“…AND HIS MOTHER KEPT ALL THESE THINGS IN HER HEART” (Luke 2:51)

⏰Saturday of the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time 2 (25 June 2022 – Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary)

📖Lam 2:2, 10-14, 18-19; Ps 74:1-2, 3-4, 5-7, 20-21 (R.v.19b); Luke 2:41-51

🎤”…AND HIS MOTHER KEPT ALL THESE THINGS IN HER HEART” (Luke 2:51)

What is that seemingly hopeless situation you have found yourself in? Is it something that has defiled possible solutions? I’m sure it wouldn’t be worse than the conditions in which the Israelites found themselves while in exile as the book of the Lamentation shows. If the Lord could deliver them from such pain and misery, how can he not deliver you too?

You need to be sure of this, beloved friend in Christ, God can do all things and with him, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37). There is no hopeless situation insofar as he is actively involved, and the way to get him involved is by having an absolute faith in him. This is the type of faith that comes with an emptying of the self before God – a proof of our helplessness and nothingness without him.

The Blessed Virgin Mary was a woman of great faith. In Luke 1:45, Elizabeth declared of her, “Blessed are you who believed that the Lord’s word would come true!”

Jesus would also use her faith to raise her status, not just as his biological mother but also his mother through faith when he said, “Rather blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28).

So in the Immaculate Heart of Mary we celebrate the heart of faith and by extention, the heart of love. This is the heart that kept pondering and treasuring the word of God (cf. Luke 2:19, 51) in such a way that she was able to move in love to assist others in their need (cf. Luke 1:39ff; John 2:3-4).

That is the synthesis between faith and good works as the Letter of St James 2:14-26 encourages. Your faith must lead you to good work, otherwise it would be a dead faith.

May God grant us the grace to have a strong and living faith that will enable us join the psalmist in telling of his salvation (Ps 71:15). Amen.

Have a beautiful and blessed weekend. Amen. Peace be with you.