Mary, Mother of the Church

     Today, for the first time on the official calendar of the Church, Pope Francis has authorized a memorial celebration honoring

MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH

     This celebration, set for the Monday following the Feast of Pentecost, acknowledges the place and the role of Mary in the life of God's People, as our Mother.   Remembering the 19th chapter of John's Gospel, when from the cross Jesus entrusts his mother to the beloved disciple, John and John, to his mother, we embrace Mary as our mother and accept the truth that we are her children in Faith.

     At our liturgy this morning, which I had the blessing of leading, we used the second Preface of Mary, Image and Mother of the Church.  I found it a beautiful prayer that I would like to share with you here.

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God,

we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In your infinite goodness

you have given to the virgin Church

the model of true worship in the Virgin Mary. 

She is the Virgin who listens,

who embraces your words with joy,

treasuring them in the silence of her heart. 

She is the Virgin of prayer,

who sings of your mercy in her canticle of praise,

who shows concern for the bridegroom and bride at Cana

and intercedes for them with her Son,

who prays with the apostles in oneness of mind and heart. 

She is the Virgin Mother,

who gives birth to your Son

by the power of the Holy Spirit

and at the foot of the cross

is proclaimed as mother

of the people of the New Covenant.  

She is the Virgin who offers,

presenting the Firstborn in your temple

and sharing in his self-offering

beside the tree of everlasting life. 

She is the Virgin who keeps vigil,

awaiting the resurrection of her Son

with unwavering hope

and looking forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit,

with steadfast faith. 

In our joy we sing to your glory

with all the choirs of angels ...  

     On this feast of Mary we celebrate her as an example of true worship.  May our Spiritual Mother embrace us with her tender and maternal love.  

     As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, starting yesterday with the Feast of Pentecost and continuing throughout this week, it is my turn to preside at our morning Eucharistic Liturgy.  The Neumann House, the residence for retired priests in the Diocese of Greensburg, has a beautiful small chapel for Mass and prayer.  But our numbers are growing, and we are experimenting with a new, larger place of worship in one of our former lounges.  The new chapel is beautiful, and a great setting for prayer and worship.  As we pray there daily, we each remember those special to our hearts.  Know that you are in my prayers.