Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala – John 19:25. What a sight for Jesus to see from the Cross! But seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved, he addressed his mother: “Woman, behold your son.” And to the disciple: “Behold your mother.” He wanted them to look at each other but even more importantly to take care of each other. That’s what Mother’s Day (from our Catholic perspective) recalls for us.
As the beloved disciple took Mary into his home from that hour, so should we from this hour keep our mothers into our hearts even if they are not physically living in our homes.
The Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary Queen of the Universe stands as a constant reminder of that symbiotic relationship between the Blessed Mother and all her children throughout the world. It also reminds us of the symbiotic relationship between ourselves and our own mothers. And this we celebrate annually with our Festival of roses! As we honor our mothers on Mother’s Day, so we honor Mary in a special way throughout the month of May.
Bring flowers of the fairest,
Bring flowers of the rarest,
From garden and woodland
And hillside and vale,
Our full hearts are swelling,
Our glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest
Rose of the vale.
O Mary! We crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May,
O Mary! We crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.
Yours in Jesus and Mary,
Very Rev. Anthony Aarons, Missionary of Mercy
Rector
Unite yourself with us in prayer on Mother’s Day and throughout the month of May, the month we renew our dedication to Mary, the Mother of God.
Along with your offering, we invite you to list the name(s) of those you wish honored/memorialized this Mother’s Day. We will include these names in the Basilica’s Mother’s Day Honor Roll and place a rose, dedicated in their names, before the altar.