Today is the 5th Sunday of Easter. Today is also Mother’s Day, a special tribute and honor to all the mothers. Happy Mother’s Day, to all mothers. As Catholics, our Blessed Virgin Mary is our spiritual Mother. Today, our community celebrates the month of Mary with a special crowning of flowers placed on Mary’s head after the 8 AM mass. After the mass, we will have a procession towards the statue of the Blessed Mother in front of the church. May crowning is one of our activities offering a wreath of flowers honoring Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth. It has a deep meaning for our Catholic faith. The Blessed Mother is a perfect follower of Christ, and so is considered the crown of creation. She is the Mother of the Son of God, Jesus, who is the King of the universe and our Savior. She hears the word of God and fulfills it, for she says, “Let it be done to me according to Thy word.” She is our model of faith. I hope and pray that you will also have a crowning of Mary at home and have a special encounter with Jesus Christ through the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The epistle today taken from the book of James expresses a clear spiritual value that we must be faithful to accomplish something good according to what we heard from the scriptures, that is to work for the benefit of others. It says, “Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves” (James 1:22). This signifies our trust in the Lord who speaks to us through the proclamation of His words. And if our trust in God does not lead us to act for the benefit of others in need, then James suggests that we don’t really trust God. As James puts it, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation, and to keep one’s self unspotted from this world.” It means to care for orphans and widows in their distress (St. James 1:27). Our faith and belief must be translated into action.
I believe that St. James is referring to the very source of our faith, Jesus Christ, who prioritizes the marginalized, the oppressed and the poor. This reminds us that those who are underprivileged brothers and sisters assume a special place in God’s kingdom. This is the very teaching of Jesus. “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”(St. Luke 6:20)
Many of us are concerned about having a successful business, profession, investments, and other stakeholders at the expense of being neglectful of our duty to share with the people who are poor and powerless. Whenever we can and have, please don’t be greedy. Jesus’s teaching is this, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (St. Matthew 6:19-20) Whenever our needs are met, not coming from our surplus, always think of others because I believe that whenever we are generous and able to respond to meet other’s true needs, it is doing God’s work and doing God’s words.
In the gospel today taken from St. John 16:23-30, Jesus says. “If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you. Hitherto you have not asked anything in my name.” I believe that anyone who asks something through Jesus, our loving Father heeds our prayer. But prayer in the name of Jesus is not just asking for something or help, but rather it is a disposition of one’s heart. We are aware that God will not tolerate our hearts being divided, for He must be the very core of our being.
So, prayer is important; therefore, let us not doubt when we pray and never underestimate your prayer. We sometimes think our prayers will do little good when faced against all odds. But our prayer changes everything, for it is the weakness of God’s heart and the strength of our hearts.
The power of prayer does not come from you nor your sincerity or faith. It comes from Christ. Jesus is the power in prayer because Jesus is God. Out of the Father’s love, He has sent Jesus to restore creation. If we deny that Jesus was not sent by the Father and deny that Jesus is not God, our prayer is meaningless at best, and blasphemy at worst. When we believe, along with the disciples, that this Jesus is the true Son of God, the Messiah, who has been sent by the Father, then it is true that all our prayers and all the promises of God find fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
Today, He commands us to “Ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.” It is not necessarily well worded content of prayers, but the complete giving up and control comes from God alone. God knows what we need, anyway, but what is being asked of us is our humility and confidence in Him. Our relationships with God must be better and stronger, which also matters a lot.
It is a melody if God constantly hears the voices of His children in prayer. It is pleasing in the sight of Jesus, our Savior. Hearing our voices, pouring out from the recesses of our hearts to God, we may unburden the discomfort of our souls, making us Christ for others. St. Augustine inspires us with his words, “Et Cor Unum in Deum! And the Heart is One in God!”
God bless you.
Fr. Arlon, osa
