Mary's Enduring Influence: From Biblical Times to Today
June 9, 2025 - Monday, Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
Gen 3:9-15, 20
In the first reading, we hear the first good news on the pages of the Bible, also known as the "Proto-Gospel". However, this good news carries dire consequences for the serpent who deceived the woman into eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The essence of this inaugural Gospel revolves around a prophecy concerning a woman and her offspring who will crush the serpent's head, albeit at the cost of being wounded in the process. The Lord says: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel" (Gen 3:15). The Church always saw the fulfilment of that first Good News in Mary, the Mother of the Incarnate God, and her son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
The first to bestow the title of Mary as the Mother of the Church was Saint Ambrose, the bishop of Milan. Centuries later, on November 21, 1964, Paul VI, who had previously served as the archbishop of Milan, officially declared Mary as the "Most Holy Mother of the Church," signifying her role as the mother of all Christian people. This declaration took place during the closing of the third session of the Second Vatican Council. Some attribute the influence of this declaration to the efforts of the bishop of Cracow, Karol Wojtyła, who would later become Pope John Paul II.
Many centuries passed between Saint Ambrose and Saint Paul VI during which the faithful have consistently acknowledged Mary's maternal role in their lives. This conviction springs from the Bible. At the foot of the cross, Jesus entrusted Mary with the care of all his disciples (John 19:25-27) and in the book of Revelation, the mysterious woman “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet” (Rev 12:1), symbolising both the Church and Mary, is the mother of “those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Rev 12:17).
Over the centuries, Christ’s followers have turned to Mary for assistance in times of need. Drawing inspiration from the wedding in Cana, they believe that if Mary intercedes on their behalf with Jesus, miracles can occur in their lives (see John 2:1-12). The most ancient prayer addressed to Mary comes from the third century and presents evidence of growing faith in Mary’s powerful intercession on behalf of Christ’s followers: “We fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin”.
Mary's powerful assistance extends beyond individual supplicants. The Battle of Lepanto in 1571, where a smaller Christian fleet defeated a larger Muslim fleet of Ottoman Turks, is attributed to Mary's influence. Similarly, the outcome of the Battle of Warsaw in 1920 between the resurrected Republic of Poland and Bolshevik Russia is believed to have been influenced by Mary. Some Catholics even reported visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary over the capital of Poland.
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) authored the well-known "Memorare," a prayer often recited at the conclusion of the Rosary. After a millennium of Church history, Saint Bernard could assert that "never was it known that anyone who fled to [Mary's] protection [...] was left unaided." In the twenty-first century, we continue to witness evidence of this truth, prompting us to turn to Mary and pray:
The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us and the whole world.