At the start of Ordinary Time the Church places before us the New Eve. At Jesus’ first sign at Cana and then again at Jesus’ last sign at Calvary, is the Woman. Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of death.
Entering into the Jordan River, our beloved Saviour intentionally enters the story: salvation history on one hand and into our individual realities and lives, on the other. He becomes one like us, except in sin, and standing with us in the muck of our lives, reveals to us that we are children of the Father. Jesus continually helps us to hear and recognize the Father’s word to us: you are my beloved son/daughter, in whom I delight.
Like the 3 Magi, it seems at times in our own lives that we too come from far away, searching for the King. Finding Him, we realize the truth, that all the while, it was the Lord who sought us out. Encountering Jesus, let us traverse faithfully along the path He reveals to us.
“The predestination of the Blessed Virgin as Mother of God was associated with the incarnation of the divine word: in the designs of divine Providence she was the gracious mother of the divine Redeemer here on earth, and above all others and in a singular way the generous associate and humble handmaid of the Lord… Thus, in a wholly singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in the work of the Savior in restoring supernatural life to souls. For this reason she is a mother to us in the order of grace.” (Lumen Gentium 61)
“The Christian family is called upon like the large-scale Church, to be a sign of unity for the world and in this way exercise its prophetic role by bearing witness to the Kingdom and peace of Christ, towards which the whole world is journeying” (St. Pope John Paul II – Familiaris Consortio, 48).