Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
Lectionary: 572A
Reading I
Genesis 3:9-15, 20
After Adam had eaten of the tree,
the LORD God called to him and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”
Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
On your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
He will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”
The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.
OR:
Acts 1:12-14
After Jesus had been taken up to heaven,
the Apostles returned to Jerusalem
from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem,
a sabbath day’s journey away.
When they entered the city
they went to the upper room where they were staying,
Peter and John and James and Andrew,
Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew,
James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot,
and Judas son of James.
All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer,
together with some women,
and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Responsorial Psalm
87:1-2, 3 and 5, 6-7
R. (3) Glorious things are said of you, O city of God!
His foundation upon the holy mountains
the LORD loves:
The gates of Zion,
more than any dwelling of Jacob.
R. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God!
Glorious things are said of you,
O city of God!
And of Zion they shall say:
“One and all were born in her;
And he who has established her
is the Most High LORD.”
R. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God!
They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled:
“This man was born there.”
And all shall sing, in their festive dance:
“My home is within you.”
R. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God!
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
O joyful Virgin, who gave birth to the Lord;
O blessed Mother of the Church,
who nurture in us the Spirit
of your Son Jesus Christ!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
John 19:25-34
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved,
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
After this, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
“It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately Blood and water flowed out.
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Your Heavenly Mother
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. John 19:25–27
The memorial we celebrate today, which was added to the Roman Liturgical Calendar in 2018 by Pope Francis, highlights the truth that the Blessed Virgin Mary is not only the Mother of the Person of Christ, and, therefore, the Mother of God, she is also the Mother of the Church, that is, the Mother of all the faithful. The Blessed Virgin Mary is your mother. And as your mother, she is truly tender, compassionate, caring and merciful, bestowing upon you everything that a perfect mother desires to bestow. She is the fiercest of mothers who will stop at nothing to protect her children. She is a mother wholly devoted to you, her dear child.
The Gospel passage chosen for this memorial depicts our Blessed Mother standing at the foot of the Cross. She would have been no other place than directly beneath her Son as He endured His last agony. She did not flee in fear. She was not overwhelmed by grief. She did not sulk in self-pity. No, she stood by her Son with the perfect love and strength of a devoted, caring, compassionate and faithful mother.
As she stood by her Son in His hour of suffering and death, Jesus turned to her and entrusted the Apostle John to her maternal care. From the early Church Fathers until the most recent teachings of the Church today, this act of entrusting John to Mary and Mary to John by Jesus has been understood as an entrustment of all the faithful to the maternal care of Mother Mary. Mother Mary is, therefore, not only the Mother of the Redeemer, Christ Himself, she also becomes the Mother of all the redeemed, the mother of us all, the Mother of the Church.
Consider the spiritual mother you have in Heaven. A mother is one who gives life. Your mother in Heaven is entrusted with the task of bestowing upon you the new life of grace won by the Cross. And as your mother, she will not withhold anything from you that is to your benefit. A mother is also one who is tender with her children. The Immaculate Heart of our mother in Heaven is one that is filled with the greatest tenderness toward you. Though her caresses are not physical, they are much deeper. She caresses with the tenderness of grace which she imparts to you as you pray and turn to her in your need. She gives you the grace of her Son, poured out upon the Cross as the blood and water sprung forth as a font of mercy. Mother Mary pours that mercy upon you as a tender and devoted mother would. She holds nothing back.
If you are unaware of the love in the heart of our Blessed Mother for you, use this memorial as an opportunity to deepen your understanding of her role in your life. Many children take their mothers for granted, not fully understanding the depth of their love. So it is with our Mother in Heaven. We will never fully comprehend her love and her constant motherly workings in our life until we join her in Heaven face to face.
Reflect, today, upon Mother Mary standing by you in every moment of your life. See her there in your joys and in your sorrows, during your moments of temptation and struggles, in your moments of confusion and clarity. See her there by your side, bestowing every good spiritual gift upon you when you need it the most. She is a true mother, and she is worthy of your love and gratitude.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
A HOME FOR THE CHURCH
“My home is within you.” —Psalm 87:7
Jesus’ home for the first nine months of His life was within the womb of His mother Mary. The Church’s home, with Jesus being Head of the Church (Col 1:18), was likewise “within” Mary (Ps 87:7). Mary was with the apostles and disciples in the upper room (Acts 1:13-14) as they waited for the Holy Spirit (Lk 24:49). Like the nine months of a pregnancy, the nine days of the Pentecost Novena resembled the growth of a baby in its mother’s womb. Mary mothered the nascent Church in that upper room. She took the place of Jesus, Who “wanted to gather [the children of Jerusalem] together as a mother bird collects her young under her wings” (Lk 13:34).
