Behold, your mother

REFLECTIONS TODAY The obligatory memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, was inscribed into the General Roman Calendar on Monday after Pentecost to portray Mary’s collaboration with the mission of Jesus, as well as her unity with the Apostles and other disciples at the birth of the Church. As early as the fourth century, St. Ambrose of Milan had regarded Mary as Model of the Church in the light of her faith, love, and union with Jesus from birth and until his death on the cross. In his apostolic letter Credo of the People of God (1968), St. Paul VI declares Mary as Mother of the Church, and mother of all Christians: “Joined by a close and indissoluble bond to the Mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption, the Blessed Virgin... Blessed Mother of God, the New Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in heaven her maternal role with regard to Christ’s members, cooperating with the birth and growth of divine life in the souls of the redeemed” (Credo, 15). Joined by this mysterious bond, may all believers who belong to Christ’s mystical body (the Church) be united in mutual exchange of graces between Mary and the Beloved Disciple (representing all believers), with Jesus as the central source. FIRST READING • Gn 3:9-15, 20 After Adam had eaten of the tree, the Lord God called to him and asked him, “Where are you?” 10He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The Lord God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living. Gospel • Jn 19:25-34 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. 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.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.” There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit. Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2022,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.

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