Reflection from www.christian.art
1st January 2026 – Mary, the Holy Mother of God
“Because Christmas returns to us every year, there is always the danger that its mystery becomes overly familiar, rather than astonishing us. What once shook the world can begin to feel predictable. Yet on this New Year’s Day, we celebrate Mary as Mother of God, as the last day of the octave of Christmas. Mary does not rush past what has happened. She pauses. She is amazed at what happened.
“As we begin a new year, this feast invites us to choose Mary’s way: to receive the Good News with renewed wonder rather than routine; to dwell with it rather than rush past it.
“Today is New Year’s Day, a time when we speak of resolutions. And what better resolution could we make than to adopt Mary’s posture before the Gospels we will listen to over the coming year: read and hear them with renewed enthusiasm.”
Happy New Year to you All.
Adoration of the Shepherds by Gerard van Honthorst (1592–1656).
Painted in 1622, Oil on canvas
© The Pomeranian State Museum, Greifswald, Germany