Today as we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of John (19: 25-30) in which Jesus, while on the cross, says to his mother, “Woman, this is your son,” then to the disciple he loved who was nearby, “This is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple made a place for her in his home.

Fr Paul says, the Blessed Virgin Mary has been given the title of ‘Mother of the Church’ since she gave birth to Christ, the Head of the Church, and she became the Mother of the redeemed people before her Son had given up the spirit on the Cross.

Pope Paul VI solemnly confirmed the title in an address to the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council on 21 November 1964 and decreed that the whole Christian people should, by the use of this beautiful title, give still greater honour to the Mother of God.

‘The joyous veneration given to the Mother of God by the contemporary Church, in light of reflection on the mystery of Christ and on his nature, cannot ignore the figure of a woman, the Virgin Mary, who is both the Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church’ those words come from the Decree of the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship).

So today, as we celebrate Mary, Mother of the Church, Fr Paul says, we might ask her to pray for us!