Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church.

"The disciples devoted themselves with one accord to prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus."  (Acts 1: 14).

Today is the Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church.  A brand new feast of Mary mandated by the Church to be celebrated Monday after the Feast of Pentecost from now till the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

"Happy are you, holy Virgin Mary, and most worthy of all praise,
for from you arose the sun of justice, Christ our God. Alleluia!" (Gospel Acclamation, Monday, May 21, Memorial of Mary Mother of the Church).

It is a constant teaching of the Church that the Mission of Jesus is deeply interconnected with that of Mary. Remember that Mary is Theotokos, God bearer and the Proto Evangelion foresaw her mission in Genesis 3: 15.

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers. They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel.(Genesis 3: 15).

On the Cross, Jesus Christ gave His Mother to you and myself in the person of John the Apostle, the representative of mankind during the Sacrifice of Calvary.

"Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.  When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home."  (John 19: 25 - 27).

"O God, Father of mercies,
whose Only Begotten Son, as he hung upon the Cross,
chose the Blessed Virgin Mary, his Mother, to be our Mother also;
grant, we pray,  that with her loving help,  your Church may be more fruitful day by day, and exulting in the holiness of her children,  may draw to her embrace all the families of the peoples.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son... "  (Collect, Monday, May 21, Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church).

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