Christmas and New Year

The angel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would conceive a son by the Holy Spirit and name him Jesus. The event of Christ's incarnation and birth from the Virgin Mary is the history of salvation in Christianity. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah directs prophetic words to the unfaithful king Ahaz: „Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel!“ The books of the Old and New Testaments are an inseparable whole, and the fulfillment of the prophecy happened with the incarnation of Jesus Christ and his birth in the Bethlehem stable.

On January 1, the beginning of the New Year is celebrated all over the world. Cheerful and noisy, with family and friends. But on the first of January, the feast of Mary the Mother of God is also celebrated - Mother of God, Mother of the Church and Mother of all people. In this way, the Church places us under the care and protection of Mary at the beginning of the new year.

(Željka Šaravanja)