I will put enmity between your offspring and her offspring. Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Monday of the 8th week in ordinary time, the memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Church, May 24, 2021. Reading is delivered by Tanuhito and meditation delivered by Concytha, from Saint Peter’s School in Jakarta, Indonesia. Genesis 3: 9-15.20; Rs psalm 87: 1-2.3.5.6.7; John 19: 25-34.
A MOTHER’S GIFT
The theme for our meditation today is: A Mother’s Gift. On a particular Sunday that coincided the world “Fathers Day,” the priest in the holy Mass invited the fathers to come near the altar before the concluding blessing of the Mass. They were prayed for and given a special blessing by the priest. When the prayer was being said, there were three fathers wept with emotion and seen by the priest.
The priest met them outside the church after the holy Mass. They were asked one by one why they were crying when they were in front of him. They all replied that each wife was forcing each of them to come forward under different threats. If they did not obey, sanctions would be given mercilessly. One was threatened not to enter the house after returning from Mass. The other was threatened not unaccompanied if they would go out together for certain occasion. And the other one was threatened of not cooking his favorite food at home.
These threats were serious. A wife who is also a mother is the key to home, food and relationship. If these three elements are removed, what will happen to a husband and father, and all members of the family in real life? The three fathers who had cried with emotion not because their wives were just violent to them, but actually they were very sad and in great problem to lose those basic parts of life that their wives have been responsible to carry out. And so, these wives or women truly are the representations of the goodness of God to fight against all forms of evil that tend to destroy life.
We are happy on this memorial of Our Lady as Mother of the Church, which is a celebration to honor and glorify the role of motherhood for the whole Church. In principle, the Church is called the mother for the most obvious reason, because the Blessed Mother has been entrusted by her own Son, Jesus Christ, who is the head of the Church, as the mother of the Church. Jesus declared that directly and personally as He was dying on the cross and would soon leave this world. He said to a disciple whom He loved: “This is your mother”!
The church as a mother has the utmost responsibility to protect and direct every member to the path of salvation. Mary certainly collaborates with Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, to make the Church and all its members live in faith, love and strong hope. As mother, Mary animates the entire Church along the way. Although the threats of Satan and his companions never stop to harm and destroy the Church, the mother of the Church has the strength to endure and fight against it. Such threat never ceases as long as the world continues, as today’s first reading proclaims.
Let’s pray. In the name of the Father … O God of heaven, may the Blessed Mother always be with us in all our troubles, especially in times the threat of deadly enemies is so evident and strong. Hail Mary full of grace… In the name of the Father …
