Bible Study Guide

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of GodJanuary 1, 2015

1st reading: Numbers 6,22-27

• 22 The LORD said to Moses: 23 "Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites.

• Say to them: 24 The LORD bless you and keep you! 25 The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! 26 The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!

• 27 So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them."

1st reading: Numbers 6,22-27

• 22 The LORD said to Moses: 23 "Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites.

• Say to them: 24 The LORD bless you and keep you! 25 The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! 26 The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!

• 27 So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them."

Commentary• Supposedly, the Israelites are still

at the foot of Mount Sinai. Soon they will be moving to the Promised Land. Moses is the leader of the Israelites, assigned by God to lead them out of Egypt.

• In vv.22-23, God instructs Moses to speak to Aaron and his sons (priests). When they bless the people, they should utter vv.24-26.

• In v.27, the Israelites are expected to acknowledge God, pray to God (to invoke his name) and, in turn, God promises to bless them.

Reflections on the 1Reflections on the 1stst reading reading

• When we encounter God’s priests, we are supposed to receive their blessings.

• God’s priests are supposed to bless the people.• Blessing includes God keeping us safe, making

his presence felt, bestowing his graces upon us, showing his kindness to us and giving us peace.

• We should acknowledge God’s blessings.• God will bless us again and again.• Let us wish well to one another.

Resp. Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8• R. (2a) May God bless us in his mercy.

• 2 May God have pity on us and bless us;may he let his face shine upon us.3 So may your way be known upon earth;among all nations, your salvation.

• 5 May the nations be glad and exultbecause you rule the peoples in equity;the nations on the earth you guide.

• 6 May the peoples praise you, O God;may all the peoples praise you!8 May God bless us,and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

Resp. Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8• R. (2a) May God bless us in his

mercy.

• 2 May God have pity on us and bless us;may he let his face shine upon us.3 So may your way be known upon earth;among all nations, your salvation.

• 5 May the nations be glad and exultbecause you rule the peoples in equity;the nations on the earth you guide.

• 6 May the peoples praise you, O God;may all the peoples praise you!8 May God bless us,and may all the ends of the earth fear him!

Commentary• V.2 repeats the blessing in the first

reading.• In v.3, the psalmist is convinced

that if God blesses his people, his ways and salvation will be known throughout the world.

• In v.5, the psalmist desires that nations be glad because of his justice and guidance.

• In v.6, the psalmist desires that God be praised by all.

• In v.8, he desires God’s blessings.• In v.8b, the psalmist desires that all

peoples fear (revere) him.

Reflections on the Psalm

• Like the psalmist, we must wish other people well. We do not curse them, or wish evil to befall upon them.

• We must desire God’s blessings on them.

• Our best wishes become our prayer.

• We experience God’s blessings when justice is being done.

• Are you fond of blessing or cursing?

2nd reading: Galatians 4,4-7

• 4 When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. 6 As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!“ 7 So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

2nd reading: Galatians 4,4-74 When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. 6 As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!“ 7 So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

Commentary• Take note: the birth of Christ is not just

a simple birth of a baby boy that gives joy, but signals the fullness of time.

• Fullness of time is God’s time, God taking hold of us through his Son.

• V.5 indicates the purpose of his birth: – to ransom (to pay a high price, not just

to snatch us by stealth) us who are slaves of the law (Mosaic law)

– To adopt us as children of God• V.6 gives us evidence (proof) that we

are truly God’s adopted children.– We possess the spirit of his Son,

making us able to cry out, “Abba, Father.”

• We are no longer living with a certain distance from God, but close to him.

Reflections on the 2nd reading

• We, Catholics, attribute the woman mentioned in Gal 4,4 to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

• We, Catholics, are Marian.• We appreciate the role of the mother of Jesus.

We appreciate Mary’s motherhood.• We must interpret Jesus’ birth as fullness of

time, the beginning of our adoption as children of God.

• As God’s children, adopted through Christ, we must behave accordingly.

