Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 1, 2024 / 04:00 am
Jan. 1 marks more than the start of a new year — it is also the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and the World Day of Peace.
The two celebrations are connected because, as St. Paul VI wrote in 1974, Mary is the queen of peace.
“In the revised ordering of the Christmas period it seems to us that the attention of all should be directed towards the restored solemnity of Mary the holy Mother of God,” he wrote in his encyclical Marialis Cultus. “This celebration, placed on Jan. 1 in conformity with the ancient indication of the liturgy of the city of Rome, is meant to commemorate the part played by Mary in this mystery of salvation.”
He added: “It is likewise a fitting occasion for renewing adoration of the newborn Prince of Peace, for listening once more to the glad tidings of the angels (cf. Lk 2:14), and for imploring from God, through the Queen of Peace, the supreme gift of peace.