The last thing that Jesus did before he died was that he gave us His mother. This is evident from the words of our Lord to St. John the Apostle “Behold your mother” and the last thing he said to his mother was “behold your son.” All of us as Christians believe we have two mothers, our own biological mother and the Mother of God. One is biological and the other spiritual.
Not every Christian knows his biological mother, but every Christian surely knows his spiritual mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Let us thank God for the precious gift of life and the gift of our precious mothers. I have been blest in my life to have a mother who is greatly present and tremendously loving.
As I am deeply grateful as I am to God for my own mother, I am even more grateful for my own spiritual mother. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the greatest mother and the greatest woman in history. Her loving maternal intercession encompasses all of God’s children. The Blessed Mother has helped me so greatly in living the Christian life. All that she gives is love and nothing less than that.
Permit to share with you one of my favorite Marian prayers, the Memorare. St. Mother Teresa would pray this prayer several times a day. In fact, she would say 9 Memorares for a single intention in one day to take the place of a novena.
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.
During this month of May dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us strengthen our relationship with the Blessed Mother. Fulton Sheen gave a meditation of what Jesus would first say to us in our Last Judgement. Jesus would say I’ve heard my mother speak of you. ” Let us constantly go to our spiritual Mother for prayers and to truly know her in a personal way through the meditation of Sacred Scripture.”
On behalf of the priests, I wish all the mothers of our parish a blessed and Happy Mother’s Day. God bless you.
In Jesus and Mary,
Fr. Jeff Yildirmaz
