Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
State Deputies Meeting
New Haven, Connecticut
June 8, 2024
Two Hearts
Yesterday we gathered for Mass and reflected on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the heart of flesh with which our God loves us. A heart that is real, reminding us that our God is real, that he is truly among us, he is not merely an idea. We recalled the words of Pope Francis, “realities are greater than ideas”, and challenged ourselves to live out this truth through lives of charity, a charity that is more than just an idea, a charity that is real.
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the heart of our Mother, a heart pierced by the sword of sorrow at the suffering of her Son, the heart in which she pondered all the things that God had done and would do through her, the heart of a mother and the heart of a woman. We do well to remember today the importance of that heart in our life.
First, the heart of Mary, our mother and Queen. As Knights, we take on a special dedication to Mary whom we acclaim as Queen of the Knights. We promise to carry her Rosary every day, the Rosary through which we enter into the prayer of Mary, pondering in our hearts, as she pondered in hers, the things that God has done for us and for our salvation. We entrust to her motherly heart, our needs and the needs of those we love, knowing that she who is full of tender maternal love is also queen, full of power to intercede for us.
Brothers of a Common Mother
As Knights we are sons of Mary, and as Sons of a common Mother, we are brothers to one another. As Knights we are called to be men whose lives are characterized by a spirit of fraternity, a spirit of brotherhood, living out bonds of faith, charity, and friendship we have among each other. As Knights we form a fraternal order, characterized by brotherhood. This spirit of fraternity extends to our families. Together, we form the “Family of the Knights of Columbus”.
As brothers and as a family, we share our lives together in good times and bad. More often than not, we enjoy simply being with another, finding in our fraternity support and encouragement for living the Christian life. I think this is especially true in the relationship between State Deputies and First Ladies and their State Chaplains. This key relationship is a source of true fraternal encouragement, an encouragement that is truly a two-way street.
But fraternity is more than simply encouragement, important as that is. And of what more does fraternity consist? In our reading from Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy, I think we see an answer: “…proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.” To be brothers and sisters, we have to be willing to proclaim the word to one another, that is to say, we speak the truth in love to one another; we need to help each other to see what God is asking of us; we need to encourage one another when what is being asked is difficult. And, at times, we may correct one another when we sense that we are headed in the wrong direction.
This we do out of a genuine care for the other, a realization that we belong to one another, that there exists a bond greater than mere convenience or social enjoyment. This kind of fraternity comes about, not just because we have joined a group of like-minded folks, but because Christ has called us into his family which is the Church. ‘Who are our mother and brother and sisters? Those who hear the word of Christ and obey it.’ Thus, it is that the bonds of fraternity extend beyond the ties of blood or natural family. We become members of a greater family, a family forged by our belonging to Christ. Belonging to Christ, we belong to one another.
The Heart of a Woman
Allow me to say just one final word as we consider this feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This heart, the heart pierced by a sword of sorrow, the heart in which Mary pondered all of these things – this heart kept free from the stain of sin – was also the heart of a woman. While many today are quick to dismiss this idea as old fashioned, I think that there is something unique and important about the heart of a woman, a heart often slower to anger, a heart more often characterized by tenderness, a heart that usually recognizes more quickly the needs of another. While the Knights are a brotherhood of Catholic men, we do well to acknowledge the importance of having alongside us the heart of a woman.
To our lovely and dear ladies, I want to thank you, not just for what you do, but for who you are and for the unique gifts you bring to the family of the Knights of Columbus. Indeed, the true feminine genius, rooted as it is in the heart of a woman, is needed now more than ever, in our culture, in our Church, and in the family of the Knights of Columbus. So, to all of our ladies, I would like to say a deepest word of gratitude for what you bring to build up this fraternity and ask you to continue to be who you are, recognizing the great need we have for the presence of the heart of woman.
As we offer this Mass in honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary, let us entrust ourselves to her anew, entrusting to the Heart of Mary the needs of our own hearts, those needs closest to us, those greatest needs we see in those around us. She who is our Mother, filled with a heart of tenderness, reigns with the power of a queen. As sons and daughters of a common Mother, and with her intercession, let us strive to live out that spirit of true fraternity, as in Christ we are truly brothers and sisters to another.
Vivat Jesus!