The Word On Sunday: Celebrating the Mother of God

Thursday 30 December 2021

Celebrating the Mother of God

Saturday, January 1st, 2022 The Octave Day of Christmas

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

Lectionary: 18

This Saturday we celebrate Our Blessed |Mother Mary as the Virgin Mary, Mother of God... or Theotokos, the title used in the Eastern Orthodox Church as a title of the Virgin Mary, "the love poured into the Theotokos to enable her to love so fully in her turn".

Theotokos is a very special title of Mary which is usually translated into Latin as Dei Genitrix or Deipara. Familiar English translations are "Mother of God" or "God-bearer" – but these both have different literal equivalents in Greek, Μήτηρ Θεοῦ and Θεοφόρος.

Is Mary the Theotokos, the Mother of God?

Calling Mary the Theotokos or the Mother of God (Μητηρ Θεου) was never meant to suggest that Mary was co eternal with God, or that she existed before Jesus Christ or God existed. The Church acknowledges the mystery in the words of this ancient hymn: "He whom the entire universe could not contain was contained within your womb, O Theotokos." Theotokos - OrthodoxWiki

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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT....

////// PLEASURE SEEKING OR TREASURE SEEKING ////// ////// “You ask and you do not receive because you ask wrongly, with a view to squandering what you receive on your pleasures.” —James 4:3 ////// Human history provides ample testimony about the effects of pleasure seeking. One pleasure is never enough. People always want the next pleasure, followed by another. Companies thrive by stoking the pleasure-seeking desires of consumers. Left to our own desires, we become slaves of pleasure-seeking, servants of the cravings of our own flesh (see Rm 6:12). I challenge you to spend the next ten seconds looking at a crucifix. “Fix your eyes on Jesus” (Heb 3:1). As you gaze on Jesus’ crucified body, ask yourself these questions: “What if Jesus chose to pursue earthly pleasure as often as I do? What if He chose not to suffer and die for me?” Then ask Jesus to break the chains of your fleshly desires. “Already you have devoted enough time” on your pleasures (1 Pt 4:3). Now devote the rest of your time on earth to seeking God’s pleasure. Through the cross, be crucified to the world (Gal 6:14). When you are crucified to your own desires, you are then empty enough to receive God’s desires (see Phil 2:7). Then you are ready to receive God’s treasures: abundant life, joy, peace, love, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit (see Gal 5:22ff). Repent of following your desires. Seek the lasting pleasures of God rather than the momentary pleasures of this world (Ps 104:34). Make the Lord your only Treasure (Mt 13:44). ////// PRAYER: Father, send the Holy Spirit to fight against my flesh (Gal 5:17). Cleanse my heart of useless desires (Jn 2:15). ////// PROMISE: “Let us condemn Him to a shameful death; for according to His own words, God will take care of Him.” —Wis 2:20 ////// PRAISE: Praise You, Jesus! You are “the Resurrection and the Life” (Jn 11:25). Glory be to You forever! ////// /////// /////// (From a reflections by a member of the editorial team of the late Fr Al Lauer's Presentation Ministries) ///////

THIS MONTH'S POPE VIDEO... (click image below to see video)

THE POPE'S PRAYER INTENTION for this month of SEPTEMBER -- --- ------ ------- Dear friends of The Pope Video, “Do we hear the pain of the millions of victims of environmental catastrophes?” This is one of the questions Pope Francis asks us in the month of September, as we pray for the cry of the Earth. “The ones suffering most from the consequences of these disasters are the poor,” who are forced to leave their homes when they are affected. In The Pope Video, produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Pope Francis encourages us to actively get involved in the fight against this global crisis, by adopting ecological as well as economic, social and political responses. 🙏 “Let us pray that each of us listen with our hearts to the cry of the Earth and of the victims of environmental disasters and the climate crisis, making a personal commitment to care for the world we inhabit.”