The Blessed Virgin Is Our Mother

Mary loves us as a Mother with truly human tender feeling. She has been assumed into Heaven and so Her Immaculate Heart still beats with love for us. Although no longer physically on earth, She is still very near us and constantly influences our souls with Her maternal love. She is truly Our Mother in the order of grace. That is, She generates and nourishes in us the life of grace while we live on this earth. When we say Mary is our Mother we are not just using a pious phrase or expressing ourselves in a poetic fashion. The Blessed Virgin is really and truly in the literal sense of the words, Our Mother. Pope Paul VI on the occasion of his pilgrimage to Fatima taught: Thus the Blessed Virgin Mary, after participating in the redeeming sacrifice of the Son, and in such an intimate way as to deserve to be proclaimed by Him the Mother not only of His disciple John, but ... of mankind (which he in some way represents), continues now in Heaven Her role as Mother, cooperating in the birth and growth of the Divine Life (which is Sanctifying Grace) in the individual souls of redeemed men.

In 1917, God sent His Holy Mother to bring us a message at Fatima, Portugal while the world was torn by war. Our Blessed Mother came to tell us how we can cooperate with God's plan for peace and salvation for the world. Just as the first human visitors to see the infant Jesus in the manger were simple, humble shepherd's, also at Fatima God chose 3 little shepherd shildren, Jacinta, Francisco and Lucy to see Our Lady and bring her message to the world.

This is a most consoling truth which, by the free Will of God, the All Wise, is anintegral part of the Mystery of Salvation of men. Therefore it must be believed by all Christians. This is quoted from the Encyclical Signum Magnum, May 13, 1967. In 1968, Pope Paul again teaching about the faith of Catholics said, We believe that the Most Holy Mother of God, the New Eve, the Mother of the Church, continues in Heaven Her maternal role towards the members of Christ, in that She cooperates with the birth and growth of Divine Life (Sanctifying Grace) in the souls of the redeemed. Taken from the Credo of the People of God .

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Thus we see that Mary is truly our Mother because She, as Mother, transmits the supernatural life of Grace into each soul that receives Sanctifying Grace. This truth has been taught not only by Pope Paul VI but also by others as well, including Pius VII, Leo XIII and Pius XII. The Blessed Virgin Mary is Mother both directly and personally to each soul regenerated into the Divine Life of Grace. Since Mary is our Mother She loves us with real human affection She is human. Her sanctity does not take away Her human qualities nor does Her Assumption into Heaven. Sometimes our mothers, in the order of nature, love us in too human a way too imperfect a way. They often want the frivolous things of this world for us because they place too much importance on worldly success, wealth, or power. Not so Our Heavenly Mother. She does not place too much importance on material things but knows we need these things too. Our Lady lived on earth and had to feed Her family and is very practical. But above all She is very practical in the spiritual necessities of life, knowing that not by bread alone does man live but by every word that comes from God. Her love then is maternal. It is human. A more maternal and human love you cannot find on earth because Her capacity for maternal love is greater than that of other mothers. Her love is also Supernatural. Therefore She looks out for our Eternal Salvation above all. Her love for us is Perfect Immaculate. No imperfection or self-seeking is found in Her love for us because there is no stain of sin in Her. However in our human love imperfections and self-seeking often pass for maternal interest. Her Immaculate Heart burns with love for you. Wont you respond and show Her your affection as Her child. She will not force you but She awaits your free response to Her love. If you do respond She will show Herself even more your Mother.

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