Today we celebrate Our Lady of Lourdes. It is an event that happened in 1858 in the city of Lourdes, France. The Virgin Mary appeared to a young girl (Bernadette Soubirous) eighteen times. She presented herself to this little girl as the Immaculate Conception.
The Immaculate Conception is the dogma that from the moment of her conception, Mary was “preserved immune from all stain of original sin” (Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, 1854, see also Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 491). The Church also teaches that “By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long” (CCC, 493).
At Lourdes, at the place of the apparitions, there is a mysterious source of inexhaustible water. Thousands of people go there on pilgrimage in search of this water which continually cures many diseases. Today, I would like to answer the question ‘‘Who is the Virgin Mary?’’
The Gospels tell us how the Virgin Mary conceived and gave birth to Jesus, the Son of God, who is God and man. Because Jesus was born of Mary, and Jesus is God made man, then Mary is the mother of our Lord, and the mother of God. This also implies that because we are all God’s children, then Mary is also OUR mother.
Similarly, since Jesus is the head of his body, the Church here on Earth and we are the members, then Mary, the mother of Jesus is also the mother of the Church. I see it in this simple light, and I am excited that Mary, the Mother of my Lord, is my mother too.
If the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church, and our mother, what would be our relationship with her? First of all, Jesus is at the center of the Church. He is the only mediator between God and us. As He said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’’ (Jn 14:6).
The Church honors and venerates Mary. Veneration entails respect and admiration of a created being; worship is praying to and honoring God. Worship belongs to God alone. Veneration, a form of respect, can be given to heroic virtuous figures in Church history. Therefore, in our prayer, we ask Mary to intercede for us with her Son. We do not ask the Virgin Mary to give us what we need, rather to intercede for us with her son.
In everyday life we do the same, in family too. When we need something, we go through the one who is very close to the person. For example, some children pass through their mother when they need something instead of going straight to their father. In the Old Testament, Moses did the same for the Israelites. Even today, we also ask others to pray for us. The Blessed Virgin Mary did this at the wedding feast in Cana as today’s Gospel tells us and continue to do that for those who believe in Jesus Christ her son.
May the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God and our mother pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.
[Readings: Is 66:10-14c; Jn 2:1-11]
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