How appropriate that on the first day of every year we honor, the Holy Mother of God, for it was her willing obedience to God's plan that enabled the Incarnation and therefore initiated what in time became Christianity. Today is also the World Day of Peace and so we look to Mary, the Queen of Peace - who bore the Prince of Peace - as our model and inspiration for holding peace in our hearts, our communities, and our world. And on this first day of the new year, we also look forward to new beginnings, hopeful that this year will be better that the last. The chosen people were looking forward to a new beginning in the promised land when Aaron and his sons called down God's blessings, God's grace, and God's peace upon them. The shepherds realized a new beginning was taking place in Bethlehem and hurried there to see the newborn king. Mary embraced the new beginning her life had taken after she was visited by the angel. May we look forward to our new beginning, assured that we have a God with us who chose to become incarnate in the world, who chose to share in our humanity, who chose to redeem us from our sins.