Word to the Wise
Monday, May 21, 2018 -
[Genesis 3:9-15, 20 or Acts 1:12-14 and John 19:25-34]Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. [John]
MONDAY, MAY 21, 2018 MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH
[Genesis 3:9-15, 20 or Acts 1:12-14 and John 19:23-34]
Our return to Ordinary Time will be delayed by a day each year from now on because Pope Francis has placed what was a temporary and occasional celebration on the permanent liturgical calendar. The new feast is called THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH. The idea goes back to reflections by early church fathers such as St. Augustine who thought that if Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ, and we, the Church, are the Body of Christ, then Mary is, in that sense, the mother of the Church.. Her presence in the Upper Room at Pentecost (in the Lucan tradition in Acts) or at the foot of the cross when the Beloved Disciple is given to her as her son (Johannine tradition} are the scriptural foundation of this title. Pope Francis has decreed that this feast will be celebrated on the Monday after Pentecost each year in the Latin rite calendar. It will not be a holy day of obligation, however.
We Catholics know that Mary gets into everything in our church. We Dominican friars wear the rosary as a part of our "habit" and we even have our own version of the Salve Regina (Hail, Holy Queen), The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary gives only the most familiar titles among the hundreds that have been bestowed on her. This new one will be inserted into that litany! So, an extra celebration is not likely to rock our theological boat too much. It IS a reminder to us that God can do great things not only for Mary but for the rest of us disciples (the Church) through the Holy Spirit working in our hearts through faith. AMEN