Beyond doubt, Mary is the Mother of Christ. Christ and his Church are one – he is the Head and we are the Body. Therefore, if Mary is Christ’s Mother, she is also Mother of the Church. The Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church is Catholicism’s own Mother’s Day.
The fact that one of the stars mimicked our Blessed Mother’s Immaculate Heart with her Seven Sorrows and another mimicked Jesus Christ himself (just two of the hideous Met Gala spectacles) is a significant sign of our times and a call to take up spiritual arms in defense of our Faith and indeed of our Savior and his holy Mother.
Through the centuries, Our Lady of Prompt Succor has continued her work, bringing quick help to those who seek her aid. Visitors from all over the world have come to the shrine, and it’s common to see the faithful kneeling or resting in the pews as they pour out their hearts to her.
Many impressions touched my heart when I visited the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Atlanta, Georgia on my Marian Pilgrimage. It will take me a while to sort through all the impressions that touched my heart. But the one that lingers with me now is the story of a brave Irish priest named Fr. Thomas O’ Reilly.
I’ve been to many, many Marian shrines in my work and personal life, and I’ve loved every single one of them. I have to say, however, that La Negrita in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Cartago, Costa Rica, is the most unusual one I’ve been to so far.
What most deeply touches my heart about the Annunciation is that Mary had only one question in response to Gabriel’s request. All she wanted to know was, “How?”
God is not only creator, but also he is Father. Just as a human helmsman navigates the storm and protects his child, so, too, will the Divine Helmsman navigate the storms of our lives and protect us.