Servant of the Word: Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

"St Luke Painting the Virgin Mary" by Marten de Vos, 1602

Background on the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church [1]

Decree establishing the Memorial

Readings for the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church [2]

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Readings and Commentary: [3]

First Reading

First Option

Genesis 3:9-15, 20

Commentary on Gn 3:9-15, 20

Adam and Eve are confronted by God after having eaten the fruit which was forbidden to them from the Tree of Wisdom. Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent. Thus the identity of the serpent is now synonymous with the Devil. This passage, because of that linkage, can now be classified as the first prediction of the Messianic struggle with evil and ultimate victory.

Contained here is the scriptural evidence of Original Sin. The story is also called “The Fall,” as God’s human creation (personified in Adam and Eve) falls from grace and is condemned to suffer the struggle to regain the blessed state throughout history. Mankind has disobeyed God and defied his will. In doing so, sin and death enter the world.

CCC: Gn 3:9-10 399; Gn 3:9 410, 2568; Gn 3:11-13 400; Gn 3:11 2515; Gn 3:12 1607; Gn 3:13 1736, 2568; Gn 3:14-19 2427; Gn 3:15 70, 410, 489; Gn 3:20 489

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Second Option

Acts 1:12-14

Commentary on Acts 1:12-14

This passage provides part of the introductory comments of St. Luke as he begins the Acts of the Apostles. Like any well written story, he connects the events that have just taken place in his first volume – The Gospel of Luke, with what will follow. In the first verses Jesus ascended and told them to expect the gift of the Holy Spirit. In this selection the disciples with Mary the Mother of Jesus and his extended family return to Jerusalem and enter the locked room. Important to recognize is the presence not just of the apostles but of Mary, ever faithful to her son.

"Here we see Mary as the spiritual center round which Jesus' intimate friends gather: tradition has meditated on this 'tableau', and found it to depict our Lady's motherhood over the whole Church, both at its beginning and over the course of the centuries." [4]

CCC: Acts 1:14 726, 1310, 2617, 2623, 2673

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Responsorial Psalm

Judith 13:18bcde, 19

R. (15:9d) You are the highest honor of our race.

Commentary on Judith 13:18bcde, 19

This short hymn of praise from Judith (who at the time of its writing represented the faithful people) is predictive of the blessed role Mary will play in human salvation. In the story immediately preceding these verses Judith offers to sacrifice herself for salvation of the people and is here found praiseworthy for her willingness to do so.

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Gospel

John 19:25-34

Commentary on Jn 19:25-37

Here is Jesus’ last address to his mother. Although the address sounds unnecessarily formal ("Woman, behold, your son.") this would have been considered a polite address in biblical times. The reference, “Woman,” is possibly to Genesis 3:15 which describes the mother of the Messiah as the “woman” whose offspring conquers the devil (CCC 726, 2618). [5] The Lord, nearing the end of his life, commends the care of his mother to the disciple whom he loved. It is presumed this is done because Jesus has no brothers or sisters, and his adoptive father, Joseph, has already died.

In this instance, while it can be assumed that the disciple referred to is St. John, the author of the Gospel, the tender consignment of the care of the Lord’s mother is seen as iconic. That is, she is given into the care of all of the disciples, whom Jesus loves. Seeing her Son dying upon the cross is one of the seven sorrows the Blessed Mother endured in faith.

The narrative continues describing the Lord's last moments of life on the cross. The prophecy to which John refers when saying "...in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled" was Psalm 69:22. While Matthew and Mark speak about this event, only John relates it specifically to the prophetic literature. After this final act, the Lord "handed over his spirit."

What happens after Jesus' death demonstrates to the Jews the nature of his sacrifice. "Jesus dies on the Preparation day of the Passover - Parasceve- that is, the eve, when the paschal lambs were officially sacrificed in the temple. By stressing this, the Evangelist implies that Christ's sacrifice took the place of the sacrifices of the Old Law and inaugurated the New Alliance in his blood (cf. Hebrews 9:12)." [6] Typically, when the executioners wished to speed up the death of one crucified, the legs would be broken. This would force the victim to suffocate quickly. In the case of Jesus, this was not done. (see Psalm 34:20-21) Instead we are told the guards pierced his side with a lance and "immediately Blood and water flowed out."

While the outflow of water and blood have a natural explanation, there has been great theological importance placed upon it in numerous sources (St. Ambrose, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Augustine). Water and blood have already been established as signs of salvation (John 3:5 and John 6:53ff). "With Christ's death and the giving of the Spirit already signified in v. 30, the life-giving work of the Church begins, and hence the Church can be said in a sense to have been born from the wounded side of Christ." [7]

CCC: Jn 19:25-27 726, 2618; Jn 19:25 495; Jn 19:26-27 501, 964, 2605; Jn 19:27 2677, 2679; Jn 19:28 544, 607, 2561, 2605; Jn 19:30 607, 624, 730, 2605; Jn 19:30b 2605; Jn 19:31 641; Jn 19:34 478, 694, 1225

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Reflection:

On February 11, 2018, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, in the persons of Archbishop X Arthur Roche, Secretary, and Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect, decreed that this new memorial be established to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role as mother of the Church. This decree follows our long tradition of honoring the Mother of Christ and her role as first in faith and exemplar to all generations of Christians who hunger for her son’s gift of salvation.

It is not by accident that the official date of the of the decree was issued on the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes. St. Mary has, from the beginning been given to the Church as our mother. In the Gospel proclaimed today we hear our Savior, as he hung upon the Cross of our redemption, present his mother as a gift to the Church as he said to the Beloved Disciple: “‘Behold, your mother.’” From that time onward, the Church has reflected upon her example of love and faith in God. Indeed, as a mother teaches her children by example and encouragement, she has been our guide, exhibiting fidelity and love for the Son of God, and her own son, Jesus.

She shares with us the joys and sorrows of discipleship. Even as the Gospel reminds us of the passion our Lord suffered for our salvation, we recall the words of Simion, speaking to her on the day she followed the Jewish law, presenting Jesus at the temple.

“’Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce)* so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.’” (Luke 2:34-35)

How could we not be reminded of these words as the Roman soldier pierced the heart of the Lord, knowing that same lance pierced the heart his mother, Mary, standing nearby?

And what does our veneration of Mary command us to do?

She accepted the difficult role God offered to her in the Annunciation as she accepted her role as vessel of God’s Only Begotten Son. (Luke 1:26-38) Reminding us that we must accept our own call to proclaim Christ, crucified and risen, to those we meet.

She reminds us of obedience to the word of the Lord as we recall her command to the servants at the Wedding Feast at Cana as she instructed them to: “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5)

She is the ultimate example of humility before the Lord, always directing us toward the Father’s will. (Luke 1:46-55)

Just as any earthly mother, Our Blessed Virgin, wishes only for our happiness, knowing the path to a contented live on earth and eternal happiness in the Heavenly Kingdom depends upon our acceptance of the path leading to God’s will. The Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church constantly invites us to join her in worshiping God and especially her Son, the source of life.

Pax,

In other years on this date: Christopher Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs

[1] The picture used is "St Luke Painting the Virgin Mary" by Marten de Vos, 1602

[2] S.S. Commemoratio