“This is your mother.” (John 19, 27)

Dearly Beloved in Christ!

Today as we celebrate Mother’s Day, and we all greet and pray for all our Mothers.

But Mother’s Day is also an occasion to thank God for our Heavenly Mother and Patroness of our Parish Community.

At the moment of his crucifixion on the cross, Jesus (in the person of the beloved disciple John, who symbolizes each of us, his disciples), with the words: “This is your mother.” (John 19, 27) put us all under the protection and guidance of the Mother of God.

With these words, Jesus proclaims Mary Mother of the Church.

With these words, Mary becomes and is our spiritual Mother and our guide to God through Jesus.

She is an example for our lives and behavior.

From Mary, we learn how to build relationships with others, how to speak to one another, how to conduct ourselves, how to live our lives.

The Blessed Virgin Mary does not speak much in the Gospel, but when she does speak, her words are always essential and are spoken only when necessary.

We observe that in the Gospels, she is always present, where help and support are needed.

We know nothing of Mary during Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

But we do know that she was the first to go on a long journey while pregnant to help her cousin Elizabeth, who was old and expecting the birth of John the Baptist.

We also know that she was the first in Cana of Galilee to notice the young couple’s problem and it was at her request that Jesus performed His first miracle: turning water into wine.

Even when almost all His apostles and followers had fled in fear, Mary remained under the cross, on which the Savior was crucified,

Mary avoids vain exhibitionism, but she is always there to serve when there is a need for mercy.

When her example becomes the inspiration for our lives, we also will be on the right path that leads to God and salvation.

Mary Mother of the Church and our Mother pray for us and for our Parish. Amen.

Fr. A.R.