Register Summary

Pope John Paul II met with 6,000pilgrims during his general audience in Paul VI Hall on Jan. 7, his first general audience of 2004.

In his teaching, the Holy Father pointed out that the Church's celebration of the Christmas season centers on the mystery of Christ's incarnation and Mary's divine motherhood.

“The Christmas season renews our awareness of this mystery, presenting the Mother of the Son of God to us as sharing in the culminating events of salvation history,” he said.

As the Virgin Mother of the Incarnate Word, Mary was from the beginning closely associated with her Son's saving work.

“Mary's whole existence is deeply connected to that of Jesus,” he noted. “She is the one who offers Jesus to mankind at Christmas. At that supreme moment when his redemptive mission was fulfilled on the cross, it was Jesus who offered the gift of his own mother to every human being.”

John Paul ended the audience by urging the faithful around the world to entrust themselves to Mary's motherly protection during the coming year.

“Alma Redemptoris Mater … Mother of the Redeemer …” It is with these words that we invoke Mary during the Christmas season, using an ancient and moving Marian antiphon that continues with these words: “Tu quae genuisti natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem — To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator.”

Mary, Mother of God! This truth of faith, which is deeply connected to our Christmas celebrations, is emphasized in a special way in the liturgy for the first day of the year, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Mary is the Mother of the Redeemer; she is the woman whom God chose to carry out his plan of salvation, which is at the center of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Divine Word.

Mother of God

A humble creature bore the Creator of the world! The Christmas season renews our awareness of this mystery, presenting the Mother of the Son of God to us as sharing in the culminating events of salvation history. The age-old tradition of the Church has always considered the birth of Jesus and Mary's divine motherhood as two aspects of the Incarnation of the Word. “In fact,” confirms the Catechism of the Catholic Church, quoting the Council of Ephesus, “the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly ‘Mother of God’ (Theotokos)” (No. 495).

All other aspects of Our Lady's mission are derived from the fact that she is the “Mother of God.” These aspects are emphasized by the titles with which the community of Christ's disciples throughout the world honors her. First and foremost are the titles of “Immaculate” and “Assumed into Heaven,” since she who would bear the Savior surely could not be subject to the corruption that is the result of original sin.

Moreover, the Virgin Mary is invoked as Mother of the Mystical Body, that is, of the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, referring back to the patristic tradition expressed by St. Augustine, affirms she “is clearly the mother of the members of Christ … since she has by her charity joined in bringing about the birth of believers in the Church, who are members of its head” (No. 963).

Mary Our Mother

Mary's whole existence is deeply connected to that of Jesus. She is the one who offers Jesus to mankind at Christmas. At that supreme moment when his redemptive mission was fulfilled on the cross, it was Jesus who offered the gift of his own mother to every human being — that precious heritage of our redemption.

The words of our crucified Lord to John, the faithful disciple, constitute his testament. He entrusts his Mother to John and, at the same time, entrusts the apostle and every believer to the love of Mary.

In these last days of the Christmas season, let us pause to contemplate in the crib the silent presence of the Virgin next to the Child Jesus. She shows for us the same love and the same concern she had for her Divine Son. Therefore, allow her to guide our steps during the new year, which Providence gives us to live.

This is my wish for all of you in this first general audience of 2004: Sustained and comforted by her maternal protection, that we will be able to contemplate the face of Christ with new eyes and walk more quickly along the path of goodness.

Once again, happy new year to you here present and to your loved ones!

(Register translation)