1. This quarter’s sharings will be on the theme of
“Mary and the Church” and today’s sharing is titled “Mary, Mother of the
Church”.
2. How is Mary, Mother
of the Church? Human existence in the presence of God and our openness to God’s
Word is a response in body, mind and heart to God’s work of salvation that has
most beautifully been revealed in Mary. She
was chosen to be the mother of Jesus not merely to give Him human life. In
motherhood she was drawn into the mystery of salvation. [1]
3. Upon humankind’s
first descent into sin, Satan and humankind were made enemies of each other:
“Your offspring and her offspring, It will crush your head and you will strike
its heel”.[2] This
passage foretold the salvation of humankind through the mother of the Saviour
who stands at the side of her son in his Messianic triumph over Satan.[3]
4. At his death on the
cross, Jesus Christ gave birth to the Church. The peak of Mary’s discipleship
is shown at the foot of the cross when Mary, at the darkest moment of her
experience, remained faithful to Christ. In this way she cooperated out of love
so that there might be born in the Church the faithful.[4] Jesus
said to his mother, “Woman, this is your son.” To the disciple He said, “This
is your mother.” [5]
5. From ancient times
Mary was seen not merely passively engaged by God but as freely cooperating in
the work of humankind’s salvation through obedience, faith, hope and charity in
the work of the Saviour to restore the supernatural life of souls.[1]
6. Mary is a precious
gift of the Saviour to each follower, meant for their spiritual support.[3]
We are the adoptive and spiritual
children of Mary and Mary is the Mother of the Church.
7. We are spiritual
children because, all through His life, Jesus directed his disciples towards
developing a Spiritual rather than a Fleshly relationship.[6]
8. How do we show our
love, gratitude and devotion to our own earthly mothers? Do we honour Mary our
spiritual Mother likewise? As a
pilgrim church we should check our devotion to Mary on six ways:[7]
1. The one who is devoted to Mary thinks
of her – as someone we admire and love;
2. The devoted reads about her – through
Scriptures, the Lives of the Saints, Lourdes
3. We talk about her – when our
devotional thoughts flow from mind to heart to lips, sing wholeheartedly for
example at the Novena, of our love and praise for her;
4. We speak to her – in plain
conversation, speeches are not required for she is alive and accessible. We are not ashamed to express
our gratitude with all our heart to her for answered prayers in thanksgiving
letters at Novena; expressing
our gratitude is the best way to oppose addictive self-love;
5.
We invoke her – asking consciously, heartedly, confidently, as
she invoked Christ at Cana[8] and
6. We try to imitate her in her
obedience, simplicity, humility, love, faith, hope and burning charity.
9. Blessed rather are
those who hear the word of God and keep it.[9] The
blessed one who believed is present in the midst of the pilgrim Church from
generation to generation through faith and is the model of hope which does not
disappoint.[10] She is
our Mother, and Mother of the Church.
[1] J Neuner SJ. Mary, Mother of the Saviour. 1995; 2. Theological Publications India, Bangalore.
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