Happy Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God!

Happy New Year!

This morning, as most people are sleeping in to recover from the festivities of last night, Catholics are up bright and early heading to Mass.

(Or maybe you made it to Mass yesterday evening before the countdowns and toasts even began!)

Either way, today we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

Why is this solemnity so important that the Church starts the new year off with it?

Well, for one, Mary's title, "Mother of God," encapsulates every aspect of Our Lady's story - from her Immaculate Conception to her fiat at the Annunciation; from the birth of Christ to her faithful presence at the foot of the Cross; from her Assumption to her role as Queen of Heaven and Earth and our Blessed Mother.

But as mind-blowingly incredible as all of that is, it's not even the most important thing about this solemnity!

It's what the title "Mother of God" says about Christ himself that makes this solemnity so central to our Faith. Why?

Because as I explain in this snippet from a Science of Sainthood series on Mary, it speaks to the mystery of the Incarnation - what we're still celebrating in this Christmas season.

And that's why every person who calls themselves a Christian must recognize and give honor to Our Lady as the Mother of God.

Happy New Year...and more importantly, Happy Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God!

God bless!

Matthew