Feast of the Holy Family

A Quiet Moment, Schmaltz
Picture taken at St. Catherine of Siena, Carrollton, TX

The celebration of the Feast of the Holy Family should remind us that the family is the domestic church.  Children should first learn the faith and about love in the family. Blessed Pope John Paul II described the role of the family in his encyclical Familiaris Consortio:

Accordingly, the family must go back to the "beginning" of God's creative act, if it is to attain self-knowledge and self-realization in accordance with the inner truth not only of what it is but also of what it does in history. And since in God's plan it has been established as an "intimate community of life and love,"(44) the family has the mission to become more and more what it is, that is to say, a community of life and love, in an effort that will find fulfillment, as will everything created and redeemed, in  the Kingdom of God. Looking at it in such a way as to reach its very roots, we must say that the essence and role of the family are in the final analysis specified by love. Hence the family has the mission to guard, reveal and communicate love, and this is a living reflection of and a real sharing in God's love for humanity and the love of Christ the Lord for the Church His bride. (FC, 17)

In the same document, Pope John Paul II also pointed out the role the family should play as the primary teachers of the faith:

The right and duty of parents to give education is essential, since it is connected with the transmission of human life; it is original and primary with regard to the educational role of others, on account of the uniqueness of the loving relationship between parents and children; and it is irreplaceable and inalienable, and therefore incapable of being entirely delegated to others or usurped by others. (FC, 36)

Christ's hidden life in Nazareth should serve as model for us to find sanctity in obedience, silence and work. (See CCC 532-534)

Finally, I'd like to share a video production of the Gospel reading for this year. As you watch, reflect on the Gospel passage and think: Do I run looking for Jesus after I have lost sight of Him due to sin?

Why do we call Mary, Mother?

Tomorrow we celebrate Mother's Day in the United States. In the Catholic Church, Mary is often called the Mother of Church. In addition to all the titles she holds, why this one?

To understand why Catholics refer to Mary as the Mother of the Church we must first recall that the Church teaches that she is theotokos, The Mother of God. The logical answer is that since Mary is the Mother of Christ and the Church is the Body of Christ, therefore she is the Mother of the Church.

Blessed John Paul II, in a General Audience of Wednesday, answered the question this way:

The title "Mother of the Church" thus reflects the deep conviction of the Christian faithful, who see in Mary not only the mother of the person of Christ, but also of the faithful. She who is recognized as mother of salvation, life and grace, mother of the saved and mother of the living, is rightly proclaimed Mother of the Church.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (964) teaches:

Mary's role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it. "This union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ's virginal conception up to his death"; it is made manifest above all at the hour of his Passion:

"Thus the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross. There she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering, joining herself with his sacrifice in her mother's heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this victim, born of her: to be given, by the same Christ Jesus dying on the cross, as a mother to his disciple, with these words: 'Woman, behold your son.'"

According to St. Augustine:

[Mary] is clearly Mother of the members of Christ...for she has cooperated with love in the birth of the faithful in the Church, who are members of its Head.

Mary's intercession on behalf of the wedding party at Cana (John 2) is viewed as a demonstration of her role as "advocate" for the Church (See Lumen Gentium, 62). Her relationship to the Church is further derived from Christ's declaration from the Cross: "Woman, behold your son" (John 19:26) Finally, we see in Acts 1:14 that Mary is present with the early Christian community.

As we prepare to celebrate Mother's Day, let's not forget to be thankful for our spiritual mother, Mary.

For further reading:
Mother of the Church, Blessed John Paul II
Mary, Mother of the Church, Father Matthew R. Mauriello

Theotokos: Mary, Mother of God

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Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. This teaching is one of the four Marian Doctrines of the Catholic Church.

Jesus, the second person of the Holy Trinity, who is fully man and fully God, "was born of a woman" (Gal 4:4). Mary is that woman. In fact, in Luke's gospel this is revealed in Mary's visit to see Elizabeth. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth proclaimed, ""Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:42-43).

In 431, the Council of Ephesus confirmed Mary as Mother of God, Theotokos.  This was proclaimed to answer a heresy denying Jesus’ dual nature as both human and divine. The Council declared:

"We confess, then, our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, perfect God and perfect man, of a rational soul and a body, begotten before all ages from the Father in his Godhead, the same in the last days, for us and for our salvation, born of Mary the Virgin according to his humanity, one and the same consubstantial with the Father in Godhead and consubstantial with us in humanity, for a union of two natures took place. Therefore we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. According to this understanding of the unconfused union, we confess the holy Virgin to be the Mother of God because God the Word took flesh and became man and from his very conception united to himself the temple he took from her" (Formula of Union [A.D. 431]).

