNRGenVSpen
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[i] This debate between the two natures of Jesus as God and Man was addressed in 431AD at the Council of Ephesus. For more information, you may read up about Nestorianism at https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10755a.htm
[ii] Fun fact, Candlemas, or the 40th day of Christmas, always falls on 2 February. On that day, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ (in some Orthodox traditions, it is also called the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary or the Feast of the Holy Encounter). During this season until Candlemas, the church sings the Marian hymn Alma Redemptorist Mater instead of the Salve Regina.
[iii] Francis. (2024, May 9). Spes non confundit - bull of indiction of the ordinary jubilee of the year 2025. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/bulls/documents/20240509_spes-non-confundit_bolla-giubileo2025.html
[iv] More information on the Singapore Archdiocese’s celebration of this great Jubilee year in 2025 can be found at https://www.catholic.sg/jubilee2025/
[v] Kelley, M. (2023, March 16). Mary, the Mother of Jesus: The First and Longest Disciple. Seminary Now Blog. https://seminarynow.com/pages/blog?p=mary-the-mother-of-jesus
[vi] Berry, R. (2020, March 6). What Connects Us To Jesus? (in Shepherds’ Field, Bethlehem) | Biblical Context Explained. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKmXcTbOOaE
[vii] Beck, J. A. (2019, October 21). The Judean Hill Country: Fostering Faith | Biblical Context Explained . YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbYtVfUlJXM
Article by Daniel Tham, HFC Blog Contributor