Who is my Mother?
By Brother Anthony Melendez IVE
Very often it is heard, "Holy Mary, Mother of God." This expression is especially familiar to those who pray the Hail Mary prayer. But how is it that Mary is the
Mother of God? There are many non-catholic christians who say, "Mary is not the Mother of God she is the Mother of Jesus.: They are right. Mary did not mother the Father, so she is not the Mother of God. Mary did not mother the Holy Spirit, so she is not the mother of the Holy Spirit, so she is not the Mother of God. Mary did mother Jesus, so she is the mother of Jesus, so she is Mother of God because Jesus is God.
How is it that Mary mothered Jesus who is God the Son from God the Father? Was he not conceived in her womb flesh from her flesh (by the power of the Holy Spirit)? Was he not born of her virginally, (a miracle also wrought by the Holy Spirit)? Was he not breast-fed by her? Was he not embraced by her with a mother's embrace, loved with a mother's love? Did she not cry over him with a mother's tears when his destruction was sought by Herod? Indeed, who can tell the ways in which Mary mothered Christ?
Sadly today it is often said by people to each other, "your mother.: It is said as a curse! Jesus has something to say for you to hear. "Your Mother!" Yes! It is written that while on the cross, dying, Jesus turned to the disciple whom he loved and said, "look, your mother." (John 19:27) She is the Mother of Jesus. She is out Mother also. How is it that we so often fail to recognize the Motherhood of so excellent a Mother?
It is because we do not recognize our own Motherhood. There are many women today called to be mothers who do not even want to be mothers who do not even want to conceive a child. There are many who conceive but murder their child by abortion and so do not give birth. There are many who give birth but neglect to feed, clothe, welcome, or when necessary arrange for the adoption of their child. Jesus will say at the Last Judgment to the wicked, "when I was hungry you gave me no food, thirsty you gave me no drink, naked you did not clothe me, sick and in prison you did not visit me, a stranger you did not welcome me." What is Christ saying? To the wicked he is saying, 'You do not mother me.' What mother does not feed, give drink, clothe, visit, welcome her child? As much as a person does NOT these things they are NOT a mother. Yet they may be called to Motherhood.
It was in Mary's power as a human being to feed and clothe her son. It was not in Mary's power to conceive the only Son of God a man in her womb. The Power who conceived the Son of God become man is the Holy Spirit.
It is said, "Mary conceived him in her womb." How did she conceive him in her heart? By believing. What else are we to understand when Elizabeth cried out,
"blessed is she who believed." (Luke 1:45) And listen to the words of Jesus, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and keep it." (Luke 11:28) So then, how does one become a mother to Christ? By conceiving Christ in his heart. How does one conceive Christ in his heart? By believing. "How can one believe unless one preach? And how can one preach unless one is sent?" says St. Paul. With every mother there is the indispensable role the father. There must also be from the father something sent to the mother and received by the mother. Upon the mother's reception of that which is sent by the father there is conceived in her her own son.
When the man sends his seed to a woman, upon the woman's receiving of that seed in her womb their child is conceived. That man becomes a father. That woman becomes a mother.
When a husband sends his seed to his wife, upon his wife's receiving of his seed in her womb their child is conceived. He becomes a father. She becomes a mother. They become a family.
When the priest preaches the word of God to us and we believe it, Christ is conceived in our hearts. We become mothers of Christ. No wonder priests are called Fathers. No, it is wonderful.
When Jesus sent his Apostles with the gospel and we sinful humanity receive it in Faith and Baptism we become members of Mother Church. "Whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16) We become enlightened with the light of Christ.
When the priest pronounces the words of consecration changing bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and then we the members of Holy Mother Church eat that Body and drink that Bloos in the state of Grace, Christ is conceived in us as often as we receive him.
Christ is the light which the Church offers the world. It is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ that she is entrusted with for the nourishment of her children. Christ is the Child Mary gave to the world. It is of the Church that Mary is the example. It is in the church that we become Mother.
O Holy Mary, who believed the word of God and became Mother of the Word. O Holy Church, whose members receive Christ in Holy Baptism and especially in Communion. O Holy Mary, who gives her son Jesus Christ to the World. O Holy Church, who shines with the light of Christ upon sinful man.
