On this first day of the year, the Church places on our lips one of the most ancient and beautiful prayers of blessing found in all of Scripture. When Brother Leo asked St. Francis for a blessing, it is the prayer that Francis spoke and wrote down for Leo.  It is from the Book of Numbers we hear the Lord instruct Moses:

“Thus shall you bless the Israelites…
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!” (Num 6:23–26)

This is far more than a hope or a wish for the days to come. It is a divine act. God says, “So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them” (Num 6:27). It is a promise to all who call upon the Lord: they will receive God’s blessing. That is to live under His gaze, to be held in His protection, and to know His peace, His shalom, to know the fullness of life that comes from communion with Him.

In today’s Gospel, we see this blessing fulfilled not in words alone, but in flesh and blood, in the fullness of life. The shepherds hurry to Bethlehem and find Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. There they encounter the face of God shining upon His people.  And now the divine face has a human name: Jesus. God no longer turns His face toward His people from heaven; He looks at us from a manger. The eternal blessing promised to Israel now lies in Mary’s arms.

Luke tells us something striking about Mary: “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Lk 2:19). Mary receives God’s blessing in a profoundly human way. She does not rush to explain or control it. She ponders, treasures, holds the mystery within her. Mary teaches us that blessing is not always immediately understood. Sometimes it must be prayed over, revisited, and allowed to mature in silence.

At the close of our Gospel, we hear that the child is formally named Jesus at the time of his circumcision (Lk 2:21). The blessing of Numbers ends with God saying, “They shall invoke my name… and I will bless them.” Now that Name has been given. The Name that blesses, saves, and brings peace has entered human history. Mary, Mother of God, is the first to carry that Name not only on her lips, but in her very body and heart.

As we begin a new year, the Church places us where Mary stands: before the mystery of God’s blessing already given, but not yet fully understood. Like her, we are invited to receive the year not with anxiety or mastery, but with trustful reflection. What will this year bring? We do not know. But we do know this: If we call upon the name of the Lord – 

The Lord blesses us and keeps us.
His face shines upon us in Christ.
His Name rests upon us.

And Mary teaches us how to carry that blessing: by pondering it in faith, and by trusting that God’s peace will unfold in His time.

May Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother, help us to recognize ad receive the Lord’s blessing deeply, reflect on it faithfully, and live it courageously throughout the year ahead.
Amen.

Image credit: ” Madonna of the Streets” painting, Roberto Ferruzzi, first introduced it at the Venice Biennale art exhibit in 1897, Public Domain