Celebrating the memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church

 

Today we celebrate the memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church. The feast was established by Pope Francis in 2018 and it is celebrated the Monday after Pentecost. The feast on this day deepens our understanding of the connection between Mary and the Holy Spirit. When the angel Gabriel appeared to the young Mary in Nazareth and told her that she was most favoured by God and was called to have a child who would be called the Son of the Most High, Mary was naturally surprised and puzzled. ''How can this be as I am not married?'' she asked. Gabriel replied that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and that through the power of the Most High her child would be born. Hearing that, Mary accepted and so God entered into our world in human form. Today is a very special and important day for all Columbans. In Lima, Peru, where it is still Pentecost Sunday, our four yearly General Assembly will begin. This will be a crucial meeting as we search for new ways to continue evangelizing in the world today with decreasing vocations and aging members. May the Spirit be strongly present with the gifts of wisdom, understanding and fortitude. Let us all pray, ''Mary, help our faith. Open our ears to hear God's Word and recognize his voice and call. Awaken in us the desire to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. With the help of the Holy Spirit, may we all be touched by his love for our good and the good of the Church and the World.''