Very often it is heard, "Holy Mary, Mother of God." This expression is especially familiar to those who pray the Hail Mary prayer. But how is it that Mary is the
Mother of God? There are many non-catholic christians who say, "Mary is not the Mother of God she is the Mother of Jesus.: They are right. Mary did not mother the Father, so she is not the Mother of God. Mary did not mother the Holy Spirit, so she is not the mother of the Holy Spirit, so she is not the Mother of God. Mary did mother Jesus, so she is the mother of Jesus, so she is Mother of God because Jesus is God.How is it that Mary mothered Jesus who is God the Son from God the Father? Was he not conceived in her womb flesh from her flesh (by the power of the Holy Spirit)? Was he not born of her virginally, (a miracle also wrought by the Holy Spirit)? Was he not breast-fed by her? Was he not embraced by her with a mother's embrace, loved with a mother's love? Did she not cry over him with a mother's tears when his destruction was sought by Herod? Indeed, who can tell the ways in which Mary mothered Christ?
Sadly today it is often said by people to each other, "your mother.: It is said as a curse! Jesus has something to say for you to hear. "Your Mother!" Yes! It is written that while on the cross, dying, Jesus turned to the disciple whom he loved and said, "look, your mother." (John 19:27) She is the Mother of Jesus. She is out Mother also. How is it that we so often fail to recognize the Motherhood of so excellent a Mother?
It is because we do not recognize our own Motherhood. There are many women today called to be mothers who do not even want to be mothers who do not even want to conceive a child. There are many who conceive but murder their child by abortion and so do not give birth. There are many who give birth but neglect to feed, clothe, welcome, or when necessary arrange for the adoption of their child. Jesus will say at the Last Judgment to the wicked, "when I was hungry you gave me no food, thirsty you gave me no drink, naked you did not clothe me, sick and in prison you did not visit me, a stranger you did not welcome me." What is Christ saying? To the wicked he is saying, 'You do not mother me.' What mother does not feed, give drink, clothe, visit, welcome her child? As much as a person does NOT these things they are NOT a mother. Yet they may be called to Motherhood.
It was in Mary's power as a human being to feed and clothe her son. It was not in Mary's power to conceive the only Son of God a man in her womb. The Power who conceived the Son of God become man is the Holy Spirit.
It is said, "Mary conceived him in her womb." How did she conceive him in her heart? By believing. What else are we to understand when Elizabeth cried out,
"blessed is she who believed." (Luke 1:45) And listen to the words of Jesus, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and keep it." (Luke 11:28) So then, how does one become a mother to Christ? By conceiving Christ in his heart. How does one conceive Christ in his heart? By believing. "How can one believe unless one preach? And how can one preach unless one is sent?" says St. Paul. With every mother there is the indispensable role the father. There must also be from the father something sent to the mother and received by the mother. Upon the mother's reception of that which is sent by the father there is conceived in her her own son.
When the man sends his seed to a woman, upon the woman's receiving of that seed in her womb their child is conceived. That man becomes a father. That woman becomes a mother.
When a husband sends his seed to his wife, upon his wife's receiving of his seed in her womb their child is conceived. He becomes a father. She becomes a mother. They become a family.
When the priest preaches the word of God to us and we believe it, Christ is conceived in our hearts. We become mothers of Christ. No wonder priests are called Fathers. No, it is wonderful.
When Jesus sent his Apostles with the gospel and we sinful humanity receive it in Faith and Baptism we become members of Mother Church. "Whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16) We become enlightened with the light of Christ.
When the priest pronounces the words of consecration changing bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and then we the members of Holy Mother Church eat that Body and drink that Bloos in the state of Grace, Christ is conceived in us as often as we receive him.
Christ is the light which the Church offers the world. It is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ that she is entrusted with for the nourishment of her children. Christ is the Child Mary gave to the world. It is of the Church that Mary is the example. It is in the church that we become Mother.
O Holy Mary, who believed the word of God and became Mother of the Word. O Holy Church, whose members receive Christ in Holy Baptism and especially in Communion. O Holy Mary, who gives her son Jesus Christ to the World. O Holy Church, who shines with the light of Christ upon sinful man.
posted by Arthanius | 12:43 AM
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