Ordinary Time Begins With Mary

 

John 19: 25-34 

 Mary, Model and Mother of the Church

²⁵ Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” ²⁷ and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

²⁸ Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

³¹ Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. ³² The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. ³³ But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴ Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

How fitting that this long sequence of time from Ash Wednesday to Pentecost should now enter a new phase called Ordinary Time with the celebration of the Memorial of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. As she brought Jesus into our world, now she "mother's" the Church, us, to help us carry out the mission of bringing the Good News to our time and generation. It is interesting that we gather on Calvary to receive Mary as our Mother. The Scriptures had been fulfilled, atonement for our sins achieved, the work of Jesus accomplished.  Now it's up to us. "The disciple took her into his home." (Jn 19: 17). That is what we must do now and devote ourselves with one accord in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus (cf. Acts 1: 14). We as Marists are especially called to this.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, as we enter Ordinary Time, let us embrace our call to make Jesus known and loved through the prayers and example of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Amen.