Church of St. Mary at Clinton Heights

The Christmas season ends with two feasts of manifestations.  At the Epiphany, Christ is shown as the savior of all the nations.  At the Feast of the Baptism, it is revealed to us that he is the Eternal Son of the Father by the testimony of the Holy Spirit.

Imagine how surprised people were when they realized these sacred facts.  Jesus did not fit into the mold other people expected.  The Magi represent the nations of the world.  They teach us that the search for God is universal.  It is not limited to one group of people.  God has planted in each heart, the desire to be with him.  As St. Augustine tells us, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee”.   The search for God is not easy; it demands from us some sweat equity.  We need to choose to have a relationship with God.  God chooses us whether we believe in him or not.  However, given the gift of free will, we need to choose Christ.  We need to be committed to him.

The day of the Baptism of Jesus was just an ordinary day.  People were at the Jordan, listening to John the Baptist, and no one probably paid much attention to Jesus approaching.   There was nothing about him that made him stand out of the crowd.  However, when John saw his cousin, he say beyond the person he knew and saw the Eternal Son of God that the Spirit revealed.  Consider the scene.  The Jordan is no bigger than a stream; not a mighty river like the Hudson.   Jesus revealed himself among the poor and sinner; among the outcast and forgotten.  But, is not this the reason Jesus came?  To show us the universal love of a God who wants us to love him and each other.

So, as close the season of Christmas and prepare for the Holy Season of Lent in a few weeks, may we allow God to reveal Himself to us in ways that we do not expect.  May we know Christ in the Breaking of the Bread and in the Word proclaimed.

Mary, the Mother of God

 

A few years ago I was looking through a news magazine and come across the image of a mother in the Middle East holding her child in the middle of war torn city.  She had dark skin, dark eyes, and was holding her child in such a tender and protecting way.  I could not help but think that this is what Mary must have looked liked.  She probably looked like any other Middle Eastern mother of the day…. she was a refugee for a while because the government told her to leave her land and she escaped to Egypt when Herod wanted to kill her Son, she worked hard, raised her child, took care of her husband and her house, worried about Jesus when she didn’t know where he was, eventually she had to make it as a widow, she saw the cruelty of the Roman government in her land, she watched her Son be killed and could do nothing but be there with him….

 

It was this Mother that Jesus gave the Church, you and me, from the Cross.  John the Beloved represents us when Jesus says “Behold your Son” and he says to each of us here today “Behold your Mother”. These words are very important for us in this parish because we are specifically under her care and protection.

Mary is the mother of us all

            The refugee and exile

            Those who work hard to support their families and sometimes struggle to make ends meet

            Those who are having difficulties in relationships

            Those who are orphans

            Those who are poor because of war, violence, those who have to be on Social Service..she is in solidarity with every mother who cries because her children are hungry, or cold, or are afraid, or whatever…..

            She is the mother of the sick and refuge of sinners

            She is our mother who longs for the best for us….

            She wants to show us the glory of her son and our brother

Mary wants to teach us to pray; just as our mothers and fathers taught us the words of the Our Father and the Hail Mary.  Mary wants us to learn how to hold the things of life in our hearts and find God in the middle of it all.  The Mother of God prays for us constantly in heaven.  We also need to be in prayer constantly; prayer is having an ongoing conversation with God.  Mary talked to Jesus all the time in the home of Nazareth and she continues to do so in heaven.  Mary talks with Jesus still about us.  She brings our concerns and fears; our hopes and joys.  Our prayer needs to be like hers…to talk always with God.

May Mary our Mother pray for us during this New Year and keep us close to her heart.  May she show us everyday the face of Her Son and our Brother, our Lord Jesus.