Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
In 2018, Pope
Francis added the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the
Church to our Church calendar. Pope Francis hoped this devotion “might
encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the Church in the pastors,
religious and faithful.”[1]
The Scripture reading for this memorial feast is John
19:25–34, in which Jesus calls out from the Cross, entrusting Mary to his
disciple John as his mother and entrusting his disciple to Mary as her son.
Pope John Paul II taught us that through this Scripture passage, we understand
that “Mary is present in the Church as the Mother of Christ, and at the same
time as that Mother whom Christ, in the mystery of the Redemption, gave to
humanity in the person of the Apostle John.”[2] Mary is our
mother too—Mother to the Church and mother to us personally.
As a new mother, inviting Mary into my life was natural. I
could relate to her so easily, but as I got to know her more, I realized I
would have liked to have been in friendship with her sooner. I grew up in a
Protestant church, in which so many of the models of faith put before me were
men: Abraham, Joseph, Jacob, and Paul. It was difficult for me to connect with
these stories, as a young girl without land or leadership. But Mary, I
understood.
As a child, I longed for more faith and to sense God’s
presence. Now, as an adult, I imagine Mary, the young Jewish girl waiting for
the redemption of her people, and I know she would have understood. She could
have been the model of faith I needed as a child, but now I look to her and say
“Yes,” just as she did. She shows us how saying “Yes” to God reveals a world
more magnificent than we could ever imagine. By saying “Yes” to God, Mary
became the first disciple, Jesus’ first follower.
When I became a mother, I was overwhelmed by the hundreds of
daily tasks I needed to do to care for my child and our home. As I washed what
seemed like a never-ending pile of dishes or folded the mountain of laundry, I
knew Mary was familiar with this work. She showed us how to live out a loving,
vibrant faith through the simplicity of daily tasks. Yes, Mary was present at
all the big moments in Jesus’ life, but she was also there in the tender, small
moments. Her model of motherhood guided me to understand these small moments
are precious in the life of my son and also showed me how to meet her Son in those
places.
Sometimes I struggle, both with my faith in our Church and
my place in it. I understand why Pope Francis added this feast day. We need to
be reminded of how Mary heard the shepherds running in from the fields with the
good news that they heard the angels sing that night, and she kept these things
and “pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) We need the reminder of how Mary
told the servers at a wedding in Cana, “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5)
We need our Mother to remind us of the magnificent mystery of our Church but
also to move us into action.
We honor Mary as Mother of the Church on the day after Pentecost,
reminding us that Mary was present with the disciples on Pentecost. Mary prayed
with the first Christian community, awaiting the gift of the Holy Spirit for
all believers. Mary prayed with them as the Holy Spirit descended. And Mary,
our dear Mother, continues to pray for us.
***
Ben Sirach
states that all, even the just, are affected by sin, and therefore, he sounds a
call for penance.
The young
man of the Gospel is proud, perhaps a bit pharisaical, to have observed
the commandments since his childhood. But Jesus asks more: for the kingdom of
God one must be willing to follow Jesus absolutely and give up everything else
for it. Jesus’ offer is too demanding for him to be accepted. The young man was
not willing to pay the price. Are we always willing to pay it fully?
Opening
Prayer
God our
Father, your Son Jesus, looks at us with love and he asks us to follow him generously
and radically. But you know how hard it is for us not to be attached more to
things and people than to you. Sustain us in our struggles to be fully free for
you and people, for what is impossible for us you can do in us through Jesus
Christ, our Lord.
Intentions
–
For those in the Church, who proclaim to us the wisdom of the Word of God, that
they themselves may first live it and share their experience with us, we pray:
–
For parents and educators, that they may challenge the young to live for things
that matter; and for the young, that idealism and generosity may keep guiding
their lives, we pray:
–
For all of us, that we may be deeply aware that by the grace of God we have the
strength to answer the invitation of the Lord, we pray:
Prayer
over the Gifts
God, our
Father, in these humble signs of bread and wine, we will soon recognize the
presence of your Son, Jesus Christ, in our midst. May he give us eyes and
hearts of faith to recognize his real presence also, in all who are poor and do
not count in this world. Make us small and poor enough to know that we owe to
the poor what we owe to Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Prayer
after Communion
God, our
Father, in this Eucharist we have encountered your Son, Jesus Christ. Let him
give us the poverty of heart to follow him wherever he calls us. We may have
few material things to sell and give to the poor. Make us aware of all the
riches of mind and heart, of patience and love that we can share and help us to
do so wholeheartedly and without regret, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Blessing
Usually, an
encounter with Jesus changes a person. But one can also refuse, like the rich
man of the Gospel. May we have encounters with him that change us. May Almighty
God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
