💖 HOMILY - MAY 29 💖

MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH 

First Reading - Acts 1:12-14

Gospel - John 19:25-34

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church. This feast occurs on Monday after the feast of Pentecost. This is so because the feast of Pentecost is the birthday of the Church and Church has realised that the blessed Mary is especially entrusted to the church by Jesus as spiritual mother who continues to guide and pray for her. The readings of today invite us to instill great love for the blessed mother Mary and give due place to her in our lives.

The gospel passage reminds us of the maternal care of God through the blessed virgin Mary. Jesus, hanging between heaven and earth on the cross, entrusts his mother to the care of his beloved disciple and on the verge of his earthly life discharges his duty towards her as her beloved son. The beloved disciple takes Mary as his mother and brings her in his home. The anonymous name of the beloved disciple has been traditionally believed to be John. However, there are some scholars who presume that the beloved disciple remains anonymous because he can represent every believer in the Church or the Church at large. Therefore, we can say that Jesus entrusts his mother to his beloved Church as the mother. 

The first reading tells about the company of the blessed mother with the disciples of Jesus after the resurrection. The company of Mary shows the maternal care of God through her. She accompanies and prays with the disciples as per the instruction given by Jesus for the coming of the Holy Spirit. 

Dear friends, the feast of Mary, the Mother of Church, reminds us that blessed mother Mary has been given to us as our heavenly mother who accompanies and prays for us as she accompanied the disciples of Jesus and prayed with them.This feast also reminds us that we have an assurance of constant assistance of Mary as her sons and daughters because just as she helped the budding Church in her hardships and difficult moments through her company and prayer so also she continues to help us in our needs too. Jesus has given us in Mary the assurance of maternal care for every believer.

The gospel tells us that the beloved disciple took Mary to his home so also we have to accomodate Mary (or take Mary), our heavenly mother, in our lives, our inner home and our physical home through the prayer of Rosary and other Marian devotions. Her presence in our lives will guide and help us fight the evil impacts encroaching in our lives. 

Let's pray that we may always give due place to our blessed mother in our lives and our families.