|
3rd Word: “Son Behold thy Mother, Mother Behold
thy Son.”
by: Fr. Joseph Vadakkel
Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz, Binondo,
Manila April 6, 2007, Good Friday at 1:40 p.m.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
We are all meditating and reflecting about the seven last words
of Jesus. We are meditating the wonderful love and care of Jesus
on this day. Today morning, I was praying in my little chapel.
The Holy Spirit gave one, new insight - new way for the people
who are listening on this Church. Why we are calling this day a
Good Friday? It is because Jesus is doing something good for us.
Then the inspiration came in my mind very soon. The word GOD
which spells G – O – D and GOOD as G – O – O – D. So then I felt
Jesus and Mother Mary had their share of pain. They put them
near to God. Good! In our life, we have loads sorrows, numerous
negative experiences. If we have negative experience, we put it
near to God then it become good. My dear brothers and sisters,
Mother Mary is our loving mother. Mother Mary is always caring
for us and always helping us. In my personal experience, in my
family in India, everyday in the evening Papa and Mama is
praying. Because of this devotion of my parents, Mother Mary
helps us. I became a priest and have one sister who is a nun and
she also took her doctoral studies in Rome. Jesus, before
leaving this earth, gave a gift to us. During the time of gift
giving, both the giver and the receiver of the gift have a
striking feeling. If we received a beautifully wrapped gift,
very soon we will open it and usually we will be pleased of it.
Jesus gave us a beautiful gift before He left. That is His own
beautiful Mother – our Mother Mary. “Son behold thy Mother.”
Mother Mary is the Queen of the World. If Mother Mary is the
Queen of the World, I am a prince or princes. Mother Mary teach
us how to stand near the Cross. Mother Mary walked not by sight
but by faith. In our life journey, Mother Mary is always with
us. When I became a priest, I prayed: “Jesus, with the help of
Your Mother, I wish to visit Israel. I want to visit there for
free. Then what happened? After one month of prayer, one prayer
group leader came to me and said: “Father, we are going to
Israel, would you like to go with us? We can take ticket for you.”
Then I went to Israel without any money from me. Praise the
Lord! Then all the places which Mama Mary appeared I listed into
a piece of paper. All these places Lourdes, Fatima, Amsterdam,
Medugorje, Israel I was able to visit because of Mama Mary. When
the angel Gabriel came to Mama Mary and said that she will
conceive a baby, Mary did not ask why. We have to reflect. I
understand why. If on that day Mary asked why and she got angry,
then no more gift of Jesus for us. As a human, we always want
joy and happiness. When some difficult situation comes, the
happiness is blocked. But it did not happened to Mama Mary. She
humbly accepted without complain what the angel had told her.
There will be an answer to the question WHY. W-word of God,
H-Holy Spirit, and Y-for you. God has a wonderful plan in our
life. Mother Mary believed that God will do good for her. A far
reaching eye sight. When a person become more near to God, his
eye become clearer, more farsighted concerning the future. Mary
has deep eyesight. Only by the help of the Holy Spirit we can
have a deep, and far eyesight. Even though we have problems, we
are in the middle of God’s love. Maybe we have 100 reasons for
crying but Jesus already give thousand reasons for laughing.
This Good Friday, we can ask for the blessing and grace of a
good eyesight from Mary, our Mother, Queen of the World and the
only beautiful gift Jesus had given us before He leave the earth.
|