Mary is both daughter and mother of the Church. As a redeemed human, she is a daughter of the Church. She is the mother of the Church because she is the mother of Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, and through her cooperation in his work of salvation, she spiritually mothers all Christians. Mary is also a model for the Church through her virtues and as the first to accept the gospel and spread it to others. For Filipino Catholics, Mary provides maternal mediation and protection through traditional prayers that are spontaneously prayed to her. According to Pope Paul VI, Mary can truly be a model for modern women through her free choice to serve God, proclaiming God's message, courage in difficult times, and

1. Lesson3 Mary: Daughter, Mother and Model of the Church

2. A. Mary, Daughter of the Church Mary’s relation to the Church Marian piety has uncovered an abundant richness of relationships between Mary and the Church.

3. For example: LG 53; cf. BYM 114 “as being of the race of Adam and redeemed by Christ in a more exalted fashion” and As a “believing disciple of Jesus,” Mary is a “daughter of the Church, and our sister as well”

4. Vatican II adds that Mary is “clearly the mother of the members of Christ, since she has with love cooperated in bringing about the birth in the Church of the faithful who are members of Christ their head” (LG 53; cf. CCC 963)

5. How is Mary DAUGHTER of the Church? Mary is Daughter of the Church as redeemed by, and the perfect disciple of, Jesus Christ;

6. In what way Mary becomes the mother of the Church?

7. ?

8. B. Mary, Mother of the Church Mary became theMother of God, that is, of the historical Christ, beginning with her acceptance at the Annunciation when the Holy Spirit overshadowed her.

10. C. Mary, Model of the Church 1. Mary is Model of the Church because she “shines forth to the whole community of the elect as the model of virtues”(LG 65). 2. Mary is the first to be evangelized, and the first evangelizer(cf. PCP II 145-52; AMB 60).

11. For Filipino Catholics, the central experience of Mary, Mother and Model of the Church, is her constant help and protection through her maternal mediation, interceding for all her children (cf. R Ma 40).

12. Traditional Catholic prayers come spontaneously to Filipinos:

13. We fly to your protection, O holy Mother of God. Despise not our petitions, but in our need deliver us from all dangers, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin. Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession, was left unaided. . .

14. Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy; hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope; To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

15. Turn then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy towards us, And after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus, O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

16. In what way Mary becomes a model of modern woman today?

17. Accdg. to Paul VI How Mary can be truly a model for the modern woman? He highlighted her decision making, 1. her free choice of virginity for total self-consecration to God,

18. 2. her proclamation of God’s vindicating the humble and oppressed, 3. her courageous stand in flight, exile, and persecution of her Son, and 4. her support of the apostolic community

19. …and you, who is your MODEL in your moral life?

20. DankeschŐn!