In reading the first reading of today’s readings, I had the strangest feeling that Saint Paul was talking about our society in America and the rest of the world for today. I had to read it two or three times and scratch my head each time.
2 Timothy 4: 2-4“proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths.”
Was Saint Paul talking about our world today? Stop listening to the truth? Diverted to myths?
Recently, on a rainy afternoon in May I saw the movie “Pope Francis a Man of His Word”. Subtitles do not bother me and I was surprised that I understood many of the Spanish words as the Pope spoke them. It was an amazing insight into the man we call Pope. One of the insights was the prayer the Pope says every morning authored by Saint Thomas More:
“Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest.
Grant me a healthy body, and the necessary good humor to maintain it.
Grant me a simple soul that knows to treasure all that is good
and that doesn’t frighten easily at the sight of evil,
but rather finds the means to put things back in their place.
Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumblings, sighs and laments,
nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called “I.”
Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor.
Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke to discover in life a bit of joy,
and to be able to share it with others.”
Taking these two things together I had one major observation, bring us to the person of Immaculate heart of Mary and her feast day today. It wasn’t convenient to say” let it be done to me according to your word.” Mary said yes to be the Mother of Jesus with all the love a mother’s heart could hold. It wasn’t convenient to give birth in a stable, be warned that a sword would pierce her heart or watch your son die on a cross. It must have been horrible as in today’s gospel to have a child missing. Nonetheless, Mary trusted God.
We look further into Mary’s heart at the Wedding Feast at Cana. Weddings are wonderful celebrations. I can just imagine that everyone was in good humor and having a wonderful time. After 30 years of living with Jesus, she knew Him better than anyone on earth. Also Mary must have known the bride and groom and their family very well. Mary had no power to resolve their embarrassment of running out of wine but was concerned. Jesus knew that it was not his time but He also knew Mary trusted God. She had a good humor and treasured the good. She did not grumble but could have. It was not I, but how can I help. She shared her joy with others.
Mary loved God and she sought the truth and had the patience to trust God even in the worst of circumstances.
My prayer on her feast day is this: Dear Lord, may you give me a heart to trust in you with a good humor. Lord you know that I do not always do that. Forgive my human weakness and encourage me to have a heart like Mary, our mother.
God Bless
Bob Burford
Readings: 2 Timothy 4:1-8; Psalm 71: 8-9, 14-15AB, 16-17, 22; Luke 2: 41-51
