THE "IT"

Today we celebrate the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary immediately after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus yesterday. It follows in close proximity one day after the other after all it was in the Blessed Mother's womb that God became man. Literally speaking it was in her womb that He took on the form of a human being and had a feeding, pumping, viable and bloody heart. This is a revealed God who had manifested Himself. Our Blessed Mother carried Him in her womb. We know she pondered the mysteries in her life which is in today's gospel. Poetically speaking even in cross cultures, the human heart has always been seemed as a profound symbol of love, faithfulness, steadfastness, commitment, passion, loyalty, diligence, and the very anchor of the feelings, passions and emotions. When Mary was a teenager we know that she said to Angel Gabriel, "Let it be done unto me according to your word." If we may analyze this very closely, the word "it" in her response made her the Mother of God. At the same time it meant execution during 1st century Palestine if a woman gets pregnant outside wedlock. Her "it" meant that and yet she was willing to take that because of her love, faithfulness, steadfastness, commitment, passion, loyalty, diligence and the very anchor of her balanced feelings, passions and emotions. Then her "it" meant having her baby in a stable, soon her "it" meant her flee to Egypt with Joseph and her baby in the middle of the night. Twelve years later meant losing Jesus in the Passover in Jerusalem as narrated in today's gospel which prefigures about 20 years later, Jesus slain as the Passover Lamb when she witnessed her Son slain while she was standing at the foot of the cross. Eventually her "it" led her to Pentecost with the Apostles, her assumption into heaven and ultimately her coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth. Her "it" to Gabriel meant the seemingly negative events in her life before her crowning. But how did she endure all of these elements of sorrow involved in the life of her Son? The answer is her Immaculate Heart, that's how and why she sustained her being a perfect Christian disciple and example. She is a model for our own hearts believing in the words of the Archangel Gabriel, Mary maintained or retained all these things that the profound human heart speaks of and symbolizes. The passion which is the love that is willing to suffer for the other. Think of the Pieta, steadfast at the foot of the cross, or the Stabat Mater (Standing Mother) Traditionally speaking, Mary remained steadfast, she was sorrowful no doubt but never did she fainted nor swooned. She was the standing mother at the foot of the cross. This is an example for us in a time of sorrow. All of these because of her Immaculate Heart. We can also live our "it" whenever our "it" may seem like what Mary endured. She is an example to us of a heart with a strong balanced emotion. All of us modeled after Mary should be able to say with Mary, "I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to Thy word." When we find out the details of this total commitment and what it truly means, we must accept God's grace to be like Mary and to be faithful to our "it" or unconditional commitment to the Lord our God. We have to consecrate our lives to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary then never ever turn back. Pope Benedict XVI gave an insight with regards to the proper, sincere, authentic and true devotion to popular piety in the Catholic Church especially to Mary, he said that Mary's womb is the place where God was able to gain access into humanity. We celebrate our personal relationship with Mary because it has fostered so profoundly the ultimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If we have fallen in love with the bridegroom, Jesus we appreciate and honor His mother Mary immensely. Indeed, Mary helps us to love Jesus, to yield to the Spirit and to let "it" be done to us according to God's word. Mary tells us to do whatever Jesus tells us from the wedding feast in Cana in John 2. Mary will never rest until we rest in her Son. Our relationship with Mary focuses us on Jesus because of this we value our relationship with her. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 61:9-11
...I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem, like a bride bedecked with her jewels. 11 As the earth brings forth its plants, and a garden makes its growth spring up, so will the Lord GOD make justice and praise spring up before all the nations.

I love this prayer that I got from an email it says, "Stars do not struggle to shine; rivers do not struggle to flow, and you will never struggle to excel in life because you deserve the best. Hold on to your dreams and it shall be well with you. Amen." We simply have to keep on trusting that God will do for us what He has promised and said that He would do.
There is nowhere to go but to God. If we are confident in God's Divine Providence and constantly and consistently pray for God's guidance and protection and decide to act at all times for His greater glory then there is nothing that should ever make us want for anything for God is in control, He provides for all our needs and knows what's best for us. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 113:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7
R: Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever
...From the rising to the setting of the sun is the name of the LORD to be praised. 4 High above all nations is the LORD; above the heavens is his glory. (R) 5 Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high 6 and looks upon the heavens and the earth below? (R) 7 He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill he lifts up the poor.

Sometimes we come to a point when we can not fully understand the things that are happening in our lives but what matters most is to always follow the example of our Blessed Mother Mary whose Memorial of the Immaculate Heart we are celebrating today. She is one woman whom we can surely rely, depend and follow if we truly want to be closer to Jesus and be able to do what God wants us to do. This reminds me again of Fr. Tony's teachings when he mentioned to us of a strategy on how to have a better understanding of the things we read in the bible. He told us to classify each book of the bible according to who and what it reminds us of. He gave examples such as Amos which is associated with social justice, Hosea with fidelity and relationship, Job and Tobit with faith and suffering. He then asked the whole class what comes to our mind whenever we speak of Mary, he immediately said Jesus. He told us that if it's not the case then we are misled and on the wrong path. Mary brings us closer to Jesus who tells us what to do. Amen. Hallelujah!

Luke 2:41-52
...“Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus advanced [in] wisdom and age and favor before God and man.