A calendar attentive to the figure and mission of the Mother of Jesus

12. Mary of Nazareth has played an essential role in the event commemorated in the Grand Jubilee of the Year 2000 - the Incarnation of the Word and the birth of Christ: in the Incarnation, she received, in her own name and representing her people and humanity, the Son of God; in giving Him birth, she brought Him into the light and presented Him to the world, she placed herself at the disposal of the salvific work of Christ. (Cf. Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen gentium, 56.) The letter Tertio Millennio Adveniente speaks of her repeatedly and observes that "The affirmation of the central place of Christ cannot therefore be separated from the recognition of the role played by his Most Holy Mother" (n. 43).

To highlight, in an adequate fashion, the role of the Mother of the Saviour there is no simpler or better way than to celebrate, with particular devotion, according to the rhythm of the liturgical year, those feasts of the Blessed Virgin which are more closely linked with the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word-birth of Christ, during this Jubilee Year.

In this way, it is to be hoped that the Great Jubilee of Christ, spontaneously, be reason of the indissoluble union of the Divine Word and the Virgin in the mystery of the Natalis Domini, will become also, the Jubilee of His Mother.

Roger Cardinal Etchegaray
President of the Central Committee and of the Presidential Council

+ Crescenzio Sepe
General Secretary of the Central Committee and of the Presidential Council