Mary, Mother of the Church

Two years ago, Pope Francis inserted an optional Memorial to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, into the Church calendar on the Monday after Pentecost. This is most appropriate, for it was the union of Mary and the Holy Spirit that brought forth the Incarnation of the Son of God, Jesus, into the world.  When Jesus gave Mary to the beloved disciple, John, at the foot of the cross, he gave her to us as well.  She was present with the Apostles gathered in the upper room in the interim between the Ascension and Pentecost,  and remained with them in prayer as they began their mission to evangelize the world.
We as Marists have the special role of modeling the love, compassion and maternal qualities of Mary to replace the often misrepresentated image of the Church as legalistic, institutional, and sometimes harsh and cruel, as in the days of the Inquisition.We are called not only to make Jesus known and loved but also to put a maternal face on the Church, to make her more loving, tender and welcoming to all, as Jesus turned no one away. St. Theresa of Lisieux said that “The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God is the heart of a mother”.  The  Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church,  reflects that heart, invites us to reflect it as well, as we seek imitate her motherly gifts and qualities.
Bro. Rene