• We must live in freedom, in the Spirit and spontaneity, not in legalism.

Gospel reading: Luke 2,16-21

• 16 The shepherds went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. 18 All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. 19 And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. 21 When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Gospel reading: Luke 2,16-21Shepherds

• 16 The shepherds went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. 18 All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.

Mary

• 19 And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

Shepherds

• 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

Naming and Circumcision

• 21 When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Commentary• In v.16, the shepherds hurry to see

the newborn savior as announced by the angel, when they were pasturing.

• In v.17, they recount what the angel told them about the child.

• V.18 tells of the joy of those who heard the story.

• V.19 tells of Mary’s quiet disposition. For her, more important is not her experience of child bearing, but the identity of her Son.

• V.20 tells of the shepherds’ joy for finding out everything as was told to them. They went back to work. They did not linger there.

• V.21 describes the Jewish custom of circumcising and the naming of Jesus.

Reflections on the gospel reading

• Like the shepherds, we must believe what is announced and seek the joy of encountering our Savior (in the sacraments).

• Like Mary, we must ponder how God is intervening in our lives.

• Like the Holy Family, we must keep God’s laws and our sound beliefs and culture.

• We must be connected with our people and unique history.

Tying the 3 readings and the Psalm

• The first reading talks about blessing.

• The psalm talks about uttering the blessings ourselves.

• The second reading invites us to celebrate God’s blessings: being called his children

• The gospel reading talks about rejoicing over God’s blessings.

How to develop your sharing

• What is the meaning of New Year?

• It is meaningful as long as we make it so.

• The world teaches us to explode fire crackers today.

• We, Christians, can make it meaningful through the readings for this Solemnity.

• The first reading suggests that in this New Year, we utter blessings upon the people.

• We wish other people well. Other cultures talk about good fortune.

• We wish that God shows his mercy upon them.

• We wish that God gives his peace to them.

• We can make this New Year meaningful by appropriating the psalm.

• We make it our own prayer.

• We bless God by our words now, in our liturgical celebrations.

• We invite other people and creatures to bless the Lord.

• The second reading contains strong reasons to bless God in this New Year.

• God has made us his adopted children through his Son, Jesus.

• His Son came to ransom us from the clouts of the enslaving law.

• Now, we, as liberated people of God, have the right to call God “Our Father.”

• The gospel reading suggests that we should bless (praise) God today for sending his Son to save us.

• Like Joseph and Mary, we must keep our sound and sacred traditions and history.

• We must be rooted in our faith.• When we were named Christians at our

baptism and “circumcised,” we were considered to belong to God’s covenanted people.

• For enlightened Christians, New Year should not be used as an excuse to buy and make noise.

• It is not an occasion to show off our fireworks and to terrorize the faithful on their way to the church and home.

• Their abuses have moved midnight masses to earlier time. They have even discouraged churchgoers from participating in the Midnight mass.

• It is not also an excuse to drink a lot of liquor or to abuse food.

• For Christians who are in their right senses, this New Year, they should instead go to the church.

• The parents should lead their children in uttering praises, blessings and thanksgiving to God, by using our responsorial psalm and by singing the “Our Father.”

• We take this New Year as an occasion for deep spiritual experience of God.

• Let each home and every corner of our place be permeated with the odor of sanctity rather than heavy smell and smoke of gunpowder and firecrackers or burning tires.

• Participation in the eucharist is where we can best bless God and receive his blessings.

• The eucharist is a sacrament of God’s blessings to us.

• The eucharist promotes the presence of God and his peace to us.

Our Context of Sin and Grace• Worldly celebration of

New Year (fireworks and much food only, no Mass)

• No respect for sacred traditions

• No sense of history• No appreciation of

being ransomed

• Celebration of the Eucharist today

• Appreciation of being God’s children

• Solidarity with the poor

• Blessing other people

Suggested Songs

• Ang Pasko ay Sumapit• The Blessing of St. Francis

– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Rn9GKWFl0