HOMILY FOR 7TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (FEAST OF MARY MOTHER OF THE CHURCH) – YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: ˋBEHOLD YOUR SON. BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER´
BY: Fr Deotacious Chikontwe SMA
Genesis 3:9-15,20, Psalm 86, John 19:25-34
INTRODUCTION
Good Morning my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, Liturgical Calendar Year B.
In 2018, Pope Francis established the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of the Church, to be observed annually on the Monday after Pentecost. On this day we remember the role which Mary, the Mother of God played in bringing together the Church of God through her Son, as well as her presence during the time when the Church of God was born. Mary was present at the moment when the Church was revealed to the world, and began its evangelising mission, which happened at the Pentecost.
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FROM OUR FIRST READING
In our first reading today, we heard of the moments after mankind had fallen into sin at the beginning of Creation by disobeying God’s will and disregarding His warning not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve chose to eat from the fruits of that tree and they fell into sin as they did not listen to the Lord and chose to believe in the false lies of Satan and his temptations instead. But at that same time, as the Lord told them that they would have to wander off in the world and to suffer the consequences of their sins, He also reaffirmed that He still loved them all despite of their many sins and wickedness, and He revealed that one day, salvation would come to us all through a Woman, who would crush the machinations and the power of Satan, the great enemy who had brought about our downfall.
FROM OUR GOSPEL READING
According to today’s gospel reading, as Jesus hung from the cross, just before his death, he gave his mother as a mother to the beloved disciple, and to all his present and future disciples whom the beloved disciple represented at the cross. Jesus had a unique relationship with Mary, as son to mother, but he wanted all his disciples to share in this relationship. Just as he wanted us to share in his relationship with God, calling him ‘Abba, Father’, as he did, so he wanted us to share in his relationship with his mother, Mary, calling her ‘mother’ as he did. According to this gospel reading again, the beloved disciple made a place for Mary in his home.
CONCLUSION
We are all called to make a place for Mary in our lives, to allow her to fulfil her role as mother of Jesus’ disciples, mother of the church. Jesus has given her to us as a gift to support us on our journey as his disciples. Her role in our lives is not to draw attention to herself but to lead us to her Son. We find her fulfilling this role at Cana, saying to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you’. We look to her to help us to do whatever Jesus tells us, to keep his word in our lives, as she did. That is why we call on her to pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Mary is the new beginning for humanity. Genesis describes Eve as the mother of all living. Mary is seen as the “New Eve” because she plays a key role in God’s plan of salvation.
Mary, Mother of the Church, Pray for Us always.
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