Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, Year C

In the first reading from Numbers, we hear God's command to bless the Israelites: "The LORD bless you and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!” These words echo through the ages, reminding us that God desires a relationship of intimacy with us, one that is filled with love and peace. This blessing takes a profound form through Mary's motherhood—her yes to God transformed the world. In her, we see how God’s face shines upon us through her Son. The manifold blessings she received, she shared with the world, and in virtue of her glorified immortal body and soul assumed into heaven, she continues this filial solicitude from heaven, always diligent in her care and attention of each one of her children still making their pilgrimage to heaven.
In Galatians, St. Paul tells us that God sent His Son "born of a woman." This simple yet profound fact emphasizes the dignity and importance of Mary in the divine plan, but it also extols women and motherhood to that sanctity which the world often forgets. Women, for so many years were relegated to a secondary place of importance in parallel with men. This still happens today, where in parts of the world, they continue to be mistreated as subjects and inferiors, rather than coheirs in the Kingdom. God, in choosing to be born of a woman (instead of just appearing on the scene one fine day from heaven, which he could have done), extols her, and in a sense, all women to a place of highest dignity. Exorcists have even told us how Lucifer’s greatest anger which he carries with him for all eternity, is that his place in heaven, preeminent among the angels and saints, was given by God to the Queen of Heaven and Earth, a woman, who would overcome his pride with her humility.
For this reason, when James and John asked Jesus to be placed one at his right and another at his left, and he denied them, it was because he knew that the place to his right (the most important place) would be given to the Blessed Virgin, his and our Mother, for God extols to the greatest heights, those who humbled themselves to the lowest places out of love for him. In her humility, therefore, was great power. We should never mistaken humility for inferiority or weakness, for the Son of God himself, who is God, chose humility to humble the proud. Mary is not just a passive participant but an active collaborator, chosen to bring salvation into the world through Jesus. Mary’s openness to God's will made her the very first tabernacle, carrying Jesus—the embodiment of God's love and grace—in her womb, and more profoundly, in her heart, always as the Gospel reading from Luke illustrates. She is a model for how we, too, can deepen our relationship with God through contemplation and prayer. Mary teaches us to say "yes" to God's will, to trust in His plans, and to find peace in our lives through faith.
Most of all, as we each contemplate the goodness of Almighty God in the gifts of virtue with which he adorned her, let us remember to thank Him for giving us such a beautiful Mother, pure and holy, who daily tends to our care, and continually offers prayers on our behalf with the God whom she has passionately loved, above all else, for all these years. May She who is our Queen Mother continue to be merciful to us, and raise us to Jesus, the source of all our joy, peace and strength. Amen.