Don’t Cut the Cord

Admiration and Affection for Mother Mary

05/24/2021

John 19:25-34 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.” There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

I love to admit this, but I am a proud momma’s boy. Yes, I love to admit it. Yesterday during my 25th ordination anniversary, my mom and dad were able to come from Little Rock for the 10 a.m. Mass and reception. I think my mom was more happy and honored than me by the outpouring of love everyone showed me. When I was sick with the Covid-19 virus, the one person I wished was at my bedside was my mom, who, by the way, is a registered nurse as well. So, my mom can use her head and her heart to heal me. I am convinced that “umbilical cord” that sustained me for 9 months inside my mother’s womb was still supplying life and love to me today, but now that umbilical cord is invisible. And I don’t want to cut it.

Apparently, Pope Francis is a proud momma’s boy, too. How so? He wants the Church to show the same affection and admiration that we pour out on our natural mothers to be lavished on our supernatural mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 2018, he decreed that the Monday after Pentecost – also called Whit Monday symbolizing the white garments of those baptized on Pentecost – as the memorial of Mary the Mother of the Church. In other words, the Holy Father wants us to understand there is an invisible umbilical cord connecting us to our Holy Mother, Mary.

She shares in our sorrows and successes, in our hopes and our happiness every bit as much as my mom loved my anniversary celebration yesterday and prayed for me while I was sick. The invisible umbilical cord underscores a connection between mother and child that cannot be cut, even if the physical umbilical cord is cut after birth. In other words, all Catholics, indeed all Christians, should be proud momma’s boys and proud momma’s girls. That is the point of the pope in making this new memorial.

The scriptures shows us we are only following in the footsteps of Jesus and apostles when we lavish love on our Lady. While Jesus suffered his final agony on the Cross, he must have been greatly consoled to see his Mother Mary at the foot of the Cross, like I would have been to see my mother at the foot of my bed. And she must have hurt in her heart almost as much as Jesus suffered in his flesh, as Simeon had prophesied in Lk 2:35 that a sword would pierce her heart.

And in Acts 2 the apostles are gathered in the upper room around Mary in the middle, who was encouraging them as her sons. Jesus said from the cross: “Behold your mother,” and that is what the apostles were doing in the upper room. As he hung on the Cross, Christ created that invisible umbilical cord connecting Mary not only to him but to every Christian, to you and to me. Jesus, too, we might say, was a proud momma’s boy.

My favorite Marian devotion is the Holy Rosary. I try to pray it daily, and sometimes I have to divide it up over the course of the day to complete it. I suggest that to people as a profound scriptural and spiritual prayer, meditating on the life of Mary and Jesus. As she was present in every moment of Jesus’ earthly life, so she wants to be present in all our important and even unimportant moments. Moms love everything their children do, and nothing seems silly or superficial to a mother.

I find great comfort, peace, joy and strength when I pray the rosary, and I think other people will, too. Why? Ultimately, I look at the rosary like a visible symbol of that invisible umbilical cord connecting me to my spiritual mother, Mary. When I pray the rosary, I fulfill the Lord’s command from the Cross: “Behold your mother.” In other words, our Lord is saying, look at her and love her like I do.

Jeff Meares is a coach at Trinity Junior High. He loves to greet the students every morning when their parents – usually their mothers – drop them off. As the sleepy students are getting out of their cars, Jeff smiles and waves and tell them: “Turn around and tell your mother you love her.” The student sometimes begrudgingly blurts out: “I love you, mom.” Jeff is saying the same thing as Pope Francis and Jesus, “Behold your mother.” There is an invisible umbilical cord that connects us to our mothers – to our natural mothers and to our spiritual mother, Mary. Don’t cut the cord.

Praised be Jesus Christ!