Daily Catholic Lectio
Monday, 1 January 2024
Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God
New Year’s Day
Numbers 6:22-27. Galatians 4:4-7. Luke 2:16-21
Journeying with our Mother
Once upon a time, there was a man who lived near a mountain, and every day he thought about how to climb this mountain and what I would see at the top. Finally, the day came, and the man went on a journey. At the foot of the mountain, he met the first tourist and asked how he climbed the mountain and what he saw at the top. The traveller shared his path as well as the views that he had, but then the person thought about himself. The path that the traveller has just described sounds very tedious. So he kept walking along the foot of the mountain until he met the next traveller again. Another traveller shared his story. He continued to ask about 30 more travellers. ‘What is the use of climbing the mountain? Why should I trouble myself?’, talking to himself, he remained at the foot of the mountain.
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The experiences of 30 people will never become his experience; their journey will never be his.
Today we enter the New Year. An Italian proverb reads, ‘May your worries disappear as your New Year’s Day promises.’ May the New Year bring forth peace, growth, and victory.
How do we journey into the New Year?
In the gospel reading, we read about three journeys: (a) the journey of the shepherds from the field to the manger; (b) the journey of the shepherds from the manger to their homes; and (c) the journey of Mary to her inner self.
(a) Journey of the shepherds from the field to the manger
The news of Jesus’ birth is announced to the shepherds: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” As soon as the angels left, ‘the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.’
No angel commanded the shepherds to go to the manger. The shepherds went on their own. They believed in the words of the angels. They wanted to see their Lord-Messiah-Saviour. Their journey is instantaneous, swift, and communitarian. They let go of their sheep in order to see the Messiah.
In the new year, may we journey, first and foremost, towards God, not out of compulsion but out of desire. And the journey must be instantaneous, swift, and communitarian. An African proverb reads, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go long, go together.’ Pope Francis also cites this in Christus Vivit. We are now in the final phase of the synod for a synodal church. The Holy Father invites us to know that our journey towards God must be a journey of communion.
(b) Journey of the shepherds from the manger to their homes
Luke records, “And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.” During the time of Jesus, the shepherds were called liars and thieves. To them is announced the message of the birth of the Messiah. The shepherds did not care about what others would think of them. Now they are blessed because they have heard the Good News from the angels. They could not contain the joy within them.
This journey of the shepherds towards their homes invites us to journey towards others. People label us, and we too label them. We can get rid of the labels only when we get rid of our prejudices and fears. The shepherds were able to interact with Mary, Joseph, and the townspeople even when they did not know them.
(c) Journey of Mary to her inner self
‘The longest journey that an individual makes is the journey that s/he makes within,’ says Paulo Coelho in The Alchemist. ‘But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart,’ thus concludes Luke. Two verbs are worth noting: ‘treasuring,’ ‘pondering.’ Mary collects all the pictures together and fixes the puzzle. The annunciation, Archangel Gabriel, visitation to Elizabeth, Joseph’s reluctance, his dream, the birth of John the Baptist, the census by Augustus Caesar, the journey to Bethlehem, the inn, the manger – all these dots begin to get connected.
This journey of Mary is the third journey that we need to undertake in the new year. Steve Jobs talks about ‘connecting the dots.’ Everything in our lives is connected. We need to sit quietly, stand distantly, and observe it. We need a lot of patience and control over our emotions. Like Mary, we must put the puzzle pieces together.
Thus, let our journey this year be towards God, towards each other, and towards our inner selves.
The first reading narrates the three blessings that God gives us for this new year. The text is the instruction of God to Aaron through Moses. The high priest’s blessing on the day of Yom Kippur (atonement) consists of three formulae. The first formula, ‘the Lord bless you and keep you,’ is the blessing for our journey towards God. For God is the source of blessings and protection. The second formula, ‘The Lord, let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you!’ is his blessing for our journey towards each other. When his face shines on us, we will be able to see his face on everyone. The third formula, ‘The Lord, look upon you kindly and give you peace!,’ is the blessing for our inner journey. God grants us peace with our inner selves.
Today we solemnise Mary as the Mother of God. We celebrate Mary’s motherhood. Every Mariological teaching is a Christological teaching. Bishop Nestorius, in the fifth century, accepted only the humanity of Jesus, and he called Mary ‘Mother of Christ,’ and ‘Mother of Jesus.’ To counter this, the Council of Ephesus (431) was convoked, which said, ‘Immanuel is God. The Mother of Immanuel is the Mother of God.’ The day celebrates the motherhood of Mary and the divinity of Jesus.
In the second reading, Paul writes to the Galatians that “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” God, who is beyond space and time, enters human space and time at the incarnation. He makes us God’s children (cf. Jn 1:12).
Today we celebrate the naming of Jesus. God has a name for him today. May the name of Jesus grant us freedom.
May God fill our hearts with his face as we enter the new year.
Let us hold on to the finger of the Mother and walk. Climbing the mountain is painful, but when we climb the mountain, the experience is ours.
Blessed 2024.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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