Reflect on the role of Mary as Mother of the Church, celebrating her nurturing presence in our lives and the Church’s maternal qualities.
Today's Gospel: John 19:25-34
In certain languages, such as French and Spanish, nouns are either feminine or masculine. It feels appropriate that the French word for church, église, and the Spanish word for church, iglesia, are both feminine. The Catholic Church agrees with this feminine assignment as it has always called the Church a her.
Today, the day after Pentecost, we celebrate the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. What a comforting image of the Church as a nurturing Mother.
Although the Church has long recognized her in this title, a day memorializing Our Lady as Mother of the Church was not on the liturgical calendar until recently.
In 2018, the late Pope Francis formally designated the day after Pentecost as the Memorial of the Mother of the Church. Thus, he officially highlighted Mary's presence with the disciples at Pentecost. As Pentecost is considered the birthday of the Church, her presence there symbolizes her maternal role in relation to the faithful.
In John’s Gospel, when Jesus saw His mother and the disciple there whom He loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.”
Many scripture scholars claim that John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, represents every person. Even in His last moment, Jesus expresses His love and care for us by voicing His mother's maternity and giving us His mother.
At His death that gave us life, He declared His mother the mother of the living, the mother of the faithful, and the mother of us all.
Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us!
Ponder:
Think about what a mother does. How is the Church like a mother?
Pray:
Dear Jesus, thank You for giving us Your mother. As St. John did, help us to invite Mary into our home. Help us to honor her in a new way.
Pray Together:
How can we invite the Mother of the Church into our life and our home?
Copyright 2026 Frances Smit
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