The Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God
31 December 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
As we continue the Christmas festival on this New Year’s Day, celebrating the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, I would like to wish you, your families and friends the peace and blessing of Christmas. In the words of the Scriptures: “May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.”
Seeking the face of Christ and allowing his face to shine upon us, continues to be the invitation from God as we begin a new year in the life of our parishes and diocese. Like Mary in the Gospel, we are called to ponder in our hearts the child Jesus and treasure the words that are spoken about him. He is the Saviour of the world. He is the One who brings peace and a new understanding of life. He teaches us a new way to relate to God and one another. He is God’s gift of Himself and in his coming he reveals both who God is and what it is to be truly human. Jesus is truly divine and truly human. In Jesus the Word of God is given a human face. The Word of God becomes flesh.
All that is said of Jesus is too much to be understood in one go. We need time to ponder, in order to understand better. We need to be silent, in order to hear the Word of God. Hearing the Word, who is Jesus, we respond in faith. He calls us to follow him, to follow his way as the way to the truth about our lives. In making our act of faith we grow in our personal relationship with Christ. That relationship, though personal, is never private because it affects the whole of our life and all the relationships we have with others, excluding no one.
Some of us, at the beginning of a new year, make resolutions which we hope will bring about change in our lives. Others of us may have given up that practice since our resolutions have been short lived.
Pope Benedict XVI has asked the whole Church to make 2012 a ‘Year of Faith’ to commemorate the opening of the Second Vatican Council 50 years ago. Though it doesn’t officially start until October, nevertheless for us it can begin now. The Vatican Council was called to give fresh vigour to the Church and to reflect upon how the Church communicates the Gospel to the people and cultures of our time. Though society has changed over the past 50 years, the call to live the Gospel for others is still imperative. The Church exists to evangelise, responding to the call of Christ ‘to go out to the whole world proclaiming the Good News’. The people of our day are searching for truth and seeking happiness. In Christ they will not be disappointed.
But where do we begin? The first people to be evangelised are ourselves, if we are to know Christ Jesus and recognise his face. During this coming year it would be good for all of us to look again at the teachings of the Second Vatican Council.
The Bishops who attended the Council called us to a life of holiness and friendship with God. They taught us what it means to be a member of the Church and the responsibilities we have as a Catholic people. That includes our relationship with other Christians, other Religions and with people of no religion at all. It also includes our relationship with the whole of creation, the care we are called to have for our environment, which has been entrusted to us.
Underlying all of this must be prayer. It is in our personal prayer and the prayer of the Church, especially Sunday Mass, where we are enabled to be the Church for our time. Within the liturgy there should be time to ponder the mystery of God’s love and God’s presence. Through the Mass and the other Sacraments we become the people we are called to be.
Mary is offered to us as a model of prayer. She grew in her understanding of what it meant to be the Mother of her Son. She knew moments of fear and perplexity but she believed in the promises of God. She was confident in her faith. As we begin a new year, we pray that we may be ‘Confidently Catholic’ and live our faith in a spirit of service for others.
With my best wishes and prayers
Bishop of Clifton
To be read and/or made available in all churches and chapels in the Clifton Diocese on the Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, 31 December 2011 and 1 January 2012.
You can listen to Bishop Declan read you his pastoral letter in the multimedia panel on the right. You can watch Bishop Declan read you the letter in the cliftondiocese.com cliplayer below.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
As we continue the Christmas festival on this New Year’s Day, celebrating the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, I would like to wish you, your families and friends the peace and blessing of Christmas. In the words of the Scriptures: “May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.”
Seeking the face of Christ and allowing his face to shine upon us, continues to be the invitation from God as we begin a new year in the life of our parishes and diocese. Like Mary in the Gospel, we are called to ponder in our hearts the child Jesus and treasure the words that are spoken about him. He is the Saviour of the world. He is the One who brings peace and a new understanding of life. He teaches us a new way to relate to God and one another. He is God’s gift of Himself and in his coming he reveals both who God is and what it is to be truly human. Jesus is truly divine and truly human. In Jesus the Word of God is given a human face. The Word of God becomes flesh.
All that is said of Jesus is too much to be understood in one go. We need time to ponder, in order to understand better. We need to be silent, in order to hear the Word of God. Hearing the Word, who is Jesus, we respond in faith. He calls us to follow him, to follow his way as the way to the truth about our lives. In making our act of faith we grow in our personal relationship with Christ. That relationship, though personal, is never private because it affects the whole of our life and all the relationships we have with others, excluding no one.
Some of us, at the beginning of a new year, make resolutions which we hope will bring about change in our lives. Others of us may have given up that practice since our resolutions have been short lived.
Pope Benedict XVI has asked the whole Church to make 2012 a ‘Year of Faith’ to commemorate the opening of the Second Vatican Council 50 years ago. Though it doesn’t officially start until October, nevertheless for us it can begin now. The Vatican Council was called to give fresh vigour to the Church and to reflect upon how the Church communicates the Gospel to the people and cultures of our time. Though society has changed over the past 50 years, the call to live the Gospel for others is still imperative. The Church exists to evangelise, responding to the call of Christ ‘to go out to the whole world proclaiming the Good News’. The people of our day are searching for truth and seeking happiness. In Christ they will not be disappointed.
But where do we begin? The first people to be evangelised are ourselves, if we are to know Christ Jesus and recognise his face. During this coming year it would be good for all of us to look again at the teachings of the Second Vatican Council.
The Bishops who attended the Council called us to a life of holiness and friendship with God. They taught us what it means to be a member of the Church and the responsibilities we have as a Catholic people. That includes our relationship with other Christians, other Religions and with people of no religion at all. It also includes our relationship with the whole of creation, the care we are called to have for our environment, which has been entrusted to us.
Underlying all of this must be prayer. It is in our personal prayer and the prayer of the Church, especially Sunday Mass, where we are enabled to be the Church for our time. Within the liturgy there should be time to ponder the mystery of God’s love and God’s presence. Through the Mass and the other Sacraments we become the people we are called to be.
Mary is offered to us as a model of prayer. She grew in her understanding of what it meant to be the Mother of her Son. She knew moments of fear and perplexity but she believed in the promises of God. She was confident in her faith. As we begin a new year, we pray that we may be ‘Confidently Catholic’ and live our faith in a spirit of service for others.
With my best wishes and prayers
Bishop of Clifton
To be read and/or made available in all churches and chapels in the Clifton Diocese on the Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, 31 December 2011 and 1 January 2012.
You can listen to Bishop Declan read you his pastoral letter in the multimedia panel on the right. You can watch Bishop Declan read you the letter in the cliftondiocese.com cliplayer below.
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