Mary - "...the perfect icon of the Church which evangelizes"

[MariaChristi]

“…In the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, I asked that “the season of Lent in this Jubilee Year be lived more intensely as a privileged moment to celebrate and experience God’s mercy” ( Misericordiae Vultus , 17). By calling for an attentive listening to the word of God and encouraging the initiative “24 Hours for the Lord”, I sought to stress the primacy of prayerful listening to God’s word, especially his prophetic word. The mercy of God is a proclamation made to the world, a proclamation which each Christian is called to experience at first hand. For this reason, during the season of Lent I will send out Missionaries of Mercy as a concrete sign to everyone of God’s closeness and forgiveness.
After receiving the Good News told to her by the Archangel Gabriel, Mary, in her Magnificat , prophetically sings of the mercy whereby God chose her. The Virgin of Nazareth, betrothed to Joseph, thus becomes the perfect icon of the Church which evangelizes, for she was, and continues to be, evangelized by the Holy Spirit, who made her virginal womb fruitful. In the prophetic tradition, mercy is strictly related – even on the etymological level – to the maternal womb ( rahamim ) and to a generous, faithful and compassionate goodness ( hesed ) shown within marriage and family relationships… (excerpt from Pope Francis’ 20016 Lenten Message)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. I went back to the Pope’s Lenten message and continued to ponder Our Blessed Mother as the Pope presented her: “perfect icon of the Church”…I had read that title before, in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, but his addition that she “evangelizes because she was and continues to be evangelized by the Holy Spirit, who made her womb fruitful” opened up new avenues of thought and prayer for me.

Yes, of course, “The Church exists to evangelize”, Pope Paul VI had written in “Evangelization in the Modern Word”. Jesus came to bring the “Good News” of Our Salvation – Jesus is the “Good News” – and Jesus came through Mary by the power of the Hoy Spirit. Truly the Holy Spirit “evangelized Mary” – that is, He brought Jesus into her womb. How does he now continue to evangelize? The Holy Spirit comes to every baptized soul to fill that soul with the Life of Christ through Mary.

While Mary was on earth she “went with haste” to her cousin Elizabeth, and Baby John, to share the “Good News” of Jesus within Mary’s womb. She continues her maternal role, as the Catechism teaches us:

CCC 969 - "This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfilment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation …

Mary, Mother of the Church, Mother of Mercy, pray for us.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your Faithful, and kindle in us the Fire of Your Love. Enable us to share Jesus with others.
Jesus, we trust in You. Enable us to live intensely this Lent, remaining in You, through Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit.