Peace Blessed by God, By Mary, and By Jesus in this New Year! May the Spirit of Jesus Live in Our Hearts Forever!

Happy New Year 2023! This week in mass they celebrated the Solemnity of the Blessed Mother, Mary. I always thought it was the Holy Family, but it is nice to honor Mary. She was a human like us who God came through in human form to be an example for us and die for our sins. The story is beautiful, and she said yes, she was His handmaiden and willing to help carry out His plan, she let His will be done for the entire world! We are saved through Mary in many respects. He prayer also is so powerful, it protects us and brings us peace. We all need to have a tenacious faith like Mary did.  It takes a lot of courage to follow Jesus and accept God's will be done in our lives. We all need to create an atmosphere of praise to our Lord, for His love, mercy, and sacrifice He made for us and our sins. We really are so blessed in our lives as we are reminded by the reading in Numbers. May God bless us always in His mercy! We are not slaves, maybe to our government, they want to be God, but we are God's and His people and His heirs. He is our father, our king, and our God! Jesus is the king of the universe! We only really need to live by His rule and laws, He has all power over us, from above, only Him. Our goal then must to be get into Heaven to spend eternity with Him! So so blessed from God! 

The Octave Day of Christmas Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

Reading I
Numbers 6:22-27
The LORD said to Moses:  
“Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them:  
This is how you shall bless the Israelites.
Say to them:  
The LORD bless you and keep you!  
The LORD let his face shine upon      
you, and be gracious to you!  
The LORD look upon you kindly and      
give you peace!
So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites,  
and I will bless them.”

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8
R. (2a) May God bless us in his mercy.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. May God bless us in his mercy.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. May God bless us in his mercy.

Reading II
Galatians 4:4-7
Brothers and sisters:
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,  
born of a woman, born under the law,  
to ransom those under the law,  
so that we might receive adoption as sons.
As proof that you are sons,  
God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,  
crying out, “Abba, Father!”
So you are no longer a slave but a son,  
and if a son then also an heir, through God.

Alleluia
Heb rews1:1-2
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets;
in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Luke 2:16-21
The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph,  
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,  
they made known the message  
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed  
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,  
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,  
glorifying and praising God  
for all they had heard and seen,  
just as it had been told to them.  
When eight days were completed for his circumcision,  
he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel  
before he was conceived in the womb.