Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God-New Years Day
For
Catholics, today is a Feast Day and holy day of obligation to honor Mary the Mother of God: who is the first example of courage. Today is also the 8th day of Christmas
in The Twelve Days of Christmas. Legend
has it the song was a lesson for Catholic persecuted in protestant
England. The eight Maids a milking are a
sign for the eight beatitudes. Today
would be a good day to reflect on them.
On my 2006 visit to Israel my wife and I visited and had Mass on the Mount of the Beatitudes. I remember our Priests were a little miffed with the little sister who worked there. She was upset with us because it was a warm day and some in our group had taken off their sweaters and their arms were exposed. She was focused on the rules, as Christ pointed out to the Pharisees who were focused on the outside of the cup being clean rather than the inside being clean. Similarly the beatitudes of our Lord seek to not do away with the rules (10 commandments) but points at our inner dispositions. …
On my 2006 visit to Israel my wife and I visited and had Mass on the Mount of the Beatitudes. I remember our Priests were a little miffed with the little sister who worked there. She was upset with us because it was a warm day and some in our group had taken off their sweaters and their arms were exposed. She was focused on the rules, as Christ pointed out to the Pharisees who were focused on the outside of the cup being clean rather than the inside being clean. Similarly the beatitudes of our Lord seek to not do away with the rules (10 commandments) but points at our inner dispositions. …
