Mary, Mother of the Church Monday of week 8 in Ordinary Time Gospel: John 19:25-34 On the memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church, the Gospel (John 19:25–34) brings us to the foot of the Cross where Mother Mary and the beloved disciple John remain faithfully present beside Jesus. At the very moment when Jesus “gave up his spirit,” Mary and John stand there in silence, love, fidelity, and openness to the mystery unfolding before them. It is not accidental that the birth of the Church begins in this atmosphere of communion around the crucified Christ. From the Cross, Jesus entrusts Mary to John and John to Mary, creating a new spiritual family born from His sacrifice and filled by His Spirit. The presence of Mary and John teaches us that the Holy Spirit is received not in isolation, but in faithful communion with Christ and with one another. Mary becomes Mother of the Church because she remains united to Jesus until the end, and John becomes the image of every disciple who receives both Christ and His Mother into his life. The blood and water flowing from the pierced side of Christ reveal the life of the Church flowing from His sacrifice. Today we are invited to remain near the Cross with the same faithfulness as Mary and John, so that the Spirit of Christ may shape us into a living communion of love, fidelity, and discipleship. Let’s reflect: Am I remaining faithfully near Christ like Mary and John, allowing His Spirit flowing from the Cross to form me into a true disciple living in communion, love, and fidelity?
Don Giorgio