Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman…so writes Saint Paul. God Himself enters humanity not as a visitor, not as a spectator, not as a disinterested observer, but as a real human being – like in all things but sin. Jesus’ humanity is the unique gift of His Mother who consented to allow God to live within Her womb and therein to take upon Himself a body, a face, a voice, and an appearance that was modeled after Hers. All parents, as you know, love to bask in the physical resemblances that their children have to them, and Mary must therefore be the proudest of all mothers.
Catholics and indeed people of faith everywhere this day are recalling with deep gratitude as it now must be coupled with sorrow at the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who fell asleep in Christ earlier this day. This man of extraordinary faith and humble demeanor was a gifted servant of Christ’s Church. In all of the many roles that he played during his long life, he never ventured far from his deep trust in God’s Providence and design. Benedict XVI with an erudite yet humble mind invited all believers to seek the face of God – a fitting heritage today as we honor Mary whose generosity in responding to God’s plan gave God Himself a human face. With one heart today, let us therefore apply the Aaronic blessing upon Benedict – God’s faithful servant:
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and
give you peace!
Looking upon the face of God is a popular theme throughout Scripture. No one was able to see the face of God and live according to the warning from the Book of Exodus! So powerful and overwhelming was God’s Holiness that it would blind anyone who dared to gaze upon that face. God’s inner identity and image were so completely beyond that of His creatures, that simply to view the face of God was itself a death sentence. Then God chose to change that by taking upon Himself the image of a Baby – not just any baby, but One born into poverty. In this Child, we can all look upon God’s face and rather than to die, we only enrich our very lives.
Mary has given God a face that allows all of us to look upon the very image of God and to smile rather than to fear. The Solemn Feast of Mary the Mother of God is a celebration of a resemblance that causes us to rejoice in Her willingness to allow God to use Her to draw close to His people.
This Solemn Feast of Mary the Mother of God brings the 8 days of Christmas to a conclusion, but it also stands as the living reminder of God’s new identity as the Infant who draws all people to Himself. In the same way as newborns everywhere, people want to glimpse at this baby, but in looking at this Child, we see not simply a happy, smiling, and charming Little One, we see the very face of God who through the Incarnation has drawn close to us and who invites us to enter into a friendship with Divinity itself. Thank you, Mary, for allowing God to fashion a face from Your flesh and making it possible for all of us to gaze upon the Infinitely Holy One with joy rather than flee from the face of God in fear.
Cardinal Wilton Gregory is the archbishop of Washington, D.C.
