The disciples devoted themselves with one accord to prayer together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus (Entrance Antiphon). The Blessed Virgin Mary has always been rightly referred to as the Mother of the Church, not only because of the great role she has played in the salvific mission of her son, but also because of her motherly presence to the Church ever since the Church’s inception. The recognition and celebration of Mary’s continued motherly presence to the Church has been one of the hallmarks of the Catholic faith. It is with this in mind that today (Monday following the Solemnity of Pentecost) was designated as a day for honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title, Virgin Mary Mother of the Church.
The readings chosen for today’s feast seek to remind us why the Blessed Virgin Mary is rightly referred to as Mother of the Church. As the second Eve, the Blessed Mary is the mother of all the living. Unlike humanity’s first mother, Eve, the Blessed Mary allowed the will of God to be done in her life. Her willingness to remain obedient to the Lord from the moment she received the Lord’s message enabled her to become the mother of the Savior through whom the world was gifted with a new life. Mary’s obedience to the will of the Lord in her life saw her endure some of the most difficult moments that any mother can undergo (Gospel Reading). While the majority of Jesus’ friends and close companions abandoned him as he made his way to the place of his crucifixion, Mary his mother remained with him all the way. She was not only present as the soldiers repeatedly beat her son who was tiring under the weight of the heavy cross, but she was also present when Jesus was stripped of his clothes, nailed to the wood of the cross, and hoisted up to die an infamous death. And it was while Jesus was hanging on the cross that he gifted the Church with his mother.
The Blessed Mary’s motherly role in the Church has never ceased or taken a backstage role. She continues to look after the Church with a motherly affection in obedience to her Son’s command (woman, behold your son). The Blessed Mary is the great intercessor for the Church, a role which she voluntarily took upon herself (cf. miracle at Cana). May the Church rejoice in the Blessed Mary’s ever loving presence to her, and learning from, and in imitation of her, may the Church become a source of salvation to the world.