[00:00] In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. In 2018, Pope Francis officially established the Feast of Our Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, and providentially or specifically placing this feast day following after the Solemnity of Pentecost. Of course, on Pentecost, which we celebrated yesterday, we reflected on the Apostles gathered in the

[00:35] upper room with our Blessed Mother at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, that Mary was praying in union with the Apostles, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which is officially the birthday of the Church. And so it is proper that this beautiful feast day of Mary, Mother of the Church, follows after the birthday of the Church on Pentecost, and that Mary is truly the Mother of the Church. She is Mother of the Head; she is Mother of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. She is Mother

[01:10] of the members of the Mystical Body of Christ; she is Mother of the Church, Mother of the Church. And so beautifully, the feast day reminds us that what Mary is, we are to become: a perfect mirror and reflection of Mary, in her perfect love for God, her perfect observance, in her perfect following of Christ, her Son, and her love of neighbor. That she is truly a mother who, as she watched over the infant Christ, she watches over the

[01:43] members of His Mystical Body, of the Church, of the Church. And so this feast day is to remind us of several things. First, Our Lady's faithfulness, her fiat, her yes to God, her words of "Do whatever He tells you," that we always strive to follow Christ and do the will of God, and of course her faithfulness at the foot of the cross, in which she gave birth to the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, and became the mother of all the members of Christ, followers of

[02:19] Christ and His members. And so we can ask Our Lady today to help us to be imitating her in our dedication and service of God and following her. So beautifully, Pope St. John Paul II, after his attempted assassination, erected a beautiful mosaic outside on St. Peter's Square, outside of the Papal Residence, which is viewed by the people in St. Peter's Square, and of Our Lady holding the child Jesus.

[02:51] It's a very beautiful mosaic, and it's titled Matre Ecclesia, Mother of the Church. And he had a great love for this title of Our Lady, Mother of the Church. So let us rejoice that we are not orphans, but we have a mother watching over us, helping us and assisting us each day, members of Christ's Church, that we may be ever more zealous and faithful in serving Him. We want to just remember as well today on this Memorial Day, all those who gave their

[03:23] life in serving our nation, and we pray for the repose of their souls, that they may enter into the eternal life of Christ, and that God may bless them. We remember on this day all our veterans who gave their lives, all those military members, those service members who gave their lives throughout our nation's history, and we pray today in a special way for them in their sacrifice.

[03:54] In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.