“You are in me and I in you.” John 14:20
In today’s Gospel, Jesus uses these words to explain the intimacy between him and his disciples. Christ isn’t just beside us; He is in us. Through the Holy Spirit which dwells in us, we partake of that intimate relationship of love that exists between the Father and Son; moreover, we’re in the midst of the intimacy. We’re one with them, and so, we’re never alone. With God, in us, we know that we’re loved even when the world fails to reveal it to us. It’s in this love that we recognize ourselves as children of God and our dignity before God, and it’s here that we find fulfillment in our lives.
These words also remind me of the intimacy that one shares with parents. Just like God wants this intimacy with us, our parents do as well, and it’s fitting that as we hear these words over the weekend, we reflect on our relationship with our mothers. The care and concern that they show to us and the love and hope that they reveal to us with every kiss, with every hug, and with every word of support and encouragement. For this, we honor our mothers this weekend and ask the Lord to continue to bless them for what they do and who they are. Mothers may “the Lord bless you and keep you, may He let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, and may he look upon you kindly and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26). Thank you for all that you do. Happy Mother’s Day
Finally, as I mentioned last week, this week, as we prepare for the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we pray for healing in our nation – that the Lord’s mercy may fall upon those facing poverty in our nation – the homeless, the less fortunate, and the hungry. This week, let us offer prayers especially during our Tuesday Holy Hour for the poverty in our nation, a request that goes along with the Pope’s prayer intention for the month of May. This past week, Pope Leo prayed that the Lord may “awaken in us a new awareness: that we learn to give thanks for every food, to consume simply, to share with joy, and to care for the fruits of the earth as a gift from God, destined for all, not just a few.” Pope Leo concluded by praying, “may no one be excluded from the common table, and may Your Spirit teach us to see bread not as an object of consumption but as a sign of communion and care. Amen.”
In Christ
Fr Robert