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Numbers 6:22-27
Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8
Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 2:16-21
Summary
The important message of today’s feast is that the savior Jesus Christ
was born of a human mother and through the grace of God, he is
both fully human and God’s divine son. This day celebrates Mary’s
role as the Holy Mother of God and reminds us of God’s presence
within and among us in our real flesh and blood life events.
Reflection
The beginning of a new year presents us with the opportunity to re-
flect on how present Christ is in our life and how present we are to
Christ. The first reading from the Book of Numbers (6:22-27) pre-
sents us with a blessing from God for Moses to deliver to Aaron and
his sons. The blessing expresses the value of the presence of God in
their life. In the second reading, Paul writes to the Galatians (4:4-7)
that you are the son of God and “no longer a slave but a son and if a
son then also an heir, through God”, again express-
ing the significance of the presence of God and the
relationship as his son. Finally, today’s Gospel from
Luke (2:16-21) presents the visitation of the shep-
herds to Mary, Joseph and “the infant in lying in the
manger” at Bethlehem. It provides some insight into
the importance of this event to Mary; “And Mary kept
all these things, reflecting on them in her heart”.