The Ascension and Mothers Day - All In One
I
was given permission to borrow from todays homily at mass,
delivered by one of our visiting deacons, "Mark." We will call him
that only, because...
a. I don't know his last name
b. He asked, humbly, that he be given no credit
---------- ✠ ----------
Today marks a very important Sunday in the United States, because it is both the day we remember the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven... and the secular observation of Mother's Day.
Jesus' Ascension is crucial in our journey as Christians. We invoke its call each time we say the Apostles or Nicene creeds...that is how pivotal it is to us.
Really,
we must remind ourselves, often daily, that our home is not here.
This
is not where we are destined to remain; the dark cold of the grave is
not our ultimate end.
On this note, none other than Saint
Augustine reminds us..."if you live with Christ in His new life
(as a Christian,) set your hearts on the things that are above, where
Christ is, and not here on earth where we exist temporarily. Seek the
things that are above and not the things that are on earth."
Jesus
through his Ascension makes that clear... which is why we commemorate
it.
Mothers Day
I had a long time employee of mine
retire recently. It was a beautiful luncheon; nice stories went
around, we had some laughs and a few tears. But I mention this today,
Mothers Day, since I don't ever recall hearing of a mom retiring from
being a mom.
Think about it; we owe a great debt of thanks to all
those ladies who have been such amazing role models of God's love.
"Moms" are often our first teachers.
They trade
their needs and their desires in loving sacrifice for their
children's broken hearts, and scraped knees...for spelling tests,
relationship coaching, Mom the Taxi, and often, even Doctor mom.
Moms never punch a time clock for the family - even though they
may punch a time clock at work.
They celebrate the first
smile of their children, the first awkward steps, and they hope the
first word the childe speaks is, "Mama."
We can all
relate to mothers, since anyone reading this, at some point, had to
have had one. With that, I'm called this time to remember the MOTHER
of Saint Augustine, Monica.
St. Augustine's Mom
Long before his conversion to
Catholic Christianity, St, Monica offered countless, fervent prayers
for the conversion of her definitely wayward son.
His
youth was what we would call sincerely misspent.
He was a
foppish college dude, a promiscuous "player," a frivolous
"party animal," and he dabbled in the occult and mystic
paganism.
However, Monica never abandoned her loving hope for her
son, and, her prayers were ultimately effective... St. Augustine, as
we know him, became one of the primary Doctors of the Church and a
man much revered, even to this day.
In fact, her efforts at
converting her son were so laudable, that SHE was declared a saint
and is celebrated on the universal church calendar every August 27th
- the very day BEFORE her own son is celebrated.
In his
famous book, "Confessions," St. Augustine detailed his
intractable life and his turn around to Christianity. And in the book
he wrote about the end of his own mother's life.
However, before her
demise the two of them were traveling together, and his telling
sounds like a visit any son might make to his mother on Mother's Day.
Augustine wrote this..."and so, the two of us, all alone,
were enjoying a very pleasant conversation, 'forgetting the past and
pushing on to what is ahead.' We were asking one another in the
presence of the Truth, what it would be like to share the eternal
life enjoyed by the Saints. After all, we desired with all our hearts
to drink from the streams of God's heavenly fountain, the Fountain of
Eternal Life."
Monica replied as any loving mom might,
especially one whose many prayers for her sons conversion had finally
been answered...
"Son," she said, "as far as I'm
concerned nothing in this life now gives me pleasure. I don't don't
belong to this world, and I don't really know why I'm still here. I
no longer have aspirations as a participant in this world; my home is
with God and our Lord. I had one reason for wanting to live a little
longer, and that was to see you become a Catholic Christian before I
died. That has now been fulfilled."
They say mom loves
her children forever, and I often picture Mary, too, the Mother of
Jesus, still with her son at the foot of the Cross, as he died.
If
a mom, though human, can love like Monica and Mary... just imagine
how much God loves us to have sent his own son to suffer brutally and
die for the sins of all mankind.
Conclusion
On
this unique Sunday, where we celebrate both The
Ascension of Jesus, AND Mother's Day, we reflect on the final stanza of the prayer of
Saint Monica, "...for the Lord's powerful grace to flow into my
child's life, asking the Lord Jesus to soften their heart and prepare
a path for their conversion and activate the Holy Spirit in their
life."
I mentioned earlier you never hear that a mom
retires from being a mom.
Well, we can say the same about Jesus.
He didn't retire after his Ascension to heaven.
In fact, As Pope
Francis remarked in his reflection on The Ascension...."we are
reminded that we are not alone; Jesus is the only and eternal priest
who passes through death and the tomb, and who rose again and
Ascended into heaven. Jesus is with God the Father, where he always
intercedes in our favor."
What a blessing it is to have both
Jesus and our mom to plead our case in love before the
Father.
Thanks to God, who through His Son, Jesus Christ, we are
all offered eternal life. And thanks to all the mothers of the world,
on this special day.
- "Deacon Mark"
May 12, 2024
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