Loving Our Mothers
One
Mary brings Jesus to us through the Holy Spirit. To draw close to Mary is to draw close to Jesus due to the Spirit’s activity. She says in her Magnificat, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my savior” (Lk 1:46-47). Intimacy with her opens for us the treasure of graces and insights into the life of Jesus that would otherwise remain hidden. In loving her we prove moreover that we are sons and daughters of God because we are cherishing that which He cherishes. In loving Mary as mother, we will discover the depths of our Lord’s humility and how deep His desire to truly be one with us.
Two
The Lord has so established His Mother with such special graces that her ability to convert even the hardest of hearts is well documented. I am living proof! She comes to convert our hearts by revealing to us the depths of our need for her Son, and how we can find Him. She explains to us not just the state of the world, but also the special assignment she offers us. Her appearances are always mystical: she appears not just to the visionaries, but also to those prepared with devotion; meaning, she also comes for us. She provides the energy for our work in the Movement and will continue to lead us if we continue to respond. Oh, Holy Spirit, fill us with Divine Light and Love, lead us through this valley of tears with our Mother, and help us rescue souls, including our own, by following you.
Three
Mother’s Day gives us time to reflect on the great grace of Motherhood, without which none of us would be here. Mothers are gifts from God and are tied to marriage and family to image the Trinity. God fashioned marriage and the family to reveal something about His own inner life. Jesus and the Father share everything by self-gift, which eternally fosters the Holy Spirit of life-giving love. In like fashion, a husband and wife, share themselves through self-gift, fostering the gift of life with their love. Mother’s, in a special way, enjoy the role of carrying and bearing life from within. As St. John Paul II stated, “Motherhood involves a special communion with the mystery of life, as it develops in the mother’s womb. The mother is filled with wonder at this mystery of life, and ‘understands’ with unique intuition what is happening inside her. In the light of the ‘beginning’, the mother accepts and loves as a person the child she is carrying in her womb. This unique contact with the new human being developing within her gives rise to an attitude towards human beings – not only towards her own child, but every human being – which profoundly marks the woman’s personality” (Mulieris Dignitatem, #18).
Four
The feminine genius is in part revealed by the feminine design, a design eternally envisioned by God and brought into existence in Eve, Mother of the Living. Woman has within her core an openness which can receive and nurture life. As our sainted Pope further stated, “Motherhood implies from the beginning a special openness to the new person: and this is precisely the woman’s ‘part’. In this openness, in conceiving and giving birth to a child, the woman ‘discovers herself through a sincere gift of self’” (ibid). Motherhood is revered in all healthy cultures because of this sacred power to form life. This ability of women to cooperate in the procreation of human persons destined to everlasting life riles the envy of Satan, which is why he attacks motherhood with all weapons of his disposal. It is tragic indeed when women reject the wonder of their own femininity and rage about the miracle that God fashioned them to participate in. Fortunately, we know that ultimately, life is victorious.
Five
On this beautiful day, thank your own mother, both earthly and divine, for the gift of life! Our mothers sacrificed for us, which brought us to this point: having such faith as to desire and to pray Our Heavenly Mother’s Rosary. Today, let us offer our rosaries for all mothers and mothers to be, especially those who are contemplating abortion, that instead, they may enjoy the gift of life brought about by God’s loving plan and their sacrifice. May we also pray for women struggling to become mothers, that God may grant them the grace of motherhood and of peace regarding their circumstance. May all of us celebrate life by celebrating our moms and so marvel at the joys of maternal sacrifice and love! Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!