God sent his Son, born of a woman: Num 3, Gal 4, and Mary, Mother of God, in Lk 2.

## The Solemnity of the Mother of God**Scriptural Basis:*** **”Misit Deus Filium suum, factum ex muliere.” (Gal 4:4)** * **Num 6:22-27** – The priestly blessing given by Aaron to the Israelites. * **Luke 2:16-21** – The visit of the shepherds to Bethlehem and their adoration of the infant Jesus.**I. First Reading: Num 6:22-27**The Lord commanded Moses to instruct Aaron and his sons to bless the Israelites with these words: **”The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and grant you peace.” (Num 6:24-26).** He explained, **”They shall put my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.” (v. 27).** This ancient biblical text presents a threefold blessing: blessing and protection, light and grace, presence and peace. The name of the Lord placed upon Israel signifies belonging; those blessed are part of God’s family. Aaron’s blessing foreshadows the blessing brought by Jesus’ name, “Lord saves.”**II. Second Reading: Gal 4:4-7**Paul proclaims the faith in the Incarnation: **”When the time was right, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law” (Gal 4:4).** He emphasizes two births: from God and from a woman. The purpose: to redeem those under the law so that they might receive adoption as children of God (v. 5). And the pneumatological confirmation: **”God sent his Spirit into our hearts, crying out ‘Abba, Father!’ ” (v. 6).** Paul does not explicitly name Mary, but the phrase “born of a woman” forms the theological foundation for the title “Mother of God.” The Council of Ephesus (431) affirmed that to deny Mary the title Theotokos is to deny the Incarnation itself.**The Visit of the Shepherds:**Luke 2:16-21 recounts the visit of shepherds to Bethlehem, who find Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus in a manger (v. 16). Upon witnessing this scene, they “were filled with awe” (v. 18) and shared the good news with others (vv. 17-18). **”But Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” (v. 19)** When the infant Jesus was eight days old, his name was given as “Jesus” (v. 21).Verse 19 is particularly rich: while the shepherds speak and others marvel, Mary “keeps all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” This verb combination implies both active preservation and contemplative pondering. Mary, the first theologian of the faith in the incarnate Son, internalizes and meditates upon the mysteries she witnesses.The title “Mother of God,” Theotókos in Greek, Dei Genitrix in Latin, is the most radical and dense title that Christian tradition has given to Mary. Radical because it goes to the root: it does not merely say that Mary is holy or exemplary, but that the Son she bore is God. Dense because it contains all of Christology: if Jesus is God and Mary is his Mother, then Mary is Mother of God. Ephesus (431) defined this title not to exalt Mary but to protect the faith in Christ. Galatians 4 says that the Son of God was “born of a woman”: this woman did not merely generate a nature, she generated a divine Person. Numbers 6 asks that the name of the Lord be placed on Israel: the name that Mary placed on the Son, Jesus, is the name that saves. Luke 2:19 shows us Mary pondering and keeping: a model of the faithful who do not only celebrate the mystery but let it grow within them. The Church places all throughout the year under Mary’s motherhood.