Daily Reflection Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

On this first day after Pentecost Sunday we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus and the mother of the Church. She was given to the Church by Jesus from the cross, according to John, in his making the Beloved Disciple her son too, entrusting his mother to his care. And thus Mary has become, in and through her son, the mother of all Christians. She is always at prayer for all the world. Just as she was responsible, also according to John, for interceding with her son and compelling him to begin his ministry at the wedding feast at Cana, so she yet intercedes still for all who seek her prayers, and her prayers are very powerful. Her gentle admonition to the servants at Cana is also what she continues to proclaim to us, “Do whatever he tells you.”
 
It is John’s gospel alone that specifically tells us that she was at the cross when her son died, although John never calls her by her name but only by her title as Mother of God. Yet even if he had not told us this, we would yet have had to ask ourselves, where else would she have been? For as the reading from Genesis today implies, Mary has become the new Eve. For with the first Eve and her mate Adam there came upon us all that fear that has continually kept us hiding ourselves from God ever since, with Mary, from whose womb the Word became flesh, the true freedom of God’s children, born in perfect love that casts out all fear, has been given to us all. For Jesus has made all things new. And just as the Word was made flesh and born from her womb, the Church was born from the side of Mary’s crucified son. We now come out from the fear and darkness of our hiding into his own wonderful light. (1Peter 2:9)
 
It is in Jesus that the love of God has been poured out upon us and in his flesh (born of Mary) we are also made sons and daughters of the Father just as he is forever. Therefore, Mary is our mother also as Jesus is truly our brother. And everything the Father has given the Son has now, through him, been given, at last, to us also. For that inexpressible gift, we have in some very real yet deeply mysterious way to thank Mary also, who by responding to the Father’s invitation through the angel by saying, “Let it be done to me according to your word,” it has been done for us as well. We who were once the lost children of Eve have been found and brought home because where Eve had said no, Mary has said yes. For that we are deeply grateful. Let us pray that with Jesus and Mary, we too shall always be “yes.” (2Cor 1:19-20)