Homily For Monday of the Eight Week in Ordinary Time Year A, The Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church (Mater Ecclesiae), 29th May, 2023

Readings: Gen. 3:9-15.20, Ps.87; John 19:25-34

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

CELEBRATING MARY OUR MOTHER

 

As the Holy season of Eastertide comes to an end with the celebration of Pentecost yesterday, the Church continues with the second face of the Ordinary Time of the liturgical calendar. This begins with the memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church.

 

 Although today’s Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church is new, but the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Mother of the Church, is very ancient. It was Pope Francis, who established the celebration of this Memorial in 2018, which is to be celebrated annually on the day following the Solemnity of Pentecost. Pope Francis said he wished to establish this Memorial in order to encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the Church in the pastors, religious and faithful, as well as a growth of genuine Marian piety.

 

Hence, the Memorial of Mary Mother of the Church is established in order to remind us that Mary is indeed the Mother of all of us. For as God’s chosen people, Mary has been entrusted to us to be our own loving Mother, and to whom we have also been entrusted as her own beloved adopted sons and daughters, through Christ, her Son, who shares his divinity with us as he elevates our humanity, as we have it in our Gospel passage today, when Jesus entrusted his mother to John saying: Woman, behold your Son, then to the disciple he said, Behold your mother.

 

Here, Mary assumes the role of the Mother of the Church, while the disciple represents all of us Christians, who are members of God’s Church and therefore have become children of Mary, God’s own beloved Mother, and she is indeed, the Mother of the Church, the Mother of all Christians. Thus, Mary had always been with the Church as she has always been with the Apostles and the other leaders of the Church, for she is full of grace and had borne Christ who is the Head of the Church.

 

So, it worth honouring her with the title Mater Ecclesiae, the Mother of the Church. For she was the New Eve would resisted the temptations of Satan and remained completely faithful to the Lord as she followed her Son, the New Adam, to the foot of the Cross. Thereby fulfilling the Lord’s prophecy at the very beginning, as we heard in our first reading today.

 

Dear friends, as we celebrate Mary, as our Mother, the Mother of the Church and the Help of all Christians, we entrust all our struggles, suffering, persecutions, challenges, trials and difficulties into her maternal care, in order to remain faithful and survive through the turbulent times and challenges of our time. We also pray for our country Nigeria that through the intercession of Mary Mother of the Church may God intervene in the ugly situations in our country. Let us learn to remain faithful like Mary and not take our faith for granted. Let us remain steadfast knowing that Mary, the Help of all Christians is our Mother and Consoler.

 

LET US PRAY, Lord God, as we celebrate the Memorial of Mary Mother of the Church and Help of Christians, grant through her intercessions, all the graces and courage we need in order to conquer all our fears and challenge of life and so look forward to the coming of Christ our Lord and Saviour. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. God bless you.