«Seven days have gone by since Christmas, when our eyes were turned toward the child and toward all the small and weak of this world. Today, the Church feels the need to look toward the mother and to celebrate her». Our President, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, writes this in his commentary on the Readings for Wednesday, January 1st, the first day of 2014, the Feast of Mary Mother of God (in his book “La Parola di Dio ogni giorno 2014”) .
 

«Mary, holding Jesus on her lap or in her arms is one of the most familiar and tender images of the mystery of the Incarnation», says Msgr. Paglia, recalling that «it is now a well-established tradition that, on the first day of the year, the Church assembles in prayer to ask for Peace». The prayer then follows: «Come, Spirit of the Lord, and transform the hearts of the believers, so that their hardness may melt and they be touched at seeing the Child’s weakness; transform the hearts of our cities and our countries, so that hatred, envy, vituperation, abuse and disinterest be eliminated and solidarity may grow... transform the heart of every man and every woman, and make them rediscover the face of the only God, the Father of all».