Hebrew commentary on the first Sunday of the New Year Gospel

Photo credit: KUL Heschel Center

The Gospel for the first Sunday of the New Year has two scenes. The first one is about the shepherds, who heard the angels’ message, set out, and finally saw the Messiah. The second scene is related to Mary, who allowed God to act in her life. Mary is the image of every Christian in whom Christ is to be born,” writes Prof. Wojciech Kaczmarek, head of the Department of Drama and Theater at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, in a commentary on the Sunday Gospel for the Heschel Center.

We publish a complete commentary on Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 2:16-21) for the solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.

The Gospel for the first day of the Year 2023, the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, seems to have two scenes. The first scene is about the shepherds who heard from the angels that the Messiah was born in Bethlehem. They wanted to see Him. First, they heard about Him, then they went on their way, and finally, they saw Him. And this is the first scene of this Gospel. These simple people came and gave glory to God.

The second scene is related to Mary. She is in the middle of the mystery of salvation. When the angel at the Annunciation told her this news that she would give birth to the Savior, Mary was confused at these words but the angel strengthened her, told her that it would happen through the Holy Spirit, then she uttered a very significant word: fiat, let it be done to me! And now, in this Gospel scene, it happens: Jesus is born.

And what does Mary do? She is amazed at how God is carrying out this plan of salvation. The Evangelist says, “She kept all these things in her heart.” But what does it mean that she “kept these things in her heart”? It means that she contemplated this mystery and allowed God to act.

Since Mary is the image of every Christian in whom Christ is to be born, here we get the message from her for us today: Allow God to act in your lives.

 

About the Author

Prof. Wojciech Kaczmarek, DSc., Head of the Department of Drama and Theater at the Institute of Literary Studies in the Faculty of Humanities of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. Prof. Kaczmarek’s main area of research includes various expressions of drama and religious theater in Poland and Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. He has devoted much of his scholarly work to the theater in the life experience of Karol Wojtyla. Prof. Kaczmarek has been a fellow of the Scientific Society of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin since 1995, and an active member of the Société Internationale d’Histoire Comparée du Théâtre, de l’Opera et du Ballet in Paris since 1995.

 

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