Today the Church begins the year by fixing our eyes on Mary.
Not as an extra.
Not as an optional devotion.
But at the very heart of the mystery of Christ.

She gives us the right way to begin.

The first reading gives us one of the oldest blessings in Scripture:

“The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord let His face shine upon you.”

That blessing is not abstract.

At Christmas, the face of God is no longer hidden.
It is visible — in a child.

Mary is the one who gives that face to the world.

To call Mary Mother of God is not to exaggerate her role.
It is to protect the truth about Jesus.

The One she carries is not partly divine,
not adopted later,
not promoted after birth.

He is God from the first moment of His existence.

Mary is Mother of God
because the child she bears is God.

St Paul gives us the meaning of Christmas in one sentence:

“When the fullness of time had come,
God sent His Son, born of a woman.”

Everything hangs on that phrase.

God does not send an idea.
He does not send a messenger.

He sends His Son.

And He chooses to do so through a woman.

Mary is not a shortcut.
She is the path God chose.

Through her, God enters our history fully,
so that we might enter His life completely.

Paul then tells us why this matters:

“So that we might receive adoption as sons.”

Because Christ is truly the Son by nature,
we can become sons and daughters by grace.

Christmas is not just about closeness.
It is about belonging.

Mary’s motherhood opens the way
for our adoption.

She gives birth to the Son
so that we might be reborn in Him.

The Gospel is quiet.

The shepherds come.
They speak.
They marvel.

And Mary does something very different:

“Mary treasured all these things
and pondered them in her heart.”

Mary does not rush to explain.
She receives.

She teaches us how to live with mystery —
not by controlling it,
but by trusting it.

At the beginning of a new year,
that is a lesson we need.

We do not know what this year will bring.

Some things will be joyful.
Some will be heavy.
Some will surprise us.

Mary shows us how to begin anyway.

Not with fear.
Not with control.
But with openness to God’s work.

She places her whole life
at the service of what God is doing.

Today the Church places Mary before us
not to distract us from Christ,
but to lead us more deeply to Him.

She shows us the face of God.
She gives us the Son.
She teaches us how to receive grace.

So as we begin this year,
let us ask for Mary’s help.

That we may welcome Christ as she did.
That we may live as children of God.
And that, whatever this year brings,
we may trust that God is with us.