Replies

August 5, 2014

“Truly, you are the Son of God!”

The Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D. proclaimed Mary as Mother of God. What this dogma means is that even if Jesus was conceived as an ordinary fetus like any other human being in the womb of a woman, the fact is He is the Son of God. Mary thus conceived in her womb God Himself. Imagine to have God growing as a fetus inside you. What an honor it must have been for Mary! That is why she exclaimed in the Magnificat that all generations shall call her blessed, she who was a mere mortal like all of us. Her honor is our honor if we allow Jesus, the Word of God, to grow in our hearts. When a Christian accepts God’s teachings and says Amen to them, he also conceives God within himself, though not physically as Mary did. For this we Christians revere Mary and highly esteem her for being the Mother of God and also because of how she lived a life of love and service. Let us recall how she, who was already conceiving Jesus, traveled to the hill country of Judea to take care of her cousin Elizabeth who was six months pregnant Mary’s being helpful was the reason Jesus performed his first miracle in the wedding at Cana. And when Jesus was already preaching, Mary followed Jesus wherever he went and listened to his teachings. Knowing Mary, she must have taken care of the needs of Jesus and his apostles, but remained in the background. For sure all the disciples of Jesus revered and loved her with a special love.
Let Mary be an example of how we are to love Jesus and follow in his footsteps.

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Español

All Issues > Volume 30, Issue 5

<< Tuesday, August 5, 2014 >>

Dedication of St. Mary Major

Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22
View Readings

Psalm 102:16-21, 29, 22-23

Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14
Similar Reflections

LOOKING TO OBEY

"Incurable is your wound, grievous your bruise; there is none to plead your cause, no remedy for your running sore, no healing for you." —Jeremiah 30:12-13

Jeremiah considered the condition of God's people incurable. However, the Lord revealed that this impossible condition would be reversed. The Lord promised: "From them will resound songs of praise, the laughter of happy men. I will make them not few, but many; they will not be tiny, for I will glorify them" (Jer 30:19).

This miraculous change is done in the same way in which Peter walked on water. Peter was able to walk on water (Mt 14:29) by fixing his eyes on Jesus, the Beginning and the End of our faith (see Heb 12:2). However, Peter was called not just to look at Jesus, but to look at Jesus for the purpose of obeying Him. The psalmist prays: "To You I lift up my eyes Who are enthroned in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters, as the eyes of a maid are on the hands of her mistress, so are our eyes on the Lord" (Ps 123:1-2). We fix our eyes on Jesus just as servants look at their masters' hands in anticipation of a command.

After walking on water, Jesus healed all who touched the tassel of His cloak (Mt 14:36). This is like looking at Jesus in order to walk on water. Both looking and touching are acts of obedience. God said: "When you use these tassels, let the sight of them remind you to keep all the commandments of the Lord" (Nm 15:39).

Miraculous changes are done by looking to obey and touching to obey. The most miraculous change of all and the basis for all miraculous changes was done through Jesus "obediently accepting even death, death on a cross!" (Phil 2:8; see also Rm 5:19) Obey the Lord and change the world.

Prayer: Father, may my life be a walk on the waters because I walk in obedience.

Promise: "The nations shall revere Your name, O Lord." —Ps 102:16

Praise: Praise You, Jesus, for giving us Your mother Mary to nourish and guide us (Jn 19:26-27).