God’s Living Word Today - June 1st, 2020

God’s Living Word Today - June 1st, 2020

[Genesis 3:9-15, 20 or Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14 and John 19:25-34]
The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living. [Genesis] When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. [John]

MONDAY AFTER PENTECOST:  THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH

Pope Francis made the decision that the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church be inscribed on the liturgical calendar for the Monday after Pentecost in March 2018, so it is very recent.  It is a reminder of the special relationship that we Catholics (and many other non-Catholic Christians as well) have to the mother of Jesus.

The Acts of the Apostles, authored by St. Luke, places Mary at the scene of the Pentecost event, which is regarded as the birth of the church.  It is by the power of that same Holy Spirit that Jesus was conceived in her and made her in a very real way the first disciple.  She is united physically with the body of Jesus as mother, but she is also united spiritually with the Body of Christ, the Church.

The Gospel According to John has Jesus as he is dying on the cross providing for his mother's immediate future by entrusting her to the disciple, John, at the foot of the cross.  It should be noted that he did not entrust her to any of the extended family of his relatives!  She was entrusted to a disciple and entrusted through him to all of us as our mother.  

Let us take time today to honor our blessed Mother by praying the rosary; perhaps placing a flower near a statue we may have of our Blessed Mother in our homes and as we may do that let us honor our own mothers at home with love and kindness.

Father Dennis