Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Wednesday, 12-30-2015, Gaudium Press) The Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Cardinal Orani João Tempesta, recently wrote an article on the theme of the new year and the Divine Maternity of Mary who conceived the Son of God.
According to the cardinal, “we start the new calendar year with the World Day of Peace, which has as its theme ‘Win the indifference and conquer peace’. On that same day the liturgy celebrates the solemnity of ‘Mary, Mother of God’, which concludes the octave of Christmas” he writes.
“In times of so many offences to our faith, especially towards Mary and Jesus, this celebration is on occasion to reaffirm our Christian Faith in our times of disbelief. In all this, we are called to further deepen our faith and ask the Lord to increase and make us put it into practice with the grace of God” he recalls.
The Archbishop said that on the first day of the calendar year, the Catholic Church celebrates with his faithful the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, considered a Marian title of great importance to all Christians. “We follow in the school of Mary, the perfect disciple, the first preacher of Divine Mercy. In this meditation, we think on the meaning of the ‘yes’ of Mary, of Her openness to God and to the horizon of our Faith which is unlimited” he said.
Other than this “this day concludes the Octave of Christmas, day in which the Church turns to the Blessed Virgin that generated in her womb and gave birth to the true God made man.”
“We are grateful to the Holy Virgin and we recognize in your Son the perfect God and proclaim you truly Mother of God: Hail, Holy Mother of God you have given birth to the King who rules heaven and earth for endless ages! Our Eastern brothers of the Byzantine Rite sing at Christmas: ‘O Christ, what can we can offer you as a gift for having you come to the earth taking our humanity? Indeed, each of your creatures expresses its thanksgiving, and each one brings: the Angels, their singing; the sky the stars; the Magi their gifts; the shepherds their admiration; the earth a cave; the desert a manger; and we, the Virgin Mother’! Here, then, dear brothers, our gift to the Savior: the most beautiful flower of our race, the most beautiful member of the Church, the Virgin Mary “the archbishop said.
Cardinal Orani Tempesta also points out that the Catholic Church remembers in this time of the year the Divine Maternity of Mary focusing on how did it happen “it happened in a virginal way, as “the Mother of the Lord conceived as a virgin and as a virgin she remained forever “.
“And as a pledge that our prayers will be heard, let us ask the Mother of God all holy, all merciful, in the following words: ‘With your patronage, O Holy Mother of God protect the poor, help the weak, comfort the sorrowful, pray for the Church!, protect the clergy, help us all, be our salvation! Pray for the Church, for humanity and grant that, finally, we may have peace and salvation!” he said. (LMI)
From the Editor’s Desk at Gaudium Press with information from the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro
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