Mary, Mother of God
January 1, 2022 •
It's interesting to note that in the entire Bible, both Old and New Testament, never once is anyone ever called a "Daughter of God." It doesn't exist in the language of the Bible. It actually doesn't exist in the entire history of the Church, did you know that? No one has ever been called - according to official Church teaching or the Scriptures - a "Daughter of God." Do you know why?
Because God doesn't have any daughters. Not a single one. Not even the Blessed Mother is a daughter of God. The only language ever used is the generic, gender-neutral "children," or "Sons of God."
Each one of us is in fact only a son of God. And why is this?
It makes perfect sense if you understand the theology: we are only sons of God because God only has one Son.
And if you want to be part of God's family, you have to be conformed to that Son. In fact you have to become one body with that Son.
That's what the Church is. She is at one and the same time the Bride of Christ and the Son of God. If you know anything about the Bride of Christ, you know the Bride is human, not divine. In regards to her divinity she is a son - the Son. God has no other children. We become divine by grace because we are made members of that Body. And that Body is the body of the Son of God.
We are sons in the Son. Men and women alike.
And we are bride of Christ. Men and women alike.
It's really fascinating when you think about it. The mystical theology of Jesus Christ.
We see in the Blessed Virgin in a unique and special way, both of these roles fulfilled perfectly.
She is clearly the Bride - the one who gives birth to the Son in the world.
She is also the perfect disciple of that Son to whom she gave birth. The perfect follower of the Lord. Conformed to Jesus in a way unlike any one of us, she is the model for all Christian perfection.
As we celebrate her divine motherhood today, we need to reflect upon the fact that each of us in a spiritual sense, is called to be divine mothers of God. How do we do that? The same way that she did it, except spiritually, not physically. Christ must be conceived within each one of us.
Nm 6:22-27; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2:16-21
Homily begins at 16:47