Jesus Gives Us His Mother

​JESUS GIVES US HIS MOTHER
 
Why Calvary? Why would Jesus wait to “officially announce” His gift of His Mother at Calvary? Many Catholics would say – Well, He is leaving this earth – it is a good time to give us His Mother – as He departs for Heaven. Like all of Scripture – it is deep and every word, phrase and chapter needs prayer and reflection. At the moment She pronounced her fiat, Mary was already in truth the co-operatrix of Christ in the work of our Redemption, and She would have merited this title even if She had died at the birth of Her Son. It is worthy to note that Jesus was the cause of all of Her sufferings known to us, from the trial occasioned by St. Joseph’s troubled mind at her mysterious maternity to the death on the cross. It was on Calvary especially she suffered in her heart ALL that Jesus suffered in His Body and in His Soul.  Many saints and theologians, in their writings, have declared more and more often that God had called Mary to suffer with Her Son on Calvary and thus had enabled Her to collaborate with Him in the work of Redemption. Also, in the writings of some Popes, we read in their texts that it was by God that Mary was called to co-operate with Redemption, namely, the co-operation with Christ the Redeemer and in Her role as the Distributor of all Graces, and they hold the latter as a consequence of the former.
The reparation offered to God by Mary for the sins of Her children is in itself powerless to expiate their sins; but, when united to Christ’s, it adds to the glory of God and induces Him to forgive their offenses.  There is more love in each act of reparation offered by Mary than there is malice in all the sins of men. One may wonder why. Mary was sinless and was united in the sufferings of Christ; therefore, Her merits gain favor with God.  For Mary, it was an untold consolation to participate, not only in the sufferings of Her Son, but also for the glorification of the Father and the salvation of souls. Christ’s thirst was Her thirst.
Now we can understand “a little” of Mary as our Mother. She is our Spiritual Mother. It was God’s will that the Mother of Christ should be Mother also of His Mystical Body; this spiritual maternity demanded that she co-operate by meriting grace for us. Certainly, She would have already been our Mother, in a certain way, by the mere fact of having given us Christ, our Life; but now She is also known as the Dispenser of all Graces. She would not be our Mother in the supernatural order if Her sufferings were only a suffering of simple compassion like that of St. John and St. Mary Magdalen. Mary gave birth to us at the cross through Her union with Her Son; meaning -Her will was perfectly united to that of Jesus – Her prayers, Her suffering, Her reparation, and Her offering. All from a sinless Divine Mother united to Her Divine Son. How much better do we appreciate Her motherhood because She brought us forth on Calvary amidst the most anguishing of labor pains!! How much stronger is Her ability to distribute to us all graces when we recall that She Herself actively co-operated in meriting them for us, and at what a price! Without this Co-redemption, Mary would not be for us all that She is.
Many miss this understanding of Mary and consequently only manifest a sentimental, intermittent and almost fruitless devotion toward Her. Many are tempted to discredit the true role the Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ has. Those who do understand the role that God has confided to His Mother in the work of our redemption, give her an essential place in their lives. The more one meditates upon it, the more one will strive to bring their Queen and Mother into all of their spiritual and apostolic activities and the more proofs they see of Her Divine Intercession.   Mary’s role in the mystery of our Redemption is itself certainly a consequence of Her Divine Maternity, but a consequence whose necessity is not clearly seen by many in the Church today.  Let us not lose sight of the fact that Jesus Himself gave us this gift of Queen and Mother not only for St. John but for all of us. May we all realize that it is the will of God that we humble ourselves as Jesus did in accepting Her as Mother and may we understand that devotion to Mary is so efficacious only because of the redemptive mission of this Blessed Queen and Mother. Let us be true imitators of Jesus Christ and call Her Mother!
Holy Mary, Mother of God and of His Mystical Body, pray for us.