We Have a Mother!

Before Jesus died, He entrusted Mary into John’s care.  At the same time, Jesus was entrusting John and the entire Church to Mary. One of the very last things Jesus did before He breathed His last was to make sure Mary had someone to look after her and that the Apostles had someone to look after them. Even at the Cross, in His pain and agony He thought about others. As Son he made sure His mother will be taken care of, and as Teacher he made sure His disciples and followers will have a familiar face to remind them of His love. Today, we honor Mary as Mother of the Church. How blessed are we that we have a Mother who intercedes for us and brings all our needs to Her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ!

When you feel all alone and that no one cares, remember and know that Mary does. She is your Mother. Jesus entrusted you under her care. Knowing how the world is having lived in it, Jesus knew we could not be left to our own devices. We needed someone to lead us, guide us, encourage us, care for us, nurture us, and love us. What better person to ask than His own Mother Mary? Mary gazes upon with her motherly tenderness and wants nothing more than our good. She says to us today,

“You are so loved. I love you. I am your Mother. Bring to me your petitions and I will bring them to my Son. I’m here for you and with you. You are not alone.”

Coming Together as One

Pentecost is known as the birthday of the Church. On that day the Holy Spirit descended upon the people and the barriers that separated them were taken down. The people were all together – the apostles, the disciples, and Mary. They were bound together by the love of God and they were ready and open to receive the Holy Spirit into their hearts. Though the people were from different places and spoke different languages they were able to understand one another because the Gospel is one and the same. The Gospel and the love of God transcends all barriers, even language barriers. The language of the Gospel is the language of love, a language that speaks from the heart to the heart. With the Spirit we will be able to weather the storms of our lives joyfully because Jesus comes to us and says, “Peace be with you.”

The world today is filled with violence and unrest because as a people we are divided. The people at Pentecost were united in the love of God, and because they were united together as one body, they were able to proclaim the Gospel and live out their lives as disciples, embodying love as their mission. May we come together as a people, one body in Christ, seeing our differences not as barriers but rather as gifts to build up one another. Let us pray, “Come, Holy Spirit!”

What About Him?

After Jesus told Peter what would happen to him, he turned to John and asked Jesus, “What about him?” Peter was so interested in the affairs of others that Jesus had to remind him to focus on what he had been asked to do. Sometimes in our lives we may get carried away in the affairs of others that we forget what we are supposed to do. In the midst of trying to make sure everyone is doing what they’re supposed to do, we neglect what we’ve been asked to do. Our mission as disciples is not to micromanage and become busybodies but rather to root who we are and what we do in Christ and from there bring others the hope and the joy of the Gospel not merely by our lips but by our actions and example.

After Jesus had reprimanded him, Peter shifted his focus on what the Lord asked him to do – “Feed my sheep.” He kept his eyes on Christ, knowing that only by doing so will he be able to carry out what Jesus instructed him to do. As Christians our focus can sometimes be lost in the world of politics, current events, and the temptation to become relevant that we forget what is most important – our relationship with God. Only in that relationship are we able to do anything and everything.

“Father, give me the grace to always put our relationship first so that out of that I may carry out what you have asked of me – to love others and to lay down my life for them.”