Homily for Devotional Mass - BVM, Image and Mother of the Church

 

Acts 1:12-14

Ps 87:1-3, 5-7

Jn 2:1-11

Christ the King Catholic Church, Iowa Park, TX

 

While the image of the Church as our mother goes back to the very earliest years of the Church, the title of Mary “Mother of the Church” is much more recent. It was officially promulgated by St. Pope Paul VI in 1964. Just a year earlier, the bishops at the Second Vatican Council had been engaged in a rather contentious debate on whether to dedicate a separate document to Mary alone. It was decided to instead include the theme of Mary in the dogmatic constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium.

Naturally, we may be wondering why we honor Mary as the Mother of the Church, knowing full well that the Church was brought forth from the pierced side of Jesus Christ on Calvary. The short, obvious answer is that Jesus Christ is the Mystical Head of the Church, which is His Mystical Body, and Mary is the Mother of Jesus. Ok. Technically and theologically correct, but that’s not a very satisfying, nor a spiritually edifying response. Let’s go a little deeper.

In Lumen Gentium 61, we read that Mary cooperates with her Divine Son in “giving back supernatural life to souls. Wherefore she is our mother in the order of grace.” The main function of a mother is to give life to her offspring. While Mary physically gave life to Jesus, her motherhood of we who are members of His Church is different. Mary’s motherhood to us is spiritual – she increases the life of grace within us. How does Mary do that? Remember that the way to grow in the life of grace is to be more and more conformed to the life of Christ; to participate in the mysteries of His life; to become more like Him. In all of human history, which person participated in the life of Christ in the most preeminent way? Mary, of course!

Mary was the one who carried Jesus in her womb. Mary was the one who stood by His Cross in His Passion. Mary was present in the upper room, praying with the Apostles, waiting for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Another fundamental function of a mother is to raise her children, forming them into disciples of Jesus Christ by providing them with the model to imitate. Mary is the model of persevering prayer in oneness of mind and heart. Our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles informed us that the Apostles gathered in the upper room “devoted themselves with one accord in prayer, together…with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.”(Acts 1:14) Like Mary, when we gather for liturgical worship and prayer, we are to be of one mind and heart, not doing our own thing, but following the rubrics given to us by the Church.

St. Pope Paul VI reminds us that the Mother of Jesus is the “exemplar of that sense of reverent devotion with which the Church celebrates the divine mysteries and expresses them in its life.” (Marialis Cultus, 16) Mary is the “Virgin who listens…the Virgin of prayer…the Virgin who offers.” (MC, 16-21). In imitation of Mary, let us listen attentively to the Word of God, let us spend time daily in mental prayer with our God, and let us offer ourselves without reservation to the service of God’s people.

Holy Mary, Image and Mother of the Church, Pray for Us!