In today’s Gospel we hear the story of Mary, the mother of God, and the “disciple whom Jesus loved” standing at the foot of cross. Jesus speaks to Mary: “Woman, behold your son.” Then he says to the disciple “Behold, your mother.” We as a church are called to be “beloved disciples” and Mary is our mother who watches over us as a church.
As a church we are called to continually return to Jesus and the mystery of his life, death, and resurrection. Mary guides us in our reflection as a church “And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). The shepherds had just visited Jesus, Mary, and Joseph and told wonderous things about what they had seen and heard about the child. Mary ponders and prays over their mysterious and wonderous words.
The church today celebrates Mary as the Mother of the Church. Jesus teaches that the most important thing about Mary is that she hears the Word of God:
“My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” (Luke 8:19).
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid [servant] of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38).
Like Mary, we as a church are called upon to be servants of God, to be people who “hear the word of God and act on it.”
In today’s Gospel we hear that Jesus himself “hears the word of God and acts on it.” As he is dying on the cross the evangelist tells us: “…aware that everything was now finished in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled Jesus said, ‘I thirst.’” Jesus did his Father’s will until the end and now he proclaims: “It is finished.”
Jesus’ earthly life is finished but we as his disciples and as his church are called upon and challenged to continue his life on earth by being the real presence of Jesus in our daily life. We are called to be the Body of Christ.
Mary, as the Mother of the Church, watches over us as a church but also calls us each day to go back to her Son, to encounter her Son each day. We are to ask ourselves as a church and as individual Christians, are we truly imaging the Body of Christ? Do we welcome all people? Do we associate with “tax collectors and sinners” and even eat with them? Do we show God’s love and mercy to those we meet? Today we ask Mary to watch over us as we pray with Mary: “We are servants of the Lord, be it done to us according to God’s Word.”
Image: “Statue Virgin Mary Medjugorje – Hotel Pansion Porta – Bosnia Herzegovina – Creative Commons by gnuckx” by gnuckx is marked with CC0 1.0.