The Holy Spirit, Mary, and our Holy Mother Church

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In his homily yesterday, Pope Francis returned to the truth of "Mother" Church:

…The [first] reading today makes me think that the missionary expansion of the Church began precisely at a time of persecution, and these Christians went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, and proclaimed the Word. They had this apostolic fervor within them, and that is how the faith spread! Some, people of Cyprus and Cyrene - not these, but others who had become Christians - went to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks too. It was a further step. And this is how the Church moved forward. Whose was this initiative to speak to the Greeks? This was not clear to anyone but the Jews. But … it was the Holy Spirit, the One who prompted them ever forward … But some in Jerusalem, when they heard this, became 'nervous and sent Barnabas on an “apostolic visitation”: perhaps, with a little sense of humor we could say that this was the theological beginning of the Doctrine of the Faith: this apostolic visit by Barnabas. He saw, and he saw that things were going well.

And so the Church was a Mother, the Mother of more children, of many children. It became more and more of a Mother. A Mother who gives us the faith, a Mother who gives us an identity. But the Christian identity is not an identity card: Christian identity is belonging to the Church, because all of these belonged to the Church, the Mother Church. Because it is not possible to find Jesus outside the Church. The great Paul VI said: "Wanting to live with Jesus without the Church, following Jesus outside of the Church, loving Jesus without the Church is an absurd dichotomy." And the Mother Church that gives us Jesus gives us our identity that is not only a seal, it is a belonging. Identity means belonging. This belonging to the Church is beautiful.

How is it that many in the Catholic Church seem not to see their vocation as one with Mary's vocation? How is it that we who received God's Life within us at Baptism do not go with haste to share Him, as Mary went with haste after conceiving Jesus by the Power of the Holy Spirit? How is it that many in the Catholic Church have lost (it seems to me) the sense of "belonging" to Mary our Mother and to Her Son and His Church? How did the Catholic Church lose so much of her "apostolic zeal"?

To read more of this homily see [HERE](http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-homily-on-feast-of-st-george?utm_campaign=dailyhtml&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dispatch)

 

[baptismal]

How can we be sure that MANY have? All that I can know for sure is that I have not.

 

[MariaChristi]

How can we be sure that MANY have? All that I can know for sure is that I have not.

Dear baptismal.

Thanks for your reply. I thank God you know for sure that you have not lost your sense of truly “belonging to Mary”

If you look back at that word “many” in the context of the sentence I wrote, however, you’ll see: “How is it that many in the Catholic Church have lost (it seems to me) the sense of “belonging” to Mary our Mother and to Her Son and His Church?” I added in parenthesis the words “it seems to me”, because only God knows for sure how many are as devoted to Mary as in past generations, and how how many have lost that former devotion and zeal. I can remember former times when there was a great deal of devotion to Mary that I simply do not experience today. Perhaps it is a more zealous and devoted area in which you live.

Let me give you two examples from my parish. I am a member of the Legion of Mary and I asked a nun who teaches in our school if she might consider becoming an Auxiliary member. The only requirement is to pray a Rosary daily and “Legion” prayers ( which add less than 5 minutes to the Rosary). Her reply was she could not make the commitment. I was stunned. This sister could not make a commitment to pray a daily Rosary??? When I asked our present pastor if he would consider Auxiliary membership, his reply was the same. He did not want to make the commitment to pray a daily Rosary. Those experiences are part of my sadness over the lack of devotion to Mary and I could give other examples from among laity as well as religious and clergy revealing a lack of zeal among Catholics for evangelization as well. We need to pray for one another, for the Church and for all those in most need of His Mercy. I recommend prayer to the Holy Spirit and the Rosary, strongly.

 

[baptismal]

Many people are afraid to make the commitment because of past failures. If we make a commitment and then fail is it a sin, does it offend God? Many people want to pray the rosary everyday and then feel so guilty when they miss a day. I can definitely see where you are coming from, your commitment and love are commendable, many pray that they can reach this level in their own lives.

 

[MariaChristi]

Many people are afraid to make the commitment because of past failures. If we make a commitment and then fail is it a sin, does it offend God? Many people want to pray the rosary everyday and then feel so guilty when they miss a day. I can definitely see where you are coming from, your commitment and love are commendable, many pray that they can reach this level in their own lives.

Dear baptismal,

The commitment we make to pray a Rosary, for example, as an Auxiliary Member of the Legion of Mary, is not under any penalty of sin. I make that as clear as I can in inviting people into trying to pray a daily Rosary and a few Legion prayers. The “commitment” it seems to me is to simply to “keep trying”. God is not offended so much by our weaknesses as perhaps we are offended or ashamed of them, but we need to go to Him in humility! He created us and understands the deepest recesses of our hearts.

St. Therese of Lisieux had the beautiful insights of a humble soul. St. Therese likened herself to a little child learning to walk, who when she falls is tenderly picked up into the arms of her loving Father. So too, it seems to me, if we should “forget” to pray our Rosary, or fall asleep in praying it, our Heavenly Father understands our weakness and loves us. He helps us to get back up and try better with His Grace, the next time. Jesus’ physical weakness under His Cross caused Him to fall three times, but He continued and so must we, following His example of Love.

I have many faults, but I continue to ask that I may receive more grace; I seek Him, that I may find Him more often in my life and in the lives of others, and I knock on the door of His Heart that He may open to me. The Rosary and the Legion of Mary are both gifts of the Church and I remain ever grateful for them and desire to share them. I am especially grateful for Pope Francis’ encouragement to pray:

“Let us ask the Lord,” he concluded, “for the grace to become baptized persons who are brave and sure that the Holy Spirit who is in us, received at baptism, always moves us to proclaim Jesus Christ with our life, our testimony and even with our words.”