DAILY HOMILIES #Mary

Like Jesus Christ, we all have two names; one which appears on our certificates and one which defines who we are. Although the names we bear may vary, the kind of life we live must reflect our real identity - Christianity. People should not only call us Christians; they must also see Christ in us.

The fact that God has showered certain gifts and blessings on us does not remove our free will. God may have called you before you were born but He would not force you to say “Yes” to this call. God who made you without your cooperation will not save you without your cooperation.

Only one thing is needed: Faith. Mary has chosen the good portion; to sit at Jesus’ feet in prayer and adoration, to listen carefully to Jesus’ words by meditating on the Bible, to trust deeply that in the midst of the chaos, we can afford to sit still with Jesus.

As we celebrate our independence today as a country, today is also an opportunity to remind ourselves of our dual citizenship; the fact that we are not just Nigerians but Christians as well. And as St. Paul would tell us in our second reading today, because Christ died on the cross, he has broken the dividing wall that separated nations.

Albert Einstein said: “If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live.” This is just an example of how roles could be different yet complementary. We are not going to ask some human beings to turn into bees in order to keep other humans alive nor are we going to ask bees to change into human beings. Everyone’s role is different but we all need each other.

If you agree that Mary carried Jesus in her womb for nine months and went through labor pains to have him, I do not know of any mother that would not feel a thing while watching her innocent son go through all of these. Whatever our present sorrows in this life may be, let us be consoled that we have a mother who was no stranger to sorrow and reach out for our rosary in asking for her intercession.

We are not celebrating Mary’s birthday because she was chosen by God. We are celebrating her birthday today because she accepted God’s plan for her life. She said “Yes” to God. Like Mary, God will do great things in you and for you if only you would say “Yes” to Him; if only you would walk according to His Commands and obey His Words.

The words of Elizabeth to Mary define her uniqueness amongst everything that God ever created. “Blessed are you among women.” No woman can ever be more popular than Mary, no woman can ever rise to a more glorious position than Mary, and no woman’s name will ever be mentioned on the lips of millions and millions of generations upon generations to come like the name of Mary.

In pain and disappointment, Mary and Martha buried Lazarus. It is not easy to speak of faith when we are faced with serious challenges; when prayers are not answered or when tragedies strike. When Mary and Martha were still mending their heart-aches, Jesus showed up. He asked Martha this question: “Do you believe?” Now imagine yourself in Martha’s shoes. what would your response be?

There are countless blessings that come to us from being kind to strangers. Many have lost golden opportunities in life just because they refused to help when they came across people with genuine needs. Our help, however, must not be forced, pretentious, nor come from a bitter heart. The story of Mary and Martha has often been explained in terms of the two types of spirituality (the active versus the contemplative) but beyond that, Jesus used this occasion to highlight the dangers of distraction and anxiety. Only one thing is needed: Seek first the Kingdom of God!

Mary had a PURE heart. It is as a result of Mary’s outstanding sinlessness that we refer to her heart as IMMACULATE. It was this purity of heart that made God so fall in love with her as to choose her to be his mother. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave us a secret; “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8). Only a heart so pure can contain God as Mary did. As we reflect on Mary’s Immaculate Heart, let us look at our own hearts. Is my heart like that of Mary? What efforts am I making to guard my heart against all defilements of evil?

When you seek first God’s Kingdom and prioritize righteousness, you may not become rich and famous in the eyes of the world but Jesus says you will find true inner satisfaction and peace. When you mourn over the sinfulness and evil pervading our world and refuse to be indifferent, Jesus says you will find true comfort.