Hail Mom
I remember Mom was always the conscience of the family.
No obligation could slip by without Mom insisting that we attend, take part, be present. No was never an option.
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ - John 2:1-3
In today's reading, we get to see Mary as the human conscious of God, the obligation reminder, the alert that signals Jesus to action, even when he sees no need to take on the responsibility.
This is the day we honor Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the one we shall forever call blessed.
We don't know a great deal about Mary, other than what we read in Scripture. Her life is so closely linked to her son that we forget she had her own identity.
We see it here, though, when she brings a problem to Jesus at the wedding in Cana and then despite his resistance, she tells the servants to do whatever he tells them.
She knows he will do what she asked, even though she didn't ask him anything.
She acted in faith, knowing he would do the same.
There are many lessons here. We see the relationship between a mother and son. We see the obligation to do something when someone is in need. We see how we can take on responsibility on behalf of those in need.
But we also see a woman who can raise an issue to God through Jesus and know all will turn out well, without knowing how.
John's gospel is filled with stories that point to the divinity of Jesus. He shares miracles and wants us to see God in human form. But in this first miracle, we see someone who is truly human, Mary, acting in full faith and love, bringing that divine presence to task in the humdrum world of all of us.
Mary is the conscience of the family of God.
It has been the visions of Mary through the ages that have inspired people to come to faith, to help the poor and destitute, to comfort the sick and lonely. She continues to move mountains and make things happen.
All moms do that in some form, don't they? They make us sit up straight, speak clearly, wear nice clothes, address people we don't know with respect.
They are the shoulders we cry on and the hands we hold in times of uncertainty and fear.
Fathers can be difficult to approach, but not moms. They are the open arms of God in our lives, and sometimes we fail to see that through all their human failings and trials.
On this day, when we remember Mary, those of us who still have their moms with them might want to reach out and share a smile, a cup of coffee, a warm embrace, a gentle touch.
When the time comes that we can no longer do those things, we carry around an emptiness that only God can fill.
Thank you, Mom, for being the light in the darkness and the for having faith in me, knowing I would turn out alright because you and God had my back.
More to come...
Image credit: Notegraphy.com