Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I wish you all a heartfelt “Happy New Year” and pray that God blesses you and your loved ones in 2025.
Today, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. On this same feast twenty-two years ago, Pope St. John Paul II said:
“If Jesus is Life, Mary is the Mother of Life.
If Jesus is Hope, Mary is the Mother of Hope.
If Jesus is Peace, Mary is the Mother of Peace…”
Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ, and our Church recognizes and honors Jesus’ full humanity and full divinity through every moment of His life. Indeed, even in the womb, we know that Jesus was always God, the Son: the Way, the Truth, and the Life. So, Our Blessed Mother really can be called the Mother of God. This feast justly celebrates her holiness and obedience, but it is also a feast which praises the mystery of God-made-man. Today’s celebrations remind us that we honor Jesus when we honor Mary.
No matter what our earthly families look like, we all have a Heavenly Mother who longs to help bring us to Heaven. I invite you to turn to Mary for her intercession throughout 2025. I pray that the Mother of God brings you life, hope, and peace this year, drawing you ever closer to her Son.
+ Bishop Schlert
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