Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 1, 2020
Standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.”
Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.
After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out.
Reflection
“The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God,” as St. Thérèse of Lisieux said, “is the heart of a mother” and surely no mother reflects the heart of God more perfectly than the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church.
As a mother of two young children, I am constantly in awe of how quickly my daughter and son grow and learn and how quickly I must adapt and grow along with them. From first steps to first words, from the first day of school to graduation, and everywhere in between and beyond, all of these moments seem to pass in an instant. On many occasions, I have turned to other women and men, both on earth and in heaven, whom I admire to provide me with guidance as I navigate both the joys and struggles of ever-changing family life.
Certainly, Mary provides the ultimate model of a mother who is able to love her son through every phase and to learn from her son as he pursues his vocation. She not only guides him through challenges but also walks alongside him as he builds the kingdom. With every change, she is a constant source of grace and an example of steadfast faith.
From Mary’s faith at the Annunciation to her joy at the Visitation, from her wonder in the temple to her wisdom at Cana, and her devotion at the foot of the cross, Mary provides for us an example of the heart of God and challenges us to grow in faith. Today we pray that Mary, Mother of the Church, continues to guide us and intercede for us as we seek to proclaim the Gospel and build up the Church.
Prayer
Mother, help our faith! Open our ears to hear God’s word and to recognize his voice and call. Awaken in us a desire to follow in his footsteps, to go forth from our own land and to receive his promise. Help us to be touched by his love, that we may touch him in faith. Help us to entrust ourselves fully to him and to believe in his love, especially at times of trial, beneath the shadow of the cross, when our faith is called to mature. Sow in our faith the joy of the Risen One. Remind us that those who believe are never alone. Teach us to see all things with the eyes of Jesus, that he may be light for our path. And may this light of faith always increase in us, until the dawn of that undying day which is Christ himself, your Son, our Lord! Amen.
Saint of the Day
In 2018, Pope Francis helped the Church return to an ancient devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Every year on the Monday after Pentecost, the Church now honors Mary as Mother of the Church.
St. Augustine saw Mary as a mother to the faithful because she played such a decisive role in bringing Jesus to the world. Through her motherhood, we are reborn in faith through Jesus. And Pope St. Leo the Great said something similar in proclaiming that Mary is both mother of God’s Son, Jesus, and of his mystical body in the world, which is the Church.
The Gospel reading for this feast shows us Mary at the foot of the cross, where she became mother of the Church when Jesus gave her to his beloved disciple, John, who stands for all of us.
Catholics honor Mary as a human who was glorified through her willingness to trust God. Mary’s sorrows and joys, her hopes for her child and spouse, and her quiet endurance ring true to the experience of families today. She is easy to identify with, and through her faithfulness, God changed the world. We call her “Our Lady” and “mother” because she is our mother in faith and our model of holiness.
When we say prayers to Mary, we direct our prayer to God, the source of all things, through Mary. We ask for Mary’s intercession with these prayers—we ask her to carry our requests or offerings of thanksgiving to God—and we are confident that Mary will do so in her care for us as our mother in faith.
Mary is most notably depicted on Notre Dame’s campus in the Golden Dome of the Main Building, of course. The women of nearby St. Mary’s College procured the statue after the Great Fire of 1879 and it is modeled after one that was erected in Rome by the pope. It stands 19 feet high and weighs 4,000 pounds.
Mary’s statue is clothed in gold and stands on a crescent moon, images that come from the Book of Revelation. That Scripture describes a vision of Mary as “a woman in the sky, clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet.” The school colors for the Fighting Irish athletic teams are blue and gold for this reason: the blue calls to mind the dark sky behind Mary, and gold represents her clothed with the sun.
In the statue atop the dome, Mary also stands with her feet crushing a serpent, another Scriptural reference. In the Book of Genesis, we hear the story of Eve listening to the serpent and disobeying God, which brought sin into the world. Mary is the new Eve who tramples the serpent. Mary listened to God’s invitation to be the mother of Jesus, and her radical obedience brings life to the world through her Son. She enables our victory over sin and death.
The reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame contains many relics of Mary, including pieces of her hair and clothes.
Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us as we seek new life through your Son, Jesus!