Eight days after Christmas, the Church gathers again to celebrate. From the beginning, Christians wanted this day to shine with a special light. While the world around them welcomed the first of January with noisy pagan festivals, the Church chose another path: to honor Mary, the Mother of God, and to place this day under her protection.
The celebration has deep roots. In the East, Christians were already keeping this octave in the 4th century, and little by little it reached the West. In Spain, around the 7th century, the Church created a Christian feast to replace the old pagan customs of the New Year. Later it spread to Gaul, Germany, and Italy. Over time, January 1st became the first great Marian feast in the Western Church.
Today we celebrate Mary’s divine motherhood. At Christmas we welcomed the Son of God made flesh, and now we look to the one who gave Him life, the humble Virgin of Nazareth, who is truly Mother of God. Already in the ancient Roman liturgy, the texts for this day praised Mary’s virginal motherhood, and this tradition unites us with the Eastern Churches, who also keep similar feasts at this time.
There may also be another origin: in Rome, the old Basilica of Santa Maria Antiqua was dedicated on this same day, and nearby lived Eastern monks whose chants and prayers enriched the liturgy. Their antiphons, full of beauty and Greek inspiration, are still sung today.
Finally, this day also recalls the Gospel event: on the eighth day after His birth, Jesus was circumcised, receiving the name that means “God saves.” The reform of the calendar chose to place the focus above all on Mary, yet the memory of Jesus’ first shedding of blood for us remains part of the mystery of this day.
Thus, at the heart of the Christmas season, the Church begins the civil year by looking to Mary, Mother of God and Mother of us all, asking her to accompany us on the path of faith and to lead us to her Son, the Prince of Peace.
