Weekly Meditation May 20, 2009

The month of May highlights for us Catholics our love and devotion of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God. Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical, "God is Love" (Dec. 25, 2005), in the last paragraph speaks of Mary's unique role of nearness to all believers.

"The words addressed by the crucified Lord to his disciple--to John and through him to all disciples of Jesus: "Behold, your mother!" are fulfilled anew in every generation. Mary has truly become Mother of all believers...They constantly experience the gift of her goodness and the unfailing love which she pours out from the depths of her heart."

The Holy Father gives us a beautiful prayer at the very end of the encyclical. Pope Benedict XVI says: "To her (Mary) we entrust the Church and her mission in the service of love." We would do well in our prayer life to say this prayer frequently with sincerity and joyful gratitude:

"Holy Mary, Mother of God, you have given the world its true light, Jesus, your Son--the Son of God. You abandoned yourself completely to God's call and thus became a wellspring of the goodness which flows forth from him. Show us Jesus. Lead us to him. Teach us to know and love him, so that we too can become capable of true love and be fountains of living water in the midst of a thirsting world."

-Deus Caritas Est # 42