Fr. Alex Roman sx
Fourth Easter’s Sunday year C
I want to start my reflection talking about the origin of “Mother’s Day”. Because the second Sunday or tenth of May, in many countries around the world, is celebrated the Mather’s Day. Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948) first suggested the national observance of an annual day honoring all mothers because she had loved her own mother so dearly. At a memorial service for her mother on May 10, 1908, Miss Jarvis gave a carnation (her mother’s favorite flower), to each person who attended. On May 9, 1914, by an act of Congress, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. He established the day as a time for “public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.” By then it had become customary to wear white carnations to honor departed mothers and red to honor the living, a custom that continues to this day. Proverbs 31:10-31 offers us God’s description and estimation of what a godly wife and mother looks like.
A Christian has two mothers: On Mother’s Day, let us Christians acknowledge the truth that we have two mothers: our earthly mother and our Heavenly Mother, Mary, the Mother of Jesus. The Catholic Church proclaims the great nobility of the Mother of Jesus, Mary most holy, and presents her as the supreme model for all mothers. She affirmed her obedience to the call of God, by to listen the voice of the Lord, and she lived her vocation throughout her entire life. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, our Blessed Mother, is the true model of motherhood. The month of May is traditionally the month of Mary. Through Mary, the work of Motherhood is glorified and sanctified.
In this Sunday Gospel Jesus said: “the sheep that belong to me listen to my voice”. The faith enters us trough the ears, by listening to the word of the Lord, and the greater risk we run is our own deafness, to miss the Good Shepherd’s voice, because our head is full of noise and other dissonant voices. For example Saint Ignatius’ spiritual Exercises said: “to turn a deaf ear”, to know God is calling you and pretend not to hear it. He who consciously and repeatedly closes his ears to God’s call, is no longer in tune with Jesus and will also lose the joy of being a Christian to go grazing in other pastures that neither satiate nor give eternal life. Only Jesus who could have said “I give them eternal life” (Jn 10:28) have a nice Sunday.
Fourth Easter’s Sunday year C
I want to start my reflection talking about the origin of “Mother’s Day”. Because the second Sunday or tenth of May, in many countries around the world, is celebrated the Mather’s Day. Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948) first suggested the national observance of an annual day honoring all mothers because she had loved her own mother so dearly. At a memorial service for her mother on May 10, 1908, Miss Jarvis gave a carnation (her mother’s favorite flower), to each person who attended. On May 9, 1914, by an act of Congress, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. He established the day as a time for “public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.” By then it had become customary to wear white carnations to honor departed mothers and red to honor the living, a custom that continues to this day. Proverbs 31:10-31 offers us God’s description and estimation of what a godly wife and mother looks like.
A Christian has two mothers: On Mother’s Day, let us Christians acknowledge the truth that we have two mothers: our earthly mother and our Heavenly Mother, Mary, the Mother of Jesus. The Catholic Church proclaims the great nobility of the Mother of Jesus, Mary most holy, and presents her as the supreme model for all mothers. She affirmed her obedience to the call of God, by to listen the voice of the Lord, and she lived her vocation throughout her entire life. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, our Blessed Mother, is the true model of motherhood. The month of May is traditionally the month of Mary. Through Mary, the work of Motherhood is glorified and sanctified.
In this Sunday Gospel Jesus said: “the sheep that belong to me listen to my voice”. The faith enters us trough the ears, by listening to the word of the Lord, and the greater risk we run is our own deafness, to miss the Good Shepherd’s voice, because our head is full of noise and other dissonant voices. For example Saint Ignatius’ spiritual Exercises said: “to turn a deaf ear”, to know God is calling you and pretend not to hear it. He who consciously and repeatedly closes his ears to God’s call, is no longer in tune with Jesus and will also lose the joy of being a Christian to go grazing in other pastures that neither satiate nor give eternal life. Only Jesus who could have said “I give them eternal life” (Jn 10:28) have a nice Sunday.