January 1 is not just New Year’s Day; it’s also the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, a Holy Day of Obligation. Father Chris Alar, MIC, shows how the concept of Mary, Mother of God is revealed in Sacred Scripture, and how, by carrying  in her womb a divine Person, Mary contributed the genetic matter to the human form God took in Jesus Christ.

Fr. Jason Lewis reminds us on the Feast of the Guardian Angels that each one of us has been given a personal heavenly companion from the moment of our birth until death (cf. Catechism 336). Jesus Himself teaches: “Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3). Why? Because children know their dependence. To be childlike before God is to recognize our total need for His grace.

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022726.cfm Father Chris Alar, MIC, begins by reminding us that forgiveness is often misunderstood. He explains that we are called to let go of resentment, not to forge a friendship with the one who harms us. Forgiveness, he says, releases the heart from hatred while leaving space for justice.