When we think of mothers, we only have to think of Mary, the mother of Jesus. May is the month of Mary, and this month we honor her in a special way. We call her Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Fatima. We call her Queen of Peace and Queen of the Rosary, and bestow on her many other titles. Mary is worthy of these titles because she said “Yes” to God. We also honor her this Sunday through our “May Crowning”.
As we reflect on all that Mary did, I think it is fair to say that sometimes we forget that Mary was also a wife and mother. We know that it is never easy to lose a loved one, especially a spouse or a child. Sometime during Jesus’ life, Mary lost her husband Joseph. We may have forgotten that after Mary experienced the death of her husband Joseph, she unselfishly persevered as a grieving widow in very difficult and uncertain times. After his death, she would also experience the death of her son Jesus. She had to cope with the challenges of day to day living. She missed her spouse and her Son but she continued to love; she continued to persevere; she continued to cling to her faith. In clinging to her faith, and in her willingness to love, she is model for all moms, including widows striving to do the same.
The Church presents Mary as a model of love in its fullness. The love she had for Jesus and Joseph is not reserved for them alone. It is the same precious love that she has for us, the same precious love she shares with us, an unselfish love that we should not take for granted.
Prior to becoming Pope, our Holy Father Francis invited us to look to Mary for inspiration. He stated, “We ask her, the first disciple, to teach us to persevere, to accompany us in patience, to strengthen us in hope. We ask her to lead us to an encounter with her Risen Son.” As we celebrate Mother’s Day and as we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, we are invited to take these profound words to heart.
Mary our Queen, intercede for us. Mary, our Mother, pray for us.