divine maternity

Today we celebrated a most beautiful feast – the Feast of the Divine Maternity of the Virgin Mary. I was blessed to attend a sung Mass for the feast. Everything was perfect! I realize how blessed I am to have what I have right now. Here below, an excerpt from Pius XI’s encyclical letter Lux Veritatis in which he instituted the feast for the universal Church in 1931:

But there is another matter, Venerable Brethren, which We think We should recall in regard to Mary’s office of Maternity, something which is sweeter and more pleasing; namely that she, because she brought forth the Redeemer of mankind, is also in a manner the most tender mother of us all, whom Christ our Lord deigned to have as His brothers (Romans viii. 29). As Our predecessor of happy memory, Leo XIII, says: “Such a one God has given as one to whom by the very fact that He chose her as the Mother of His only begotten Son, He clearly gave the feelings of a mother, breathing nothing but love and pardon-such did Jesus Christ show her to be, by His own action, when He spontaneously chose to be under her, and submit to her as a son to a mother; such did He declare her to be, when, from the Cross, He committed all mankind, in the person of His disciple John, to her care and protection; and as such, lastly, she gave herself, when embracing with a great heart, this heritage of immense labour from her dying Son, she began at once to fulfil all a mother’s duties to us all.” (Encyclical Letter Octobri mense adveniente. September 21, 1892.) From this it comes that we are all drawn to her by a powerful attraction, that we may confidently entrust to her all things that are ours-namely our joys, if we are gladdened; our troubles, if we are in anguish; our hopes, if we are striving to reach at length to better things. From this it comes that if more difficult times fall upon the Church; if faith fail, if charity have grown cold, if private and public morals take a turn for the worse; if any danger be hanging over the Catholic name and civil society, we all take refuge with her, imploring heavenly aid. From this it comes lastly that in the supreme crisis of death, when no other hope is given, no other help, we lift up to her our tearful eyes and our trembling hands, praying through her for pardon from her Son, and for eternal happiness in heaven.
Lux Veritatis, no. 45, Pius XI

This letter was written for the fifteenth centenary of the Council of Ephesus. But isn’t it funny how it applies to us here and now? Charity has grown cold. Faith has failed. And dangers are surely hanging over the Church.

Turn to her and do it now. Pray your rosary every day and pray it with a childlike love and trust. Love your mother for she certainly loves you.

I also find it odd how this feast didn’t make the cut when the post-conciliar calendar was adopted. Why on earth would anyone want to gut a feast honoring the motherhood of the Blessed Virgin? It’s almost like someone was trying to denigrate the dignity of mothers or something. Who can say?

I know this. My own dear mother, my dear mother-in-law who is like a mother to me, and of course my beautiful wife, mother of our children, are all tremendous gifts to me from God. They have all in their own way imitated the beauty of the Blessed Mother and been shining examples of the greatest of dignity. And they have inspired in me greatest devotion to them.

May God bless us and may Our Lady, His most precious Mother, recommend us to Her Divine Son.