The dogma of the divine maternity of the Blessed Virgin was defined at the Council of Ephesus in 431. Mary is the Mother of Jesus; the Son of God really took her flesh, he is really her Son. In 1931, on the fifteenth centenary of this great Council, Pius XI instituted today’s feast. The Church, ever associating the Blessed Virgin very closely with the work of redemption, has always held the divine maternity of Mary in high esteem. Continually she repeats her admiration and wonder at the mystery of the Incarnation which was effected in her and her joy for that message of salvation that she brought into the world by giving us her Son. The Church in thus causing us to venerate the Mother of our Savior, desires to arouse in our souls filial love for her who has become, in the life of grace, our own mother, by giving us the Author of life. “All of us who are united to Jesus Christ and are members of His body were born of Mary, as a body is joined to its head. She is Mother of us all, spiritually but truly Mother of the members of Christ.” (Pius XI, Encyclical Ad diem illum)