Mary, Our Mother

In his 2014 homily on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Pope Francis said this of Mary:

Mary is so closely united to Jesus because she received from Him the knowledge of the heart, the knowledge of faith, nourished by her experience as a mother and by her close relationship with her Son. The Blessed Virgin is the woman of faith who made room for God in her heart and in her plans; she is the believer capable of perceiving in the gift of her Son the coming of that ‘fullness of time’ in which God, by choosing the humble path of human existence, entered personally into the history of salvation. That is why Jesus cannot be understood without His Mother.

Think about it, in many ways, none of us can be understood without our mothers. We are carried by our mothers from womb until we are too heavy to lift. But isn’t it true that mothers never stop “carrying” their children because the compassion and unconditional love never ends. Mothers are blessed with unique gifts that enable them to nurture, form, feed, and love with joy and seemingly boundless energy. Mary’s heart is enriched and strengthened by her relationship with her Son, and our mothers continually give life and love because of their relationship with the same Jesus.

No matter how young or old we are, we need a mother’s love because we are incomplete if we are not loved. In this month of May when the Church honors Mary, may we come to know Mary as our mother and ask her to draw us closer to her Son. On this Mother’s Day, may we be thankful for our mothers – whether they are with us here or in Heaven. May we all be more like mothers and love without condition, never afraid to make sacrifices for the sake of another. Saint Theresa of Calcutta offered this advice often: “If you ever feel distressed during your day, call upon Our Lady, just say this simple prayer: ‘Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me now.’ I must admit, this prayer has never failed me.”

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us. Happy Mother’s Day!