Jan. 1, Octave of (8th day from) Xmas (a week later), is in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, but the Scripture readings are about God as merciful and otherwise doing great things for his people. Numbers 6 has the Lord telling Moses to tell his man Aaron how to bless the Israelites: "This is how . . . Say to them, 'The Lord bless you and keep you! . . . let his face shine upon you . . . The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!'"
Then we say or sing, if we are adequately blessed, "May God bless us in his mercy," etc. Then Galatians 4 says God sent his Son, "to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." We are "longer a slave but a son." Then Luke 2 shows us the Son, the infant, visited by shepherds and being circumcised.
It's a new charter we have been given. God spoke to his people through (often tough-talking) prophets, now he speaks through this eminently approachable son of his. If you think this is supposed to make us feel good, you are right. New ball game here. Son sent, slaves ransomed. Hallelujah!
