Start the New Year With Mary, the Mother of God
During the Twelve Days of Christmas, the Catholic Church celebrates many important feasts, including the feasts of St. Stephen, the first martyr (December 26), whose martyrdom is recorded in Acts 6-7; St. John the Apostle (December 27), who wrote the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation; the Holy Innocents (December 29), the children who were slaughtered at the order of King Herod, when he was trying to kill the Christ Child; and the Holy Family (normally celebrated on the Sunday after Christmas).
None, however, is as important as the feast celebrated on the octave day (eighth day) of Christmas, January 1: the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. In fact, the Church regards this feast as so important that it is a Holy Day of Obligation. On this day, we are reminded of the role that the Blessed Virgin played in the plan of our salvation. Christ's Birth was made possible by Mary's fiat: "Be it done unto me according to Thy word."
One of the earliest titles given by Christians to the Blessed Virgin was Theotokos--"God-bearer." We celebrate her as the Mother of God, because, in bearing Christ, she bore the fullness of the Godhead within her.
As we begin another year, we draw inspiration from the selfless love of the Theotokos, who never hesitated to do the will of God. And we trust in her prayers to God for us, that we might, as the years pass, become more like her.
O Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
Prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
I fully understand the importance of Mary in our quest for salvantion and a Holy Day in her honor is most appropriate. But what happened to the Feast of the Circumcision that we used to celebrate on 1 Jan?