Two occasions when Mary became our mother, Mary: Day 165

Two occasions when Mary became our mother

We typically think of Jesus’ words from the Cross, “Behold your mother!” (Jn 19:27) as the moment when we all became her spiritual children. But St. Alphonsus points to two other occasions when Mary became our spiritual mother.

On two occasions, according to the holy Fathers of the Church, Mary became our spiritual mother. The first, according to St. Albert the Great, was when she merited to conceive in her virginal womb the Son of God. St. Bernar- dine of Siena tells us that “when at the Annunciation the most Blessed Virgin gave the consent which was expected by the Eternal Word before becoming her Son, she from that moment asked God for our salvation with intense ardor, and took it to heart in such a way, that from that moment, as a most loving mother, she bore us in her womb.” Abbot St. William writes in the same sense, saying, “Mary, in bringing forth Jesus, our Savior and our Life, brought forth many to salvation. By giving birth to Life itself, she gave life to many.”

The second occasion on which Mary became our spiritual mother, and brought us forth to the life of grace, was when she offered to the Eternal Father the life of her beloved Son on Mount Calvary, with such bitter sorrow and suffer- ing. St. Augustine declares that “as she then cooperated by her love in the birth of the faithful to the life of grace, she became the spiritual mother of all who are members of the one Head, Christ Jesus.”

St. William says that “Mary, in order that she might save many souls, exposed her own to death.” He means that to save us, she sacrificed the life of her Son. And who but Jesus was the soul of Mary? He was her life, and all her love. For this reason the prophet Simeon foretold that a sword of sorrow would one day pierce her own most blessed soul (see Lk 2:35). And it was precisely the lance that pierced the side of Jesus, who was the soul of Mary. It was at this moment that this most Blessed Virgin brought us forth by her sorrows to eternal life.
—St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
What does it mean to me to realize that Mary is not just my “adopted” mother, but my spiritual mother, who spiritually bore me in her womb? Does that realization lead to a greater sense of intimacy with her?

CLOSING PRAYER
From a prayer of St. Alphonsus: The name “Mother” consoles and fills me with tenderness, and reminds me of my obligation to love you, Mary. This name excites me to great confidence in you. When my sins and the divine justice fill me most with consternation, I am all consoled at the thought that you are my mother.

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