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Mary in the Church
By Rev. Robert J. Hater, PhD
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with you!
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
For centuries this prayer has encapsulated the meaning and the place of Mary for millions of believers all over the world. The role of the Virgin in our history, and in our lives, is reflected in the beautiful stories of the annunciation and birth of Jesus found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. These stories have some differences as to detail, but the reality and truth that they reflect
God sends angels to announce the coming of Jesus in each of the Gospels. Luke has the angel go directly to the Virgin.
Whenever God sends angels as messengers to people, it is a sign that we need to pay attention to the unfolding of a great mystery. In the case of the conception and birth of Jesus, the Gospels alert us to the depths of unknowing that swirl around the Good News of Jesus’ human birth. The consistent doctrine of the perpetual Virginity of Mary speaks
Mary was the first witness to
What is often overlooked in the relationship of Mary and Jesus is her persistence and teaching of Jesus so that he would truly claim his own power. For example, in the Gospel of John, Mary challenges Jesus to begin his ministry. In the beautiful passage of the Wedding at Cana, Jesus is moved by the passion of his mother’s faith in him to turn the ordinary waters of life into the deep rich wines of a shared life (John 2:1–12).
The great depths of this mystery of faithfulness in the Sacred History of our Redemption places the Virgin in a special role as the Mother of the Church. Through her heartfelt assent to God, and her firm and loving hand in guiding the Christ child to adulthood, Mary is truly the Mother of All Believers. Jesus has gifted us with the presence of the Virgin as our Mother in Heaven. In her special relationship
We are inspired by Mary, though,
Mary is the Mother of the Church . . . truly the Mother of all believers.
Memorare
Remember, most
loving Virgin Mary,
never was it heard
that anyone who turned
to you for help
was left unaided.
Inspired by this
confidence, though burdened by my sins,
I run to your protection for you are my mother.
Mother of the Word
of God, do not despise
my words of pleading
but be merciful
and hear my prayer.
Amen.
For Reflection
How does Mary serve as a model for you in your life?
Reverend Robert J. Hater is a nationally
This article is an excerpt from Echoes of Faith, I Believe, We Believe, RCL • Resources for Christian Living, © 1997.
These PDF downloads require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, available here.
August 2008 A Thankful Heart (page 1 | page 2) En Espanol (page 1 | page 2)
October 2008 How Did the Bible Come to Be? (page 1 | page 2 )
November 2008 Constructing Knowledge with Your Learners (page 1 | page 2)
December 2008 Trust the Spirit Within (page 1 | page 2)
January 2009 Nurturing the Social Environment (page 1 | page 2)
February 2009 What Is Liturgy? (page 1 | page 2)
March 2009 The Simple Message of Jesus (page 1 | page 2)
April 2009 The Role of the Assembly (page 1 | page 2)
May 2009 Moral Decision Making (page 1 | page 2)
June 2009 Revelation (page 1 | page 2)
Catechist Prayer
God of life and love,
We lift our hearts to you
in praise and thanksgiving.
We bless you for the goodness and beauty of creation,
for the rhythm of sunrises and sunsets,
for the patterns of color
and texture of growing things
that sustain our hope in the abundance
of what is to come.
We bless you for the landscape of our lives,
for our successes and failures,
for the friends and enemies
who weave a mosaic through our horizon.
We praise you for all your works.
We ask for grateful hearts and a spirit of generosity.
Free us from being stingy
with our words of praise and affirmation
and our acts of forgiveness.
Open us to the abundance of life and love you set
before us. Amen.
Prayer Cards
Easter Prayer
Lent Classroom Prayer
Advent Classroom Prayer
All the Angels and Saints
Mark of a Disciple
Ordinary Time - Fall