CT - Catholic Telegraph

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, Numbers 6:22-27

The Book of Numbers is the fourth volume of the Pentateuch, the collection of five books that stands at the beginning of the Old Testament and that constitutes the foundation for the history and the law (Torah) of the Israelites. The title of this fourth book of the Pentateuch comes from the accounts of the two censuses of the people that occur in its first and last chapters.

The first six chapters of Numbers are concerned with the organization of the people into an effective fighting force, including the duties of special groups of the Israelites such as the Levites (in charge of the cult of God) and the Nazarites (persons who dedicated themselves to a special religious rigor). At the end of the sixth chapter comes the blessing of Aaron that constitutes the liturgical first reading for this day.

This was the formula the high priest and his sons were to use in calling God's blessing on the Israelites. Scholars point out that the pronoun "you" is singular in the original Hebrew, and thus the blessing is addressed to the people as a whole rather than to a collection of individuals.

These verses are said to constitute one of the oldest pieces of poetry in Sacred Scripture. The blessing is a poem of three verses or lines, each of which has two parts. It is a prayer for material and spiritual well-being.

"May the Lord bless you and keep you." To be blessed by God means to be granted all that God wants to confer on His people. Asking that God "keep" the people is to pray for the exercise and fulfillment of God's loving, ongoing providence for them.

The face of God means God himself and to ask that God's face shine on the people is to pray that God will look on them with favor. God's favor is "gracious," that is, it is an undeserved gift.

This idea is repeated in the opening of the next verse, where God's favor will result in God's gift of peace to His people. Note that, in the context of Sacred Scripture, "peace" involves much more than the absence of war. It includes elements of fullness, completion, harmony, and happiness.

Notice that each of the three verses calls for an action of God ("bless," "face shine," "look kindly") that results in something good for the people ("keep," graciousness, peace).

The final verse of our reading, and of chapter 6, is a kind of wrap-up sentence. The priests are to invoke God's name on the Israelites in these words. Invoking God's name "upon" the people means imprinting God's name on them, putting on them a seal of ownership. The Israelites are proclaimed to be God's property. That's why God will bless them. God's ownership of this people is precisely what constitutes the blessing.

Numbers is not one of the books of the Old Testament that is used frequently in the liturgy of Sundays and holy days. In fact, it is used only one other time in the whole three year Sunday cycle. It is not inappropriate to ask why this particular piece of Numbers is used for this Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God.

One reason that immediately suggests itself is that this day is also the day on which we celebrate the beginning of a new year. What better way to mark the new year than by asking God to protect us, to be gracious to us, to give us peace, to renew His lordship over our human existence?

The observance of World Peace Day, a kind of parallel observance that the Popes have fostered over the last decades, also fits in with what the Aaronic blessing asks for.

But there may be a still deeper connection between our text and this day's liturgy. At the end of the gospel (Luke 2:21) Luke tells us that on this day, eight days after the birth of Jesus, the name that the angel had given Him was conferred on Him through the Jewish rite of circumcision. "Name" links the Gospel reading with our overture reading from Numbers. Just as the Israelites would be constituted as God's people by God's name being invoked upon them, so also the new people of God would be constituted by the name of Jesus Christ. Christ's ownership of us is what makes us what we are.

There are always reasons for gratitude in the Christian life. On this day, it seems natural to be grateful for the new year that we begin. But it is also appropriate to be grateful for the other blessings that God has given us, especially for the blessing of sharing in the life and the identity of the people of the Lord.

For reflection and discussion

What blessings have I received from God?

What blessings do I seek from God?



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	*Overtures* Reflection on the first readings of the Sunday liturgy By Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk May God protect us in the new year Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, Numbers 6:22-27 The Book of Numbers is the fourth volume of the Pentateuch, the collection of five books that stands at the beginning of the Old Testament and that constitutes the foundation for the history and the law (Torah) of the Israelites. The title of this fourth book of the Pentateuch comes from the accounts of the two censuses of the people that occur in its first and last chapters. The first six chapters of Numbers are concerned with the organization of the people into an effective fighting force, including the duties of special groups of the Israelites such as the Levites (in charge of the cult of God) and the Nazarites (persons who dedicated themselves to a special religious rigor). At the end of the sixth chapter comes the blessing of Aaron that constitutes the liturgical first reading for this day. This was the formula the high priest and his sons were to use in calling God's blessing on the Israelites. Scholars point out that the pronoun "you" is singular in the original Hebrew, and thus the blessing is addressed to the people as a whole rather than to a collection of individuals. These verses are said to constitute one of the oldest pieces of poetry in Sacred Scripture. The blessing is a poem of three verses or lines, each of which has two parts. It is a prayer for material and spiritual well-being. "May the Lord bless you and keep you." To be blessed by God means to be granted all that God wants to confer on His people. Asking that God "keep" the people is to pray for the exercise and fulfillment of God's loving, ongoing providence for them. The face of God means God himself and to ask that God's face shine on the people is to pray that God will look on them with favor. God's favor is "gracious," that is, it is an undeserved gift. This idea is repeated in the opening of the next verse, where God's favor will result in God's gift of peace to His people. Note that, in the context of Sacred Scripture, "peace" involves much more than the absence of war. It includes elements of fullness, completion, harmony, and happiness. Notice that each of the three verses calls for an action of God ("bless," "face shine," "look kindly") that results in something good for the people ("keep," graciousness, peace). The final verse of our reading, and of chapter 6, is a kind of wrap-up sentence. The priests are to invoke God's name on the Israelites in these words. Invoking God's name "upon" the people means imprinting God's name on them, putting on them a seal of ownership. The Israelites are proclaimed to be God's property. That's why God will bless them. God's ownership of this people is precisely what constitutes the blessing. Numbers is not one of the books of the Old Testament that is used frequently in the liturgy of Sundays and holy days. In fact, it is used only one other time in the whole three year Sunday cycle. It is not inappropriate to ask why this particular piece of Numbers is used for this Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. One reason that immediately suggests itself is that this day is also the day on which we celebrate the beginning of a new year. What better way to mark the new year than by asking God to protect us, to be gracious to us, to give us peace, to renew His lordship over our human existence? The observance of World Peace Day, a kind of parallel observance that the Popes have fostered over the last decades, also fits in with what the Aaronic blessing asks for. But there may be a still deeper connection between our text and this day's liturgy. At the end of the gospel (Luke 2:21) Luke tells us that on this day, eight days after the birth of Jesus, the name that the angel had given Him was conferred on Him through the Jewish rite of circumcision. "Name" links the Gospel reading with our overture reading from Numbers. Just as the Israelites would be constituted as God's people by God's name being invoked upon them, so also the new people of God would be constituted by the name of Jesus Christ. Christ's ownership of us is what makes us what we are. There are always reasons for gratitude in the Christian life. On this day, it seems natural to be grateful for the new year that we begin. But it is also appropriate to be grateful for the other blessings that God has given us, especially for the blessing of sharing in the life and the identity of the people of the Lord. For reflection and discussion** What blessings have I received from God? What blessings do I seek from God?

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