LENT: HOLY MARY, DISCIPLE OF THE LORD

Lent is a "journey" for the faithful, during which they "more diligently listen to the word of God and devote themselves to prayer with greater earnestness" (SC, art. 109), and during which they are ready to bear the cross with greater zeal, so that with minds and hearts renewed they may reach a more worthy celebration of the Easter festival.

… In it [this Mass] the mother of the Lord is presented as one who shows us "the example of a disciple, who is faithful to the words of life." (Opening Prayer OP). Our Lady is the one who by a unique gift of God was the mother of Christ, and above all was his "first and most perfect ... disciple" (Marialis Cultus MC, no. 35).

LENT: THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

Lent unfolds like the journey of Jesus to the holy city of Jerusalem, the place of his sacrifice: as it progresses, there is more frequent meditation on the mystery of his passion. So too in the hearts of the faithful there is more frequent remembrance of the compassion of our Lady.

… The texts of the Mass reflect on the mystery of Christ's passion, mysteriously filled out through the present sufferings of his members as they face the "many trials of this life."

Our Lady, "queen of heaven and earth," stood by the cross of her Son, "in his agony," "mournful," yet full of "courage" and "faith," playing many roles in the mystery of salvation, and fulfilling "in her person the prophecies of old."

Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 63.]

LENT: THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

This Mass in celebration of Christ's saving passion also honors the part played by the Blessed Virgin in achieving our salvation. When Mary became the mother of Christ "by the power of the Holy Spirit," she became by a further gift of divine love "a partner in his passion," a mother suffering with him.

The prayers of the Mass recall the plan of salvation, by which God joined the suffering of the mother with the suffering of her Son, and decreed that "the new Eve should stand by the cross of the new Adam."

…

LENT: THE COMMENDING OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

The words of Jesus, dying on the cross: "Behold your son ... Behold your mother," (John 19:26-27) are seen by the Church as a special parting gift, by which Christ the Lord "entrusted" to his Virgin Mother "all his disciples as her children," (Leo XIII, Encyclical Letter Octobri mense: ASS 24 [1891-1892] p. 195) and entrusted his mother to his disciples to be honored and revered. Hence "a deep bond of love is fashioned between the Blessed Virgin Mary and his faithful disciples," which is honored and celebrated in this Mass.

The commending of the disciples: it is primarily God who is glorified, for making "a home for the Blessed Virgin in the Church as the joyful mother of children." (Ent Ant, see Psalm 113:9)

Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 68.]

LENT: THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF RECONCILIATION

The season of Lent has both a baptismal and a penitential character (see SC, art. 109). From Ash Wednesday the words of the apostle re-echo in the liturgy: "We beg you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled with God" (2 Corinthians 5:20). This text is also used in this Mass (1 Read, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21).

The Church has with ever greater clarity acknowledged the role of our Lady in reconciling sinners with God. The Fathers of the Church in the early centuries, in discussing the mystery of the incarnation of the Word, speak frequently of the virginal womb of the mother of the Lord as the place where "peace" between God and the human race came to be.

In the Middle Ages ecclesiastical writers, deepening their understanding of the maternal role of the Blessed Virgin, gave her the titles of "way of reconciliation," "general cause of reconciliation" as well as "mother of reconciliation," because it was from her that Jesus Christ, the "reconciliation of sinners," was born: "There is no reconciliation," says St. Anselm of Canterbury (d. 1109), "except the reconciliation that you bore in purity." (H. Barrè, Priares anciennes de L 'Occident el la Mare du Sauveur, Ed. P. Lethielleux, Paris, 1963, p. 305)

In our own day the Blessed Virgin is honored liturgically in many places under the title of "reconciler of sinners," thanks especially to the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette. …

EASTER SEASON: THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AND THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD

… The Mass celebrates the Lord's resurrection and the joy that flows from it:

- to the whole world, joy given by God the Father "by the resurrection of [his] Son, our Lord Jesus Christ" (OP); and so the day of the Lord's resurrection was a "day of light and life when the night of death" was ended and "the whole world [was to] exult." (Pref)

- to the infant Church, which trembled "with joy at seeing again its immortal Lord." (Pref, see Luke 24:41; John 20:20)

- to the Virgin Mother, whose heart was filled "with joy beyond all telling" at the resurrection of Christ (Pref).

EASTER SEASON: HOLY MARY, FOUNTAIN OF LIGHT AND LIFE

The sacraments of Christian initiation, which are properly celebrated at the Easter Vigil, fashion the catechumens in the likeness of Christ: in the waters of baptism they are made children of God, through the anointing and laying on of hands they are filled with the Holy Spirit, and through the heavenly bread and wine of the eucharist they become one body with Christ.

The Fathers of the Church ... frequently teach us that the mysteries of Christ, which the Church, our virgin mother, celebrates in the sacraments of Christian initiation, were "accomplished" in Mary, the Virgin Mother: the Spirit who sanctifies the womb of the Church, that is, the font of baptism - to bring forth children of God, sanctified Mary's womb so that she might bring forth the firstborn of many brothers and sisters (see Hebrews 2:11-15); the same Spirit who, on the day of Pentecost, came down upon the Blessed Virgin with an abundance of gifts, comes down from heaven upon the newly baptized in the celebration of the sacrament of confirmation; the body and blood that Christ offered on the altar of the cross for the life of the world and that the Church offers daily in the eucharistic sacrifice are the same body and blood that the Blessed Virgin Mary brought forth for our salvation.

The Church has come to see in our Lady, present at the first gathering of Christ's disciples (Ent Ant, see Acts 1: 14), a mother cherishing the infant Church in her love and the supreme example of prayer in oneness of heart.

In this Mass formulary the Church gives glory to the Father in heaven for his gift of the Holy Spirit. Our Lady is here presented as:

the Virgin filled with the Holy Spirit

model for the Church

Source: Excerpts from the introductory commentary to the Mass, Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume 1, Sacramentary, Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992, p. 82.]

Many religious institutes and societies of apostolic life have as their patroness the Blessed Virgin Mary at prayer in the Cenacle and honor her liturgically under the title of "queen of apostles." Prominent among her these are the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, founded by Vincent Pallotti (d. 1850), the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (P.I.M.E.), founded by Bishop Angelo Ramazzotti (d. 1861), the Pious Society of St. Paul for the Apostolate of the Press, and other institutes owing their origin to the Servant of God, Giacomo Alberione (d. 1971).

Many men and women in their apostolic and missionary zeal have noted the preeminent and "royal" position occupied by the mother of Jesus in the community of the early Church and have recognized the importance of her presence at the events of Pentecost in relation to the spread of the Gospel message.