My Dear People (Children of Mary),

Happy New Year, everyone. Today, we celebrate Mary, the Mother of God. Once it was doubted if Mary should be called the Mother of God, there are Christians even today who do not believe Mary is the Mother of God. 

At Ephesus, in Asia Minor where John had lived and also where Mary lived for a time, a Council convened and the bishops made the final pronouncement of this doctrine. Mary is the Mother of God. Jesus was human and He is also God. We cannot divide His person! He is one person. Therefore, Mary is the mother of God because Jesus is God.    

Many of the early fathers also believed this to be true.

Cyril of Jerusalem said: “The Father bears witness from heaven to His Son. The Holy Spirit bears witness, coming down bodily in the form of a dove. The archangel Gabriel bears witness, bringing the good tidings to Mary. The Virgin Mother of God bears witness” (Catechetical Lectures 10:19 [A.D. 350]).

Ambrose of Milan said: “The first thing which kindles ardor in learning is the greatness of the teacher. What is greater than the Mother of God? What more glorious than she whom Glory Itself chose?” (The Virgins 2:2[7] [A.D. 377]).

John Cassian said: “Now, you heretic, you say (whoever you are who deny that God was born of the Virgin), that Mary, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, cannot be called the Mother of God, but the Mother only of Christ and not of God—for no one, you say, gives birth to one older than herself. And concerning this utterly stupid argument . . . let us prove by divine testimonies both that Christ is God, and that Mary is the Mother of God” (On the Incarnation of Christ Against Nestorius 2:2 [A.D. 429]).

“You cannot then help admitting that the grace comes from God. It is God, then, who has given it. But it has been given by our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ is God. But if He is God, as He certainly is, then she who bore God is the Mother of God” (ibid., 2:5).

What is the most important, is what the Council of Ephesus said about Mary.

Council of Ephesus, which was in 431,        stated: 

“We confess, then, our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, perfect God and perfect man, of a rational soul and a body, begotten before all ages from the Father in his Godhead, the same in the last days, for us and for our salvation, born of Mary the Virgin according to His humanity, one and the same consubstantial with the Father in Godhead and consubstantial with us in humanity. A union of two natures took place. Therefore, we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord.  According to this understanding of the unconfused union, we confess the holy Virgin to be the Mother of God because God the Word took flesh and became man and from His very conception united to Himself, the temple, He took from her.” (Formula of Union [A.D. 431]).

We honor Mary with this title to show Mary is indeed very important to us, and we should honor her, and pray to her often. She is very special to the Catholic Church. Mary has more titles than anyone else. Years ago, every Catholic church had an altar in honor of Mary. She goes under many titles, and each country invokes her under a different title. She is the same one, whether the Virgin of Guadalupe; Our Lady of Divine Providence or Our Lady of Mount Carmel. She is our spiritual mother. She protects us, her children, as a mother protects her young. 

As we begin this year, let us make a resolution to pray often to Mary. If it is possible, pray daily. She will guide us to her Son. As St. Luis De Montfort said. Mary is the shortest, the quickest, the surest, the safest way to go to Jesus and to grow in holiness. Invoke her name, and Mary will protect and guide you and your families.

God bless you, and enwrap you in her mantle,

Fr. Vincent Clemente