Thomas Griffin 6/9/25
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Let Us Begin: New Book on the Life and Power of St. Francis
Every single person to ever exist has had a mother. We all need one. This is a necessary, biological fact, but it is also a human need. When we rejoice, we want our mom. When we are in pain or suffering, we desire to be comforted by our mom. We never get too old for motherly love.
The Blessed Mother is given to the church for the same exact reason.
In 2018 Pope Francis instituted the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church to be celebrated on the Monday following Pentecost each year. It only makes sense that following the most momentous moment of the early church that we ask for the protection and guidance of Mary.
Pope St. John Paul II once said that “the title Mother of the Church…reflects the deep conviction of the Christian faithful, who see in Mary not only the mother of the person of Christ, but also of the faithful. She who is recognized as mother of salvation, life and grace, mother of the saved and mother of the living, is rightly proclaimed Mother of the Church.”
Our earthly moms gave us life. They nourish us and ensure that we know we are loved unconditionally, even beyond our infancy. The Blessed Mother seeks to do the same on a spiritual level. In the decree by Pope Francis he explains that the root of celebrating Mary in this way can be found in thought of St. Augustine and St. Leo the Great.
St. Augustine was known for writing “that Mary is the mother of the members of Christ, because with charity she cooperated in the rebirth of the faithful into the Church.”
The savior of the world was born of Mary when there was no room for them in the inn. His birth allowed us to be reborn to new life, which is the entrance to the Kingdom of God. For this reason, she is present at the foot of the cross. Yes, because she needed to be with her son in his final hours of anguish. But also because it was through the blood and water flowing from his side that the Mystical Body of Christ was born.
St. Leo also noted “that the birth of the Head is also the birth of the body, thus indicating that Mary is at once Mother of Christ, the Son of God, and mother of the members of his Mystical Body, which is the Church.”
She remains a human mother but her offspring is divine. All of those who come to a deeper conversion of faith are thus, her children also.
The 2018 decree of Pope Francis also notes that “this celebration will help us to remember that growth in the Christian life must be anchored to the Mystery of the Cross, to the oblation of Christ in the Eucharistic Banquet and to the Mother of the Redeemer and Mother of the Redeemed, the Virgin who makes her offering to God.”
The quote above explains the true purpose of today’s feast. Mary’s role as the first disciple was intrinsically connected to the passion of Jesus. Every single member of the faithful will also experience that deeper conversion is connected to Calvary as well. Each human journey is filled with joy, but it is also guaranteed to have struggles and pains. A celebration like today is given to us because Mary desired to comfort us in our trials just that she comforted her Son.
So, what is the current cross that you are carrying? A broken relationship? A chronic illness? Uncertainties about your future or finances?
Whatever is your version of Golgotha, cling to the Blessed Mother today. Make her your refuge and strength. Because we all need a mother to take care of us. And since our Heavenly Mother has experienced the worst pain possible we can count on her to give us solace in our own suffering. That is why Pope Francis references the Eucharist. At each Mass, Jesus gives himself to us. We are placed at the one moment of salvation on Calvary.
Who else is there with us? Mary, his Mother and our Mother. She is there at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass when we receive Holy Communion. She is pleading for our cause and communicating to us that she will never stop caring for us.
In fact, her entire life is meant to communicate that she is with us and that her Son can rescue us from any suffering, sin or trial. It is her mission because that is the mission of the Church as well.
Thomas Griffin is the chairperson of the religion department at a Catholic high school on Long Island where he lives with his wife and three children. He has a masters degree in theology and is a masters candidate in philosophy. Thomas is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Empty Tomb Project: The Magazine. He is the author of Let Us Begin: Saint Francis’s Way of Becoming Like Christ and Renewing the World.
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