Blogger Priest

Is God truly our Father and Jesus our brother if we fail to acknowledge Mary as our spiritual Mother? Jesus reveals the face of the Father; but he also directs us to his Mother as our Mother. The analogy of a family is made complete.

One of the greatest challenges and a persistent failure of Christianity is to fully realize the familial nature of the Church. The pattern of a family is stamped upon every level of her structure and reality. God is our heavenly Father. The Pope is called Papa or Father. We call our priests by the title, Father. Similarly, we address both Mary and the Church as Mother. We are kin to Christ and with the saints. Nevertheless, in practice do bishops and priests always manifest the canonical “father-son” relationship? Do pastors really view their parishioners as their spiritual children? Do congregations acknowledge the role of father that belongs to their shepherds? Do we love and care about each another as brothers and sisters? Too often we treat others as strangers who do not matter. Too often pastors allow fatigue to inhibit their work for “the least of the brethren.” Too often gossip and faithlessness leads to disrespect of clergy. Too often dissent or fear of scandal eats away at our solidarity with the Holy Father and the living Church. Mother Mary beckons us to realize our commitment as her sons and daughters, kin to each other.

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