Dear Friends in Christ,
This Sunday, we celebrate Mother’s Day. On this holiday, we remember our mothers, living or deceased, and thank God for their care and love. Mother’s Day reminds us to express
gratitude towards our mothers for all they have done for us and invites us to consider how we can do something good for them in return.
On Mother’s Day, we also think of Our Blessed Mother Mary. On Good Friday, as Jesus lay dying on the Cross, He gave His mother to us so that she would become the mother of all Christians (John 19:27). Mary now loves and cares for us as her own children.
Since its earliest days, the Church has venerated Mary. As our earthly mothers are unceasingly concerned about us, so Mary intercedes for us in Heaven, presenting our needs before the throne of God. Mary’s deep faith in God and her complete submission to God’s will for her (Luke 1:26-38;
Luke 1:46-56) make her a model for all Christians. The Church calls Mary The First Disciple because she believed in Christ and in His mission before the Church itself believed.
Our prayerful devotion to Mary brings us closer to Jesus. Mary shares with us her love of God and encourages us to grow in this same love. When we pray the Rosary, we pray Scripture as the mysteries are meditations upon the main events in the life of Christ and Mary. Besides reflecting on these mysteries, the Rosary affords us an opportunity to pray for the needs we hold in our hearts. We may offer our Rosary for the sick, the dying or those who have already died. We also may ask for special graces, for God’s inspiration or for protection from evil. The Church identifies the Rosary as an effective spiritual weapon against evil in all its forms.
On this Mother’s Day, let us consider the role of Mary in our lives of faith and may we rediscover the joy of knowing her tender maternal care for us shown through the Rosary.
In Christ,
Fr. Michael