From the Cross, Jesus gave Mary to the Church as its mother (Jn 19:25-27). Mary forgave the apostles for abandoning her Son during His Crucifixion and discipled them in the shelter of the upper room. In a sense, the upper room was the womb of the Church, where it could grow and develop under Mary’s maternal protection. Thus we call Mary by the title, “Mother of the Church.”
Our home as Church “is within” Mary (Ps 87:7). Mary reversed what Eve lost in the garden of Eden by giving us to eat of the Fruit of the tree of the cross, the Body and Blood of her Son Jesus. Eat the Fruit that Mother Mary offers. Make your home in the Church mothered by Mary.
Prayer: Father, through Eve’s disobedience, we lost our home in your garden paradise. You “made a better plan” (Heb 11:40) by giving Mary to us as “Mother of the Church” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 975). May we receive her as our mother and so enter into the new paradise You offer through Your Church.
Promise: “He Who has established her is the Most High Lord.” —Ps 87:5
Praise: “God Who is mighty has done great things for me, holy is His name” (Lk 1:49).
Reflection 3
By Fr. Alexis MANIRAGABA
(Ruhengeri, Rwanda)
«Behold, your mother»
Today we remember Mary, Mother of the Church. In this sense, we contemplate the spiritual motherhood of Mary in connection with the Church, which is —in itself— Mother of the People of God, since "no one can have God for Father, who has not the Church for his Mother" (Saint Cyprian). Mary is the Mother of the Son of God and at the same time Mother of those who love her Son and those “well-loved” by her Son, in accordance with that “Woman, behold your son; disciple: Behold your mother” (Jn 19:26-27), just as Jesus said. Giving his body to men and returning his spirit to his Father, Jesus Christ even gave his Mother to his friends.
And the greatest love is the one with which Jesus loves the Church (Eph 5:25), to which his friends belong. Therefore, children adopted by God cannot have Jesus as brother if they do not have Mary as Mother because, while Mary loves her Son, she loves the Church of which she is an eminent member. Which does not mean that Mary is superior to the Church, but that She is "mother of the members of Christ" (St. Augustine).
The Second Vatican Council adds that Mary is "truly the mother of the members of Christ for having cooperated with her love for the faithful, who are members of that Head (Jesus), to be born into the Church." Furthermore, while remaining in the midst of the Apostles in the Upper Room (Acts 1:14), Mary —Mother of the Church— recalls the presence, gift and action of the Holy Spirit in the missionary Church. By imploring the Holy Spirit in the heart of the Church, Mary prays with the Church and prays for the Church, because "already assumed in the glory of heaven, she accompanies and protects the Church with her maternal love" (Preface to the Mass “Mary, Mother of the Church”).
Mary takes care of her children. We can, therefore, entrust to her the whole life of the Church, as did Pope Saint Paul VI: "O, Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, to you we recommend the entire Church and our ecumenical council!”
Prayers
My dearest Mother, you stood by your Son with unwavering fidelity and love. You cared for Him, nurtured Him and never left His side. I also am your dear child. I thank you for your loving fidelity toward me and open my heart to the grace of your Son that you bestow upon me throughout life. Help me to be more attentive to your motherly care and to daily grow in gratitude for your presence in my life. Mother Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, help my unbelief! Increase my faith and trust in your saving power. Give me confidence and perseverance, especially in prayer. And help me to bring your healing love and truth to those I meet
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 140: Being Misunderstood
In your relations with others, do you sometimes feel misunderstood? It could be by a close family member, a friend, a coworker, etc. The problem is that the content of your mind, heart, will, intention, and all of your past experiences are what go into directing your actions. And no one understands all of this except God. We do not even fully understand what we do and why we do it most of the time. As a result, it is easy for others to fail to understand us and what takes place within us. It can also be easy for others to misunderstand us and even judge us. This can be hard to take but we must not let it bother us. Instead, we must direct our concern only to that which our Lord thinks. His Mind and His judgment are all that matters. And the misunderstanding we may experience at times from others must be seen as an act of the permissive Will of our Lord, primarily to test and strengthen our Mercy for others (See Diary #700).
Can you think of a time in which you recently experienced the misunderstanding of another? If so, rather than letting yourself become angry or hurt over this, allow it to test the depths of your own merciful heart. Accept this humiliation with grace and give thanks to God that He has permitted you to share in the same act of misunderstanding and judgment that He took upon Himself. In this, you are blessed to be invited to share in the distribution of His Divine Mercy.
Lord, give me a merciful heart. When I am misunderstood, help me to accept this as an opportunity for grace, forgiveness and Mercy. Thank You for loving me enough to allow me to endure such a test. I give myself to You, dear Lord, so that You can work in and through me to be a witness of all that You endured. Jesus, I trust in You.
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