Celebrating the Mother of God

A prayer recited at Compline or the Night Prayer of the Divine Office is:

We fly to your patronage,
O Holy Mother of God;
Despise not our petitions in our necessities,
But deliver us always from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin

In 1917 an ancient, Egyptian text was discovered using this prayer. This was a surprise as many didn't realize how old the prayer was. Because the prayer uses the term "Mother of God" it was assumed that it could be from just after 431 because that's when the Council of Ephesus declared that Mary was the Mother of God or Theotokos. But scientific tests showed the papyrus dated form no later than the 3rd century. Further research showed that Alexandrian Christians were already calling Mary the Mother of God in the third century.

This is an example of how the people of God experienced Mary and grew from her before the Church officially recognized that dogma. The same was true with calling Mary the Immaculate Conception, which was a widespread practice before the Church officially recognized the term. As a Church we grow through our experiences.

Masses as we celebrate this holy day are:

Wednesday

5:30

  

Thursday

7:30, 9:00, 10:30 & noon

Celebrating Mary as Mother of God

A prayer recited at Compline or the Night Prayer of the Divine Office is:

We fly to your patronage,
O Holy Mother of God;
Despise not our petitions in our necessities,
But deliver us always from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin

In 1917 an ancient, Egyptian text was discovered using this prayer. This was a surprise as many didn't realize how old the prayer was. Because the prayer uses the term "Mother of God" it was assumed that it could be from just after 431 because that's when the Council of Ephesus declared that Mary was the Mother of God or Theotokos. But scientific tests showed the papyrus dated form no later than the 3rd century. Further research showed that Alexandrian Christians were already calling Mary the Mother of God in the third century.

This is an example of how the people of God experienced Mary and grew from her before the Church officially recognized that dogma. The same was true with calling Mary the Immaculate Conception, which was a widespread practice before the Church officially recognized the term. As a Church we grow through our experiences.

Masses as we celebrate this holy day are:

Wednesday

5:30 and 11:00 p.m.

  

Thursday

7:30, 9:00, 10:30 & noon

Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God

Wednesday is the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God. The collect prayer which begins our Masses is:

O God, who through the fruitful virginity of the Blessed Mary, bestowed on the human race the grace of eternal salvation, grant, we pray, that we may experience the intercession of her, through whom we were found worthy to receive the author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son.

The Masses for this Holy Day of Obligation are:

Tuesday

5:30 and 11 p.m.

Wednesday

7:30, 9, 10:30 & noon

(no 5 p.m. Mass)

The 11 p.m. Mass on Tuesday night will be followed by a New Year's toast and celebration in the Social Level.

Praying for Our Mothers

On Thursday the First and Second Grade students gathered by the Mary statue to pray a rosary for their mothers. Among the intentions were that their mothers be appreciated for their work and love.

Icons of Mary

The first grade students at St. Columbkille Catholic

School learned first hand how to be iconographers.

 They learned that icons are not "drawn"

 or "painted," they are "written."

 A very important part of writing an icon is prayer.

 You can not write an icon without praying.

 

After we wrote our icons, Deacon Krueger

came to our classrooms and blessed them.

These icons help us to remember Mary,

 the Mother of God on this holy day.

Bringing in the New Year

Following the 11 p.m. Vigil Mass, there was just enough time for everyone to get downstairs to celebrate the New Year. First, Fr. Damian gave a blessing to those gathered.

Then, at midnight there was a toast...

 ...followed by food.

Happy New Year!

Additional Masses for this Holy Day (Mary, Mother of God) are at 7:30, 9:00, 10:30 and noon.

Theotokos

The Council of Ephesus was held in 431 to consider the relationship between Mary and Jesus. Some had advocated that Mary was the "Christotokos" or Mother of Jesus in His human sense but had a difficult time with the idea that Mary had given birth to God.

But Council affirmed that Mary is the mother of Jesus in both His human nature and His divine nature. Thus she can rightfully be called the Mother of God of Theotokos. We celebrate the Feast 8 days after Christmas on January 1st. It is a good time to ponder on what it was like for Mary to be pregnant with and give birth to God.

Celebrate the New Year

Just as Christmas landed on a Sunday this year, so does the celebration of Mary the Mother of God. On Saturday, there will be an additional anticipatory Mass at 11:00 p.m. That will be followed in the Social Level with a celebration of 2012 at midnight.

You can bring some treats to share or just come join in the celebration.

Mary Mother of God

A prayer recited at Compline or the Night Prayer of the Divine Office is:

We fly to your patronage,
O Holy Mother of God;
Despise not our petitions in our necessities,
But deliver us always from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin

In 1917 an ancient, Egyption was discovered using this prayer. This was a surprise as many didn't realize how old the prayer was. Because the prayer uses the term "Mother of God" it was assumed that it could be from just after 431 because that's when the Council of Ephesus declared that Mary was the Mother of God or Theotokos. But scientific tests showed the papyrus dated form no later than the 3rd century. Further research showed that Alexandrian Christians were already calling Mary the Mother of God in the third century.

This is an example of how the people of God experienced Mary and grew from her before the Church officially recognized that dogma. The same was true with calling Mary the Immaculate Conception, which was a widespread practise before the Church officially recognized the term. As a Church we grow through our experiences.

Mary Mother of God

Masses for the Solemnity of Mary

Friday, December 31

11:00 p.m.

(followed by a New Year’s Toast & Celebration in the Social Level)

Saturday, January 1

9:00 a.m.

Because this solemnity falls on a Saturday,

it is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year.

There is not a 5:30 p.m. Mass on Friday.