HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 8TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME.
SPECIAL COMMEMORATION OF THE FEAST OF MARY MOTHER OF THE CHURCH.
THEME: ‘Behold your son. Behold your mother.’
BY: Rev Fr Deotacious Chikontwe SMA.
*READINGS OF THE DAY*
Genesis 3:9-15,20
Psalm 86
John 19:25-34
*LITURGICAL COLOUR*
WHITE
*INTRODUCTION*
Good morning dear brethrens, today we celebrate Monday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time of Year A. Pope Francis recently introduced this new memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, to be celebrated on the Monday after the Feast of Pentecost which is today.
*ABOUT OUR FIRST READING*
Today’s feast is always celebrated the day after Pentecost Sunday. Today’s first reading is very closely related to the first reading for the feast of Pentecost. In today’s first reading, the apostles, along with several women, including Mary, the mother of Jesus, are in an upper room of a house in Jerusalem waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit. The risen Lord had instructed his followers not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promised Holy Spirit.
RELATED: HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF PENTECOST
*ABOUT 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.
*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.
Your Word is indeed my Strength Oh Lord our God. May You All Have a Blessed New Week.
*Happy Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church.*
Rev Fr Deotacious Chikontwe SMA.
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