January 1 marks the feast of the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God. The holy day of obligation falls on a Thursday this year. According to the Dictionary of the Liturgy, “this feast recognized Mary as the physical parent of Christ, the God-Man, defined at the Council of Ephesus in the fifth century.
This solemnity celebrates the part played by Mary in the Mystery of Salvation, exalts the singular dignity that this mystery brings to the holy Mother, renews adoration to the newborn Prince of Peace and implores from God, through Mary’s intercession, the supreme gift of peace.”