Whenever I get home, I open the gate of our house and say, “Mommy’s here!” Our children, especially the little ones, would jump up and down and shout, “Mommy’s here!”

The funny thing was, my three- year-old boy started to call me “Mommy’s here.” When he needs me, when he’s scared, when he wants something, he shouts, “Mommy’s here!” For him, “Mommy” equals to “Mommy’s here.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus assured His disciples that Mary is also their mother. As Mama Mary loved and cared for Jesus, so will she love and care for His followers. And that includes us.

When life’s cross is too much to handle or when we just need someone to laugh and cry with, Jesus tells us that we have a loving mother, ready to comfort and pray for us. She opens her heart and says, “Don’t worry, Mommy’s here.” Mia Bueno (buenos@yahoo.com)

reflect

How often do you pray the rosary? I encourage you to start the habit of praying the rosary every day. Let Mama Mary’s mantle of love and protection guide your way.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Saint Norbert, bishop, pray for us.

First Reading | Genesis 3:9-15, 20 (or Acts 1:12-14 or Revelation 21:1-5)

Eve is the mother of all people and the Blessed Mother Mary supersedes Eve with her role as Mother of God and Mother of the Church. The Church has great esteem for Mary. May Mama Mary inspire us in the way we live as disciples of Jesus. Mama Mary is a model of discipleship. Let us look to her and reflect on what it means to follow God’s will for us.

⁹ After Adam had eaten of the tree, the Lord God called to him and asked him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” ¹¹ Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” ¹² The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” ¹³ The Lord God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.” ¹⁴ Then the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. ¹⁵ I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” ²⁰ The man called his wife Eve, because she became the mother of all the living.

Responsorial Psalm | Judith 13:18, 19 (or Psalm 87:1-2, 3, 5, 6-7 or Isaiah 12:2-3, 4, 5-6)

R: You are the highest honor of our race.

¹⁸ Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God, above all the women on earth; and blessed be the Lord God, the creator of heaven and earth. (R) ¹⁹ Your deed of hope will never be forgotten by those who tell of the might of God. (R)

Gospel | John 19:25-27 (or John 2:1-11 or Luke 1:26-38)

Mary stood at the foot of the cross. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to stand at the foot of the cross and reflect on its meaning for us. With discipleship comes the endurance of suffering. Obedience to Christ means embracing His will for us. This brings us into conflict with the world because it does not accept Christ. Let us pray for the grace to persevere through these trials and remain faithful to God always.

 Gospel Acclamation

  Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary, deserving of all praise; from you rose the sun of justice, Christ the Lord.

 ²⁵ Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Read the Bible in one year! Read JUDITH 1 - 4 today.

From Eva to Ave

The First Reading today tells us how the first woman received her name. She is Eva or Eve, meaning the “mother of all the living.” She was given the name because humanity would start from her, being the wife of Adam, the living man who received the breath of God. The Book of Genesis presents to us how, from this couple, the human race would increase and fill the Earth. As humanity continues to generate from Adam and Eve, the original sin, which started from their disobedience to God, is also transmitted. But God has a better plan. He reversed this unpleasant condition of man by sending His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. With this, Jesus becomes the new Adam, who brings life and not death; blessing and not curse; salvation and not sin.

Calvary is the reverse of Paradise. In the latter, the man and woman stood before the tree in disobedience to God. The serpent representing the devil was on top, showing domination above God’s creation. In Calvary, the new Adam hangs on the wood of the cross, offering Himself as a sign of our redemption. The new Eve stands before the wood of the cross and receives her new mission: to become the mother of her Son’s disciples.

The ave of Mary overturns the curse of Eva. The Blessed Virgin Mary, being the mother of Jesus’ community—the Church—is surrounded by all of Christ’s faithful. She encourages us to go near to Jesus. She intercedes for us. She cares for us. Thus, we are not orphans since we have Mary as our mother. Fr. Eugene Fadul

reflection question

Un cristiano senza la Madonna è orfano (A Christian without the Madonna is an orphan). – Pope Francis

Mary, our Mother, thank You for not leaving us orphans. You are always there to hold our hand and bring us to God the Father.

Today, I pray for: _________________________________________