Through Mary the Father's blessing has shown forth on mankind.

Today, May 25, 2026, on Monday after Pentecost as our Church celebrates the memorial  of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church we are invited to reflect on a passage from the letter of the apostle Paul to the Galatians (3:22 – 4:7), entitled "Through faith we are the sons and heirs of God". Our treasure, which follows, is from a homily by Saint Sophronius, bishop. The memorial of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church is a relatively new universal celebration in the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar, although the title itself is ancient. The celebration was established for the entire Latin Church in 2018 by Pope Francis through the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The feast did not arise from a new doctrine, but from a desire to deepen awareness of Mary's role in the life of the Church. The theological roots go back especially to the Second Vatican Council. In 1964, during the Council, Pope Paul VI solemnly proclaimed Mary "Mother of the Church" — meaning mother of the entire Christian people: pastors and faithful alike. The Church celebrates Mary, Mother of the Church, to remember that the Christian community was born with Mary present, is nourished by her maternal example and intercession, and is called — like her — to receive Christ and bring Him to the world. Our "treasure" today is from Saint Sophronius's sermon "Through Mary the Father's blessing has shone forth on mankind". He teaches that through the Blessed Virgin Mary, God's saving plan for humanity is fulfilled. Mary's faithful "yes" to God reverses the disobedience of Eve and becomes the path by which Jesus Christ enters the world. Through her, God's blessing, grace, and hope shine upon all people. Sophronius emphasizes Mary's unique role in salvation history, not as the source of salvation herself, but as the humble and willing mother through whom God brings Christ, the Savior, to mankind. The central message is that God's mercy reaches humanity through Mary's cooperation with His divine plan. The main take-away from Paul's teaching in today's first reading is that through faith in Jesus Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin, fear, or merely human rules, but become God's beloved children and heirs to His promises. Paul emphasizes that our relationship with God is a gift of grace, not something we earn by following the law. Because we belong to Christ, all divisions of status, background, or privilege lose their power, and we share equally in the dignity, freedom, and inheritance of God's family.