Everything that is attributed to Mary points to Jesus all because she accepted the will of God to happen in her life. We, like Mary are invited too, by the Angel Gabriel to conceive Jesus in our hearts. It is by our own decision that we should answer God's call just like what Mary did. We thank Mary for her obedience. She did not disobey God like what Adam and Eve did in today's first reading. The Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs that "Genesis 3:15 is called the Protoevangelium -first gospel: the first announcement of the Messiah and Redeemer, of a battle between the serpent and the Woman, and of the final victory of a descendant of hers." Even before the time when Mary was not yet born, she can already be found in the scriptures owing to the great role entrusted to her to be the Mother of God. It is God's original plan that we live in paradise but Adam and Eve fell into sin that He immediately switched to another plan through Mary who did not frustrate God's plan in her life but instead accepted God's will in her life. We’ve got to straighten up some things about God. Who He is and what He wants for our life. What is our picture of God? It’s not surprising to know that most of us think that God doesn’t want us to have fun. It’s like all the things that we want to do with our friends that are interesting and exciting when we were young is against God’s commandments. It may seem like we have to settle for less. What’s worse is that all the faithful Catholics get less out of life. This is part of the propaganda way back in the Garden of Eden. God gave us a magnificent paradise wherein there is perfect intimacy and no shame with each other. In the Garden they have everything they need but gave just one limit, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This is very interesting because God said, “Don’t do this because you will die.” The reason why God commands us something is because He is a loving Father who cares for us. He wants us to have the best. But then came the serpent, he didn’t create Adam & Eve, nor gave the garden or anything at all. All the serpent gave was a lie and told Adam & Eve not to listen to God or they’ll lose out and won’t become like God. They were made to believe that God is holding out something from them and is actually their rival because God doesn’t want them to have what He has. So instead of trusting the one who gave them everything, they trusted a stranger. They disobeyed God and listened to the liar. They were hooked into a downward spiral of destruction. This is what sin is all about. It is a trap. It is disguised as an apparent good because the fruit looks good and desirable but it ends in disaster. The relationship with God is messed up and so creation turned against them, thorns and thistles appear and things in life become hard. This is what sin does, it seemed small but it gets out of control. Things get worse and worse and there are broken lives everywhere. This is the reality about sin. Don’t allow the trick to be on us. We are draining life out of ourselves unless we recognize the one true source of Life. Amen. Hallelujah!
Genesis 3:9-15, 20
...The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.” ...
It is just overwhelming whenever people meet as one family of God during occasions like prayer gatherings. It feels good to be always reminded of how God looks after the needs of each member of a community and how each one should commit and encourage one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. He is indeed, God with us. Fr. Joseph Mary said in one of his homilies that he was given a Peanuts calendar by a friend which has this funny cartoon story. Linus and Charlie Brown were having a conversation. Linus said that when he grows up he would like to study about people because it interests him. Charlie Brown in reply said," I see, you want to study about them because with your knowledge you will be equipped to help them." But Linus said, "No, I am just nosy." Knowledge can be puffed up in such a way that is only limited to self advancement and tends to leave out the most important thing. It is important to advance in knowledge and works to our advantage but our knowledge especially of the Lord should be shared to others for all the nations to know. Amen. Hallelujah!
Psalms 87:1-3, 4-5, 6-7
R: Glorious things are told of you, O city of God.
1 His foundation upon the holy mountains 2 the LORD loves, the gates of Zion , more than any dwelling of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are said of you, O city of God ! (R) 4 I tell of Egypt and Babylon among those that know the LORD; Of Philistia, Tyre , Ethiopia Zion they shall say: “One and all were born in her; and he who has established her is the Most High LORD.” (R) 6 They shall note, when the peoples are enrolled: “This man was born there.” 7 And all shall sing, in their festive dance: “My home is within you.” (R)
The most holy and sacred woman who ever lived here on earth is Mary. We are so blessed to have her as our own mother, for Jesus shared and extended to us this noble and holy privilege. Today we commemorate the courage and strength of Mary in carrying out the most noble task ever known to man which she has faithfully fulfilled thus it gives us the inspiration to not grow weary in facing further trials that come our way and not despair and lose hope. The passion and death of Jesus on the cross is the ultimate pain and suffering that a human being could endure. It follows that the ultimate sorrow a mother could experience is to see her very own son subjected to such an excruciatingly painful way to die. On an afternoon of unnatural darkness she had to endure such cruel pain and agony that more than human nature could endure. Mary had to stand by and see the soldiers come and claim as their own all that was left of her dead son (John 19:24-25, Matthew 27:35). There at the foot of the cross was the little heap of Christ’s earthly belongings. They are the only heirlooms and the only souvenirs that she could have. There is the seamless tunic that she must have woven stitch by stitch with such love. There was his headdress which she had mended and his sandals which she had kept clean. And now these men were casting lots as to whose they should be as a reward and recompense for putting her son to death. We know that this world of ours is cruel, cold and heartless. But it can be kind to all men on 2 occasions, at birth and death and to be born and to die. To come into the world and to go out of it finds hospitality easily even from the world. But how was our Lord treated on those occasions? Why was it that it seemed too much just for Him to be born? It took the Almighty all His time to obtain a visible foothold of His own world. He wasn’t wanted. There was no room for Him in the inn. Though, we did hear the angels voices singing on the hillside that night but those voices soon changed. It changed into wailings of women, mothers mourning the loss of their sons in the killing of the innocents because man had been seeking God to murder Him. And at His death He wasn’t allowed to die a natural death like the rest of men. In the very prime of manhood His life was trampled out of Him as if it was something tiresome. His body was swiftly buried or else it would be polluting the air of festivity in the city (Mark 15:42, John 19:31) Mary stood at the foot of the cross as her heart was pierced with so much sorrow seeing her only Son, Jesus crucified. Only a heart full of faith, courage, strength and conviction could withstand such kind of sorrow and pain. Mary never fainted nor faltered maintained reverence in God in that time of great sorrow and remained obedient. She is the “Stabat Mater” (Standing Mother) and such is the heart of Mary, a mother, immaculate and strong. Mary is the Lady of Sorrows for all these but we know from our faith that the pain of our Lady from that afternoon is nothing to what she endures now every time she sees a soul lose the garment of sanctifying grace for we are her children for Jesus said “Behold, your mother.” For whenever we sin, a human being made in the image and likeness of God is brought lower than the beasts. All the beauty is turned into hideousness. All the love turned into hatred and despair. There is only one evil in our lives and that is sin. Sin means we lose our God, the light goes out of our soul and we have become withered branches fit only to be burned in everlasting fire. We are living in a world now that says that sin doesn’t matter. That sin is only a little word in a dictionary that has long since lost its meaning. “Times have changed” we are told. Sin is the source of Mary’s greatest sorrow. May we realize that it places us in a better position with God when we know that we have the Our Lady of Sorrows, none other than our very own Blessed Mother who will always be with us, offering her cries and tears as she constantly prays for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. She is perfect enough for God to be the mother of His only Son surely she will also be for us, more than perfect as our Mother. Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us. Amen. Hallelujah!
John 19:25-34
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
