Mother of the Church
Irenaeus had already sensed that the virginal womb of Mary had been purified by the Word the moment she made herself flesh: "Pure purely opened the pure womb, which regenerates men to God, womb that he himself made pure".
(Adv. Haer., IV,33,11. PG 7, 1080).
Gregory of Nazianzus, in his Homily on the Holy Theophany of Christ (PG 36, 311-344): He becomes man in everything except sin: conceived by a Virgin prepurified by the Holy Spirit in soul and in flesh.
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Mary is Mother
Mary is beautiful: Her beauty is more celestial than earthy. Mary is Saint and Her holiness loads Her with grace. Mary is so good that a day She will sacrifice Her son for love. Mary is pure; Her purity exceeds the whiteness of the snow. Mary is strong; She is so strong that She can accept any martyrdom.
Mary is Mother of God
In order to save mankind from the death’s horrors of and from the sin, the Son of God had to become incarnate, poor pilgrim on the earth Himself. He needed a Mother.
How perfect this privileged woman had to be! God had been preparing Her in wisdom for all the eternity. And it was Mary, the one who is dismayed and humbles herself before the announcing Angel, but shouts to Heaven: "Here is the maid of the Gentleman! Fiat!" and the sweet and tremendous mystery is performed, God’s Son is the Son of Mary.
Mary is our Mother
As she accepted to be the Mother of Jesus, true God and true Man, Mary accepted to look after Jesus maternally in His painful mission, that was Mission of salvation, and therefore mission of renunciation and martyrdom.
Jesus became, for Father’s will, the first of many brethren, Mary the mother of these brethren of Jesus. And just the brethren would kill and crucify the Son. And She saw the tortured body of the most beautiful, of the best of the sons, and from the scaffold She was given the executioners as her sons. It was Jesus’ will.
Supplication
Very sweet Mother, how can I make you to forget the cruel pain I have given you? And how can I be really your son? You are always mother, also when I am bad, you are always ready to feel yourself pierced through the heart by swords, but what will the use of it to me if I do not stir myself, if I do not want to be your son? Mary, do not forsake me, a mother does not forsake her son, and I will be safe with you.
Prayer
Mary my sorrow, I do not want to leave you alone crying, no, I want to combine my tears with yours. Today I ask you this grace: obtain for me the continuous memory and tender devotion to the Passion of Jesus and Yours so that every day I will have to live I can cry your sufferings, my Mother, and those of my Redeemer.
I hope that when I am in my last days, the memory of your pain will give me confidence and strength not to despair, seeing the offenses I made to my Lord.
Your pain will get me forgiveness, perseverance, heaven, where I hope to come to rejoice with you and sing the infinite mercies of my God for all eternity. I hope so, so be it.
Amen.
(St. Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori)
