“The Church, further, which is called ‘that Jerusalem which is above’ and ‘our mother’, is described as the spotless spouse of the spotless lamb. It is she whom Christ ‘loved and for whom he delivered himself up that he might sanctify her.’ It is she whom he unites to himself by an unbreakable alliance, and whom he constantly ‘nourishes and cherishes.’”

Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 757

God loves us as a father loves his children. His Son, Jesus Christ, during His earthly life, founded the Catholic Church. It is in and through that Church that God calls us to Him and loves us. One way to think of the Church is as a mother. The Church is our mother. Look at the painting of Madonna of the Recommended again. Think about how, on one level, it’s clear that the image is of Mary, yet there is another way to interpret this painting, in light of the comparison from the Catechism. The figure in the middle in one sense is Mary, but in another sense, it represents the Church. The people below her, covered in her mantle are the people of the Church, working out their salvation here on earth and striving for holiness. The people over her mantle are the souls in Heaven, those who have run the race and won the prize.