Happy New Year and Happy Feast Day . . .

Happy New Year to one and all and every blessing in 2010 and thereafter!

Reading up on the Solemnity, I've only just discovered that today's Feast Day is a relatively new one, Portugal being the first place that the Feast was officially celebrated on 11th October in 1914 and extending to the entire Latin Church in 1931. The rearrangement of the date to 1st January only dates from the Second Vatican Council. (Ah, well, I suppose they can't tell you everything when you're receiving instruction to be received into the Church!) Relatively new, the date of the Solemnity may be, but as long as I've been a Catholic it's always been celebrated on New Year's Day.

Here is what Pope Paul VI had to say about the feast when explaining his decision to change the feast of Jesus' Circumcision to the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God:

"In the revised arrangement of the Christmas season, we should all turn with one mind to the restored solemnity of the Mother of God. This feast was entered into the calendar in the liturgy of the city of Rome for the first day of January. The purpose of the celebration is to honour the role of Mary in the mystery of salvation and at the same time to sing the praises of the unique dignity thus coming to "the Holy Mother...through whom we have been given the gift of the Author of life." This same solemnity also offers an excellent opportunity to renew the adoration rightfully to be shown to the newborn Prince of Peace, as we once again hear the good tidings of great joy and pray to God, through the intercession of the Queen of Peace, for the priceless gift of peace. Because of these considerations and the fact that the octave of Christmas coincides with a day of hope, New Year's Day, we have assigned to it the observance of the World Day of Peace" (Paul VI, Marialis Cultus, Feb. 2, 1974, no.5).

So, you see, it makes a lot of sense - naturally! Linking the Feast of Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, just one week later at the end of the Christmas Octave when we honour His mother - The Queen of Peace.

It's also World Day for Peace - Clever, eh?