May the month for Mary, Model, Teacher, and Mother

Traditionally, in the Catholic world, the month of May is dedicated to Mary. Mary is a name of Hebrew origin that means "exalted" or "chosen of God." Therefore, it is a very appropriate name to designate the one chosen by God to be the mother of his Son. For this reason, "all generations call her blessed" (Luke 1:48).

Furthermore, Mary is a good model of Christian life. The Second Vatican Council calls her the "exalted Model" of the Church, "a model of all the virtues for the entire community of the elect." Indeed, she "in a certain sense unites within herself and reflects the most radical demands of faith..., continually progressing in faith, hope, and love, and seeking and obeying God's will in all things" (Lumen Gentium, 65).

Precisely because she is a good model, she can also be described as a teacher of Christian life and a teacher of humanity. Good teachers are not simply those who limit themselves to offering facts and knowledge, but those who are examples of life for their students. Vatican II, quoting Saint Ambrose, says that Mary's life "is a teaching for all" (Perfectae Caritatis, 25). If her life is a teaching, she must necessarily be a teacher. Undoubtedly, her teaching began with the education of her son, as all mothers on earth do: they are the first to teach their children, and this teaching marks their lives forever. But more than Mary as the educator of the child Jesus, I now want to note Mary's role as an educator of the Church, in line with what Vatican II affirms: Mary "cooperates in the education of believers" (Lumen Gentium, 63). Mary is a good teacher because she does not teach "from outside," without being involved in her teaching. She brings about in her life what she invites. If she teaches us to fulfill Jesus' will, it is because she is the first disciple and the first convert.

In addition to being a Teacher, Mary is also the Mother, not only of Christ, but of all the Christian faithful. At the end of the Council, Paul VI gave an important speech in which he proclaimed Mary the Mother of the Church: "We proclaim Mary most holy Mother of the Church, that is, Mother of all the People of God, both of the faithful and of the pastors who call her loving Mother, and we wish that from now on she may be honored and invoked by all the Christian people with this most great title." Paul VI says that this title finds "its justification in the very dignity of the Mother of the Incarnate Word." This motherhood of the Incarnate Word extends to the Church, for Mary is "the mother of him who, from the first instant of his incarnation in her virginal womb, became the head of his mystical body, which is the Church. Mary, therefore, as the mother of Christ, is also the mother of the faithful and of all pastors; that is, of the Church."

The Conclave

 

Tuesday, May 6, is the last day to celebrate the funeral for Pope Francis. On Wednesday, May 7, the Conclave to elect a new Bishop of Rome begins. Once the funeral is over, dioceses and parishes are invited to celebrate Masses "pro eligendo pontífice," that is, Masses for the election of the Roman Pontiff. The Mass, to be held Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. in St. Peter's Basilica, presided over by Cardinal Re (the same one who presided over Francis' funeral), will be attended by all the cardinals. In the collect prayer for this Mass, the prayer that gathers the sentiments of the celebrating assembly, three words appear that we can consider three great principles that the elected bishop will then have to implement according to his character and the needs of the Church: holy zeal for the faithful, reverence for the people, and healthy government.

How can the next Pope not be concerned about world hunger, poverty, migrants, peace, understanding among peoples, ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, the good progress of the Church, and the joyful proclamation of the Gospel? Or has Francis been preoccupied with other things? In short, concerned with proclaiming the Gospel, aware that the Gospel is not only or primarily a matter of doctrine (what do those who yearn for or ask for a Pope concerned with "sound doctrine" mean?), but a matter of life in love, because that is Jesus' commandment and the great sign by which his disciples are known.

It is said that the Pope is chosen by the Holy Spirit. But it is also the result of negotiations, sometimes tense, between the electors. Because the Holy Spirit always uses secondary causes. He does not act directly. He does not send WhatsApp messages, nor does he speak through the mouths of the most rigorous. The action of the Holy Spirit must be seen in consensus, in discernment, in agreements. The Pope will be elected directly by the Cardinals, after each one has discerned in conscience whom to vote for, a vote also conditioned by their character, their experiences, and their expectations. What the Holy Spirit will do is bring out the best in the chosen one, guiding and shaping their character, their vision of things, and their concerns. The Spirit acts through listening to the Word, prayer, attention to the signs of the times, listening to one's brothers and sisters, personal discernment, and freedom.