It makes perfect sense that the Church celebrates the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, on the day after Pentecost, for Mary and the Holy Spirit are of one mind and one heart. Just as the Holy Spirit kissed the Virgin Mary by consummating the marriage between heaven and earth at the Annunciation, so the divine kiss of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost effected Mary’s role as Mother of the Church.
She who was chosen to cradle the infant God in her arms was likewise chosen to cradle the infant Church from the moment of its inception, when the Holy Spirit once again visited Earth, not as a fleeting encounter but as an ongoing presence.
Unlike the private encounter that took place between the virgin of Nazareth and the Holy Spirit when the Word was made flesh, Mary’s encounter with the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room was neither solitary nor secretive. Scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit descended to Earth as a rushing wind that formed a flame which separated into tongues of fire over those who had gathered to await the promised Advocate.
Although this is the last time that Mary is mentioned in Scripture, her role was far from complete. If anything, she serves as a prototype for the Church, for just as she hurried to visit Elizabeth following the Incarnation, so the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, went forth boldly proclaiming the Good News: that the promised Messiah who died was risen from the dead.
From that moment, it was up to the infant Church, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to carry on the mission that Jesus began — a mission that will continue until the end of time.
The wonder and joy that filled the room and those who had witnessed the events of that day were surely palpable. In fact, so much so that Scripture tells us that it caused some to accuse the apostles of being drunk. Speaking in tongues and being understood by people of many nations and languages, the confusion of those who had profaned God at the Tower of Babel was reversed.
A new day was dawning. Just as Mary had been the first to receive the Good News, believe and was filled with joy, so the apostles and the newly baptized experienced the prayer of Jesus who, when he prayed to the Father, said, “Now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in them” (Jn 17:13).
If ever there were a time when the world needed the spirit of joy that is Christ’s to give, it is now. At a time when the world seems to be turning away from God, and death and destruction are ever present realities, we need the gift of joy more than ever.
For the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit does not negate the presence of suffering. The joy that comes from the Spirit does not depend on external circumstances but rather, it is an internal disposition of serenity that is the fruit of the presence of God.
Consider that the Son of God could have come into the world during the height of Israel’s glory, when it was the pride and envy of nations. But instead, Jesus entered the world at a time when the Jews were living under Roman occupation, where fear and strife dominated everyday life.
The humility of God was fully on display from the moment he entered the world until he surrendered his life to the Father from the cross. Throughout Jesus’ life on Earth, Mary lived with the mystery as she went forth in a pilgrimage of faith.
Many of our Protestant brothers and sisters wonder why Catholics hold Mary in such great esteem, but evidence that merits her renown couldn’t be clearer. Mary’s entire life was a song of joyful praise, despite the suffering she endured. From her we learn that suffering is a passing – though necessary – phenomenon that souls must undergo for transformation to take place. Along the way, we seek role models, and none shines as brightly as the woman who reflects the light of her Son during the midnight hours of every life.
So, we pray: Come, Holy Spirit, fill us with the fire of your love as you filled the heart of Mary so that our joy, like hers, may be complete!