Recently, one of our Sisters was doing the grocery shopping. While she was busily gathering veggies in the produce department, an astonished little wide-eyed tyke spotted her and gasped “Mommy, what is that?!” The child’s mom and the nearby store staff member were evidently more embarrassed over the comment than Sister herself! These types of incidents always make for a good laugh! They break through the surface of normal routine and bring back to mind things of fundamental importance… things like - who we are!
All through the Advent season liturgies, the question of identity strikes again and again. In the readings from scripture, John the Baptist is asked straight out – “who are you?... what do you have to say for yourself?” For him, and for Our Lady, their identity is found directly in God. John is the voice in the desert, preparing the way of the Lord & Our Lady - the perfect handmaid of the Lord. And us? Our identity too is first and foremost found in God whether we realize it or not! All through the scriptures we read that we are: baptized into Christ, ‘children of God’, God is ‘our Father’, our Creator, Redeemer, the Alpha and Omega, our justification, our hope, our refuge, our light, Shepherd, Savior… just to name a few titles of our God! He is our origin, our destiny and our very life. Let us rejoice in Him this Advent as we wait… and let us give thanks too for Our Lady of Guadalupe especially today on her feast day. Here are some of her own words to St. Juan Diego: “Know and understand well, you the most humble of my sons, that I am the ever virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God for whom we live, of the Creator of all things, Lord of heaven and the earth…Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything…” We are children of God, children of Mary – that is reason for hope that the world cannot quench.
All through the Advent season liturgies, the question of identity strikes again and again. In the readings from scripture, John the Baptist is asked straight out – “who are you?... what do you have to say for yourself?” For him, and for Our Lady, their identity is found directly in God. John is the voice in the desert, preparing the way of the Lord & Our Lady - the perfect handmaid of the Lord. And us? Our identity too is first and foremost found in God whether we realize it or not! All through the scriptures we read that we are: baptized into Christ, ‘children of God’, God is ‘our Father’, our Creator, Redeemer, the Alpha and Omega, our justification, our hope, