New Year's Day Homily

On this first day of the new year, we celebrate the feast of Mary the Mother of God.
This is also the day that the whole Church observes the world day of peace.

Mary Mother of God

One of the most ancient title for Mary is that of Mother of God – Theotokos – the God bearer. This title, does not teach about the divinity of Mary, but rather the divinity of the child that she gave birth to. It therefore reminds us that Mary has given birth not just to an ordinary human being but to the God made man – the savior of the world.
One of the titles of Jesus that the angels announced at his birth is that of the Prince of Peace. Peace is one of the blessings that the Messiah has brought into the world. “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of God will.”
If Jesus is the prince of peace, then Mary is the Queen of Peace and we continue to pray for her intercession as we long for peace in our land.

World Day of Peace

The Church has set aside every first day of the year to mark the World Day of Peace. We are called to reflect and carry out our mission to bring Christ’s message of peace to the world.
In the midst of a culture of death and violence – a situation of division and conflict – we the followers of the prince of peace are called to be peace-makers, to be peace-builders.
As we desire to bring peace to the world, let us always remember that peace should begin in each one of us and in our homes, in our neighborhood and in our communities.
In his message for the World Day of Peace today, Benedict XVI dwells on the theme of the Human Family as a Community of Peace.
The pope reminds us that the family is the first teacher of peace and the first environment where peace is experienced. He also emphasizes that mankind should consider itself as one family and should become a community of peace.
With this theme of the family as the community of peace, let us reflect on what is happening in our own families. We need to ask: can peace be experienced in our own family, in our home? Is our family truly a community of peace.
There are families that suffer division and conflict. Families afflicted by domestic violence. If this exist, it is important that we work for healing, forgiveness and reconciliation.
Achieving genuine peace in the family: this can be part of our new year’s resolution