Well There It Is, Karen

You will note that the computer genius managed to snap a quick photo of me before heading back to her home up north. She snapped it after I had spent most of the afternoon cooking Mexican food with the males of the family, so it isn't exactly a picture at my dressed up best, but it's the best we could manage this time.

It's been a long day after a long night. We rang in the new year with ice cream sodas and Trivial Pursuit (and I even won after a come from behind final sprint!). Then it was up early to clear away the remains of the party before heading out to Mass. Then home again to make a Mexican dinner (chili, enchiladas, guacamole, and tacos). My kitchen seems so small when three of us are attempting to collaborate.

Mass today was wonderful. Father Mattison talked about why the doctrine of Mary as mother of God was important. Since I had just read St. Athanasius in the office of readings this morning it seemed to underscore the point. I came away pondering the fact that as a Protestant this seemed like an odd Catholic idea, yet it now means so much to me. The idea that the flesh that Jesus has he got from his mother, and that if it were not for her he would not have been one with us in our humanity just means so much. Sometimes as a Protestant, even though I knew that Jesus took on our humanity, it seemed like we focused so much on His divinity that it was almost as if God had simply planted an already formed baby in Mary's womb, just what St. Athanasius says He didn't do. Mary was not just a convenient womb, like a surrogate mother of today. She was Jesus's real mother. He really was born as a human baby and grew up to be a human man. He was also fully God. It's a mystery of course, but it's a mystery that Mary is a very tangible part of.

Happy New Year to all of you.