As the nation marks the first day of the brand new year on Monday, Jan. 1, Diocese of Antipolo Bishop Ruperto C. Santos reminded the faithful of the Blessed Mother’s prayer for the world peace, good and full of grace.

“The first day of January is special not only because it is the beginning of the new year. More so, on the first day of every year, we also celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. It is a feast to celebrate Mary’s motherhood. This gives us a special time to reflect on her life, particularly her maternal love for us. She is not only the Mother of Christ, she is also our Mother,” said the prelate who is also the CBCP bishop promoter of Stella Maris Philippines.

In his diocesan reflection and message for the New Year, Bishop Santos highlighted the importance of peace, good and grace in our daily life.

“Peace is very fitting for our times when the world has descended into so much chaos marked by division and hostility. We live in a war-torn world as we watch or read the news everyday. We see territorial disputes such as Russia versus Ukraine and Israel versus Palestine. There is an ongoing civil war in Afghanistan, Syria, and Libya to name a few. There is also instability between political affiliations, not only on the global scale but domestically as well. Moreover, violence against civilians has increased and results in deaths worldwide,” the Church leader said.

“Peace is not only desired on a larger scale but for some, probably in people’s personal life as well. Sometimes, even in your own household, you yearn for peace. Family discord happens and sadly, may last for years, with damaging impact,” he added.

The bishop invited the faithful to pray to the Virgin of Antipolo who is venerated as the Queen of Peace.

“Our loving Blessed Mother here in Antipolo, Nuestra Señora de La Paz y Buen Viaje is revered as the Queen of Peace. She is not only a picture of peace but also of tenderness. We can come boldly to her anytime. She will pray for us and for peace in our lives, our families, our communities, our nation, and the whole world. Our beloved Blessed Mother wishes to serve the peace and reconciliation which Christ, her Son brings to this world. Peace is at hand because of Jesus. And the Mother of the Prince of Peace wishes to intercede so that the peace of her Son will rule in our lives and in the whole world,” the Church leader said.

Bishop Santos likewise cited Mary’s compassion and inherent goodness.

“Our Blessed Mother here in Antipolo, Nuestra Señora de La Paz y Buen Viaje, is always associated with the devotion of the Filipino people. She is, indeed, the mother of all nations. Because of her maternal guidance, she demonstrates God’s love for the world. Mary does not only have a special role. She has a special mission given to her by God. We can be assured that as our Mother, Mary has true compassion for us. And as such, she always wishes for what is good for all of us,” he said.

“We are likely familiar with the story of the first recorded miracle of Jesus, the wedding at Cana. We have no idea whose wedding it was but we know both Mary and Jesus were present. Mary had no responsibilities for the wedding but when the critical situation came as the wine ran out, she experienced immediate understanding and compassion for the groom and his family. She saw it as her responsibility to help. To save the day, Mary took the matter into her own hands and instructed the servants to follow what Jesus tells them to do,” the bishop added.

“A mother is a picture of provision and protection. There is no one who sacrifices more than a mother sacrifices for her child. Our Blessed Mother sees and knows our needs and would always desire what is good for us. She wants to help us to turn to Christ and be strengthened by His love and mercy. Many aspects of her attitude and reactions are helpful to us in the way we grow in faith today,” Bishop Santos stressed.

Lastly, the bishop called on the faithful to imitate the Holy Mother’s example of humility and faith.

“As we read from the Gospel of Saint Luke, the angel Gabriel first greeted the Virgin Mary, ‘Hail, full of grace!’ indicating that she was highly favored by God. This meant she had been given much grace. He had prepared and chosen her to be the vessel for the coming of our Savior in human form. It was God’s grace that filled her,” he said.

“We are all called to be full of grace. God desires to be with us. Our Blessed Mother points to us the way that God had already provided, that is through His only Son Jesus. As we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of Jesus, let us be inspired by the words spoken by the angel Gabriel, ‘Hail, full of grace!’The reason why Mary is full of grace is because the Lord is with her. The grace with which Mary is filled is the very life of God, who is the source of all grace.,” said the bishop.

“Our Blessed Mother invites us to imitate her in humility and faith. God brings new life to ordinary people who have pure hearts that are open to His invitation to come to Him. Like the Virgin Mary, we can also become full of grace through our daily walk with the Lord. When we respond to the words of God, we also become filled with grace, and we carry Him within us wherever we may be. In that sense, we also become favored. Let us find hope through our Mother’s prayer this New Year for peace, good and full of grace,” said Bishop Santos.