Note, the language used by the Council and how that is reflected in our liturgy.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also teaches:

Called in the Gospels "the mother of Jesus," Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as "the mother of my Lord." In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father’s eternal Son, the second Person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly "Mother of God" (Theotokos). (CCC 495)

Pope John Paul II expanded the Church's understanding of the doctrine in his 1987 encyclical, Redemptoris Mater:

The Second Vatican Council prepares us for this by presenting in its teaching the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and of the Church. If it is true, as the Council itself proclaims,[8] that "only in the mystery of the Incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light," then this principle must be applied in a very particular way to that exceptional "daughter of the human race," that extraordinary "woman" who became the Mother of Christ. Only in the mystery of Christ is her mystery fully made clear. Thus has the Church sought to interpret it from the very beginning: the mystery of the Incarnation has enabled her to penetrate and to make ever clearer the mystery of the Mother of the Incarnate Word. The Council of Ephesus (431) was of decisive importance in clarifying this, for during that Council, to the great joy of Christians, the truth of the divine motherhood of Mary was solemnly confirmed as a truth of the Church's faith. Mary is the Mother of God (= Theotokos), since by the power of the Holy Spirit she conceived in her virginal womb and brought into the world Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is of one being with the Father.[9] "The Son of God...born of the Virgin Mary...has truly been made one of us,"[10] has been made man. Thus, through the mystery of Christ, on the horizon of the Church's faith there shines in its fullness the mystery of his Mother. In turn, the dogma of the divine motherhood of Mary was for the Council of Ephesus and is for the Church like a seal upon the dogma of the Incarnation, in which the Word truly assumes human nature into the unity of his person, without canceling out that nature. (Redemptoris Mater, 4)

Mary is our Holy Mother too. Although He was on the verge of death, Christ called out to John from the cross, "Behold your mother!" (John 19:27).  Furthermore, since Mary is the mother of Christ, who is head of the Church, she is also Mother of the Church. 

I will conclude with this simple, logical syllogism: Jesus is God. Mary is the mother of Jesus. Therefore, Mary is the mother of God.

Recommended Reading:

Redemptoris Mater, Pope John Paul II

Hail Holy Queen, Scott Hahn

Theotokos: Woman, Mother, Disciple, Pope John Paul II 

How Can Mary Be God's Mother, Tim Staples

Fiat: Your Will Be Done

On this the Fourth Sunday of Advent, we read about the Annunciation of our Mother Mary. The gospel reading of the Annunciation is juxtaposed with the first reading which tells the story of David seeking to build a proper temple for the Ark of the Covenant. Together today's readings demonstrate a connection between the Old and the New Covenants.

"With her generous 'fiat' (Mary) became, through the working of the Spirit, the Mother of God, but also the Mother of the living, and, by receiving into her womb the one Mediator, she became the true Ark of the Covenant and true Temple of God" (Paul VI, "Marialis Cultus", 6).

Additionally, we are given a perfect example of how we are to respond to God's calling - fiat.

Pray the Rosary

Today mark's the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary. It is also a reminder that October has been set aside as the Month of the Rosary. This is a good time to get back on track with incorporating the Rosary as part of your daily prayer life. Perhaps you can share the Rosary with your family one night a week. Father Peyton's saying is as true now as ever: "the family that prays together, stays together."

Remember, prayed properly - reflecting on the mysteries - the Rosary is not simply a set of repetitive prayers, but a meditation on the life, suffering and death of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is NOT a Marian prayer, but rather a Christocentric prayer, for it is a meditation on the Gospel, the Word of God, made flesh in Christ!

Here's an inspiring video on the Rosary. After the video, I have posted a few links to help with praying the Rosary. Also check out the many links on the right column of the Catholic Culture link I have above for the Month of the Rosary.

How to Pray the Rosary

The Rosary Army Podcast

The Rosary Pope: Leo XIII

Why is May a Marian Month?

Traditionally, May is the "month which the piety of the faithful has especially dedicated to Our Blessed Lady." (Paul VI: Encyclical on the Month of May, no. 1). This practice began in the 13th Century and was particularly popular with the Jesuits. Because of the far reach of the order’s schools, the devotion spread and by the 1700’s it began to spread throughout the Church.

We are not required by Church teaching to maintain any particular devotion to Mary, but we would be remiss not to. As Christ was dying on the cross He shared His mother with us - "behold your mother" (John 19:27). I figure if she was good enough for Jesus, she's good enough for us.

Mini-Marian Pilgrimage
As the month of May comes to a close, consider taking a mini-Marian pilgrimage. St. Josemaria would gather a group and walk to a another town that had a Marian shrine. Today, we could carpool with a group, pray the rosary on the trip and spend some time praying at the chapel locally at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Downtown Dallas or go out to Denton and pray in the Marian garden at Immaculate Conception.

Books to Read
Hail, Holy Queen, Scott Hahn 

 St. Louis De Montfort's True Devotion to Mary