Pentecost and Mary, Mother of the Church – May 20 – Homily – Fr John Lawrence

 

Fr John Lawrence gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on May 20, 2024, feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, and how the fact that this feast occurs the day after Pentecost, the Church's birthday, highlights Mary's central, maternal role from the first novena to her intercession from heaven.

Pentecost is the birthday of the Church, born after nine days of prayer by Jesus' disciples. St. Luke describes the Apostles and Mary praying together after the Ascension, forming the first novena. Mary is central to Pentecost, depicted as the mother of the Church, a title given by St. Paul VI and traced back to earlier writings. Mary is the mother of the Church because she is the mother of Jesus, and the Church is Christ's mystical body. She gave birth to Jesus without pain but suffers to give birth to us in grace, as reflected in Revelation 12:2. Her greatest suffering occurred at the foot of the cross, where she became our mother through Jesus' words. Every Christian, as another Christ, has Mary as their mother. The scene in Revelation 12 symbolizes Christ's birth in us. The Church, born from Christ's side, resembles Mary, the new Eve. Mary's motherhood extends through Pentecost and her continued intercession from heaven. Let us value the graces won by her suffering.

00:00 - Introduction Pentecost, Birth of the Church
00:39 - Mary's Role in Pentecost
00:52 - Mary, Mother of the Church
02:34 - Joyful Birth of Jesus
02:54 - Birth Pains for Us
03:57 - Mary at the Foot of the Cross
07:00 - Church Born from Christ's Side

Ave Maria!

Mass: Mary, Mother of the Church (Opt 2) - Feast
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/052024.cfm
1st: act 1:12-14
Resp: psa 87:1-3, 5-7
Gsp: joh 19:25-34

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=2234

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