1 January 2023 Mary, the Holy Mother of God
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
From Numbers 6:22-27, NRSV
As we begin a new calendar year, we hear the beautiful words of the blessing that God gave to Moses for the people of Israel. These words promised that throughout all the trials they were to experience, they could rely on God’s presence and protection. This was a blessing that would have been familiar to Mary, whose motherhood the church celebrates today, and would likely have sustained her through the joys and sufferings of her own life. This is a blessing for us too and one that assures us that whatever may come our way through the course of this new year, God blesses us and desires our peace.
- How do you interpret the words of this blessing?
- When have you felt God’s blessing on you?
You may like to copy out these words of blessing and put them in a place where you can regularly read them – in times of struggle as well as in good times.
