The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of the Church
Man often turns to his mother and looks for help from her. He confides to her of his troubles and worries. He tells her about his successes and failures. He shares his joys with her. He knows, that the mother understands him better than any other and will do everything, to help your child.
It's bad in the family, in which the mother was missing, caring for the whole house.
But we live not only in the human family. From the moment of baptism, St.. we are the family of God's children. Christ makes this family out of all people, which he united with himself.
Who in the family of God's children can we call a mother, and why ?
The role of Mary in the Church
The Church is a gathering of people united with Christ. The most important person in the Church is Jesus Christ. St.. compares the Church to the human organism. With this comparison in mind, we say, that Christ is the Head of the Church.
Son of God, who became man, brought people together, creating the Church. And he became man through Mary, for she is his true mother. She truly gave birth to and raised him. Mary is therefore the Mother of Christ. Thus, that she gave birth to Christ, contributed to the establishment of the Church. Mary understood God's saving plan most perfectly and collaborated with God in making it happen. She accepted this saving plan with faith and obeyed it. She accompanied most faithfully and perfectly with her thoughts and desires of salvation the plans and desires of her Son. Internally united with her Son, she cooperated most perfectly with him in saving the world. Its influence on salvation, that is, to unite people into the Church, it is the greatest and widespread. It covers everyone, whom God wants to unite with Himself in the Holy Church.
The mother not only gives life, but he is also a model for his child. Such an example for the People of God, but the most perfect, this is the Virgin Mary. She teaches Christians a perfect union with God and faithful cooperation with Him for the salvation of people. It teaches it not with words, but by his deeds.
In the Church, Jesus Christ unites people to himself and to the Father. Mary was most perfectly united with Christ, because she was his mother. She also had no sin - she was Immaculate. She lived in lasting friendship and unity with God. We speak, that is an image (type) church, who is also called to lasting friendship and communion with God.
The mother not only gives life to the child, but also cares about it, that this life would grow and become richer and richer. For the lives of these, who are united to Christ in the Church, the Blessed Virgin Mary cares.
Jesus proclaims the Most Holy. Mary the Mother of all
Mary fulfills everything to people, what a mother usually does to her children : love, is watching, protection, mediates. In everything she conforms to her Son, and therefore also in his love for us. God has revealed this to us in the words given to us by St.. Jana :
"Jesus… he said to the Mother : «Woman, here is your son ». Then he said to the student : "Behold your mother" " (J 19, 26-27).
In these words, Jesus, dying on the cross, provides his Mother with protection. Jesus did not mean only and mainly providing material conditions for his Mother. His words to his mother and disciple have a deeper meaning. In them, Jesus placed all people in the world under the protection of his Mother and made known to us, that she is our mother, and we are her children.
Announcement of Mary as the Mother of the Church
Holy. The Virgin Mary is the Mother of the Church from the very beginning of its existence. She became it through collaboration with Christ in his saving work. By your faith, hope and love worked for the renewal of the supernatural life of human souls. The Second Vatican Council makes this clear (KK 61). Although for a long time Christians have considered St.. Virgin Mary for her Mother, it was, however, not long ago that the title of Mother of the Church was bestowed upon her. At the request of bishops around the world, especially Polish bishops, Pope Paul VI at the end of the Third Session of the Second Vatican Council, in day 21 November 1964 r. proclaimed her the Mother of the Church :
,,For her glory and our refreshment, we proclaim the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Church, that is, of the entire People of God, both the faithful and the shepherds. We call her the most loving mother. We want, that from now on all the Christian people should honor the Most Holy Virgin with this title " (From the speech of Paul VI).
How will I answer God ?
Awareness, that Mary is the Mother of the Church, it will make me trust her more. I will turn to her more often not only in personal matters, but above all in matters of the entire People of God, and even of all mankind. From now on, I will speak more often in prayer with the Mother of the Church about the matters of her children. I can do it now with my own words or with the words of Paul VI, with which he addressed the Mother of the Church at the end of the Third Session of the Second Vatican Council :
"Mother of the Church, we recommend the whole Church to you… Defend and support bishops in the apostolic task, priests, religious and lay people, which help others to live in union with Christ.
Ty, which your Divine Son, at the time of his saving death, gave as Mother to his beloved disciple, remember all Christian people, who trusts in you.
Remember all your children. Present their prayers to God ; keep their firm faith ; strengthen their hope ; increase their love ".
■ Think :
1. How Mary's collaboration with Christ was revealed in his saving work ?
2. In which Mary is a model for the Church ?
3. When and with what words Christ announced, that Mary is the Mother of all ?
4. Ever since we worship Mary as the Mother of the Church ?
■ Remember:
87. "We proclaim the Most Holy. Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, that is, of the entire People of God, both faithful and shepherds "
(Pope Paul VI).
■ Task :
I'll think about it, what I would like to ask, Mother of the Church, Mary.