The Blessed Virgin and our earthly mothers
This past Mother’s Day, we honored our earthly mothers for all
of the sacrifices, both big and small, that they make throughout the
year. We may never know the full extent of the sleep they have lost and
the sacrificial love they have given on our behalf. Moreover, we also
honor our Heavenly Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Throughout the month
of May, her initial “yes” to God and the love and devotion
she showed to her Son, Jesus Christ, are cause for reflection, prayer
and thanksgiving.
Our mothers are often the quiet leaders of our families, the feminine
strength which guides our actions. Pope Benedict told us in his recent
apostolic visit, reiterating his World Day of Peace message, that a stable,
nurturing family is vitally important in our society. At home, the Holy
Father said, we learn about peace through the love of siblings, the respect
of parental authority and the willingness to forgive those who hurt us.
Further, he said, “the family is also the primary place for evangelization,
for passing on the faith, for helping young people to appreciate the
importance of religious practice and Sunday observance” (Pope Benedict
XVI, Celebration of Vespers and Meeting with the Bishops of the United
States of America, 2008). The mother, the heart of the family, is vital
in the formation and evangelization of her children and the encouragement
of their vocations.
Also in May, we honor Mary, Mother of the Church. Some, like our late
Holy Father Pope John Paul II, have a deep devotion to Mary born out
of the love for a mother who is no longer present on earth. The Catholic
Church in America is entrusted to Mary’s care in a special way:
she is the patroness of the United States. Our national church, the Basilica
of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, is named in her honor. A
pilgrimage to the shrine would be a fine way to venerate Mary during
this Marian month and to reflect on the many blessings that mothers bring
into our lives. In a special way this year, we honor Mary by observing
the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Mother to St.
Bernadette at Lourdes in France. As you may recall from a previous Catholic
Herald article, parishioners of the Diocese of Arlington can visit Our
Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Arlington and receive a plenary indulgence,
granted to us by our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI.
Pope Paul VI said, “the person who encounters Mary cannot help
but encounter Christ” (Pope Paul VI, Mense Maio¸1965). We
pray to Mary this month, asking her to bring us closer to her Son. So
often we also see the love of Christ in the love between parents and
their children. Is there not clearly an image of God before us when see
a parent lovingly embrace his or her child? Or when a hurt or ailing
youth is comforted by devoted parents? Yes, let us offer special thanksgiving
for our earthly mothers and let us turn to Mary, our Heavenly Mother,
this month and always, so that we too may come to know Christ, her Son,
more intimately and more deeply each day.
