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Image of the Madonna; her head covering and attire depict a whirling galaxy in the heavens, and her hands are positioned as though she is holding the galaxy like a baby.
Sunday December 31, 2023

The Solemnity of the Mother of God

By Bridget Retzloff

The Christmas season would not be possible without Mary, the mother of Jesus, and is a special opportunity to connect with Mary and her experience of motherhood.

In Admirabile signum, Pope Francis writes:

Mary is a mother who contemplates her child and shows him to every visitor. The figure of Mary makes us reflect on the great mystery that surrounded this young woman when God knocked on the door of her immaculate heart. Mary responded in complete obedience to the message of the angel who asked her to become the Mother of God. Her words, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be [done] to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38), show all of us how to abandon ourselves in faith to God’s will.  

Catholics honor Mary and ask her to intercede on their behalf because of her close relationship with God. Mary has appeared on Earth in many different forms. She is known by many different names, and artists depict her in many different ways. The young woman who made salvation possible now reigns in heaven and cares for her children on Earth.

Artist Kelly Latimore’s icon "Mary: Love Forever Being Born" was inspired by a poem by Sister Ilia Delio, which a friend, Brother Jeff Macnab, O.F.M., gave the artist three days before Macnab passed away on Christmas Day 2022.

"What do the stars say?
The light that meets our eyes after millions of years summons us to look beyond.
The dark that hovers over us is filled with light.
That underneath the appearance of the stable heavens is the bubbling energy of the universe.
We are forming, forming, forming + nothing can stop us.
There is a palpable power of attraction, pulling us toward we-no-not-where.
Love alone is the guide of the universe and the whole universe is in the human heart.
Tend to the heart and the power of love will name itself as God."

— Bridget Retzloff is an assistant professor and the Marian Library’s visual resources librarian. She manages the Marian Library's art collection, including over 13,000 artworks in many different media.

Image of the Madonna with a silvery halo around her head; her head covering and attire depict a whirling galaxy in the heavens, and her hands are positioned as though she were holding the galaxy like an infant. The Greek capital letters mu and rho at the top left are an abbreviation for “Mary” or “mother,” and the Greek capital letters theta and upsilon at the top right are an abbreviation for “theou,” for “God,” or “theotokos,” for “God bearer.”

The icon “Mary: Love Forever Being Born” by Kelly Latimore is new to the Marian Library’s collections.

Image of the Madonna with a silvery halo around her head; her head covering and attire depict a whirling galaxy in the heavens, and her hands are positioned as though she were holding the galaxy like an infant. The Greek capital letters mu and rho at the top left are an abbreviation for “Mary” or “mother,” and the Greek capital letters theta and upsilon at the top right are an abbreviation for “theou,” for “God,” or “theotokos,” for “God bearer.”

The icon “Mary: Love Forever Being Born” by Kelly Latimore is new to the Marian Library’s collections.

Handwritten inscription reads: “What do the stars say? The light that meets our eyes after millions of years summons us to look beyond. The dark that hovers over us is filled with light. That underneath the appearance of the stable heavens is the bubbling energy of the universe. We are forming, forming, forming + nothing can stop us. There is a palpable power of attraction, pulling us toward we-no-not-where. Love alone is the guide of the universe and the whole universe is in the human heart.Tend to the heart and the power of love will name itself as God.” — Sr. Ilia Delio

Artist Kelly Latimore’s icon "Mary: Love Forever Being Born" was inspired by a poem by Sister Ilia Delio, which a friend, Brother Jeff Macnab, O.F.M., gave the artist three days before Macnab passed away on Christmas Day 2022.

Handwritten inscription reads: “What do the stars say? The light that meets our eyes after millions of years summons us to look beyond. The dark that hovers over us is filled with light. That underneath the appearance of the stable heavens is the bubbling energy of the universe. We are forming, forming, forming + nothing can stop us. There is a palpable power of attraction, pulling us toward we-no-not-where. Love alone is the guide of the universe and the whole universe is in the human heart.Tend to the heart and the power of love will name itself as God.” — Sr. Ilia Delio

Artist Kelly Latimore’s icon "Mary: Love Forever Being Born" was inspired by a poem by Sister Ilia Delio, which a friend, Brother Jeff Macnab, O.F.M., gave the artist three days before Macnab passed away on Christmas Day 2022.

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