MOTHER OF THE CHURCH

“The mystery of the Church is also reflected in the Blessed Virgin Mary: in her, the People of God finds an image of its origin, its model, and its homeland. In the Mother of the Lord, the Church contemplates her own mystery—not only because she finds in her a model of virginal faith, maternal love, and the spousal covenant to which she herself is called, but also—and indeed above all—because she recognizes in her her archetype, the ideal image of what she is to become. As we can see, the reflections on Mary—Virgin and Mother—contained in *Lumen gentium* teach us to love the Church and to serve in it the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God, which is coming and which will be fully realized in glory. Let us therefore allow this sublime model, Mary, Virgin and Mother, to speak to us, and let us ask her to help us, through her intercession, to respond to the call that flows from her example: Do I live out my belonging to the Church with humble and active faith? Do I recognize in it the covenant community that God has given me so that I may respond to His infinite love? Do I feel myself to be a living part of the Church, obedient to the shepherds given by God? Do I look to Mary as a model, as the most perfect member and Mother of the Church, and ask her to help me be a faithful disciple of her Son?” /Leo XIV, May 13, 2026/ Mary, Mother of the Church—pray for us