Our word for December 23rd is Mother. It is taken from the gospel of Matthew chapter 1, the gospel reading for the 4th Sunday of Advent: Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Mother of God, the “Theotokos” in the Greek (God Bearer), the one Barbara Brown Taylor says, “Smuggled God into the world” is deserving of our honor and praise. The word mother brings up many emotions in each of us, some grand, some not so much. The Mother Mary, Hail Mary full of grace, is told she will be doing this amazing act and gives the most famous “yes” in history. For many of us, our own mothers and mother figures give grand “yes” answers on our behalf all the time. Thanks be to God for the Holy Mother and for all mothers and those who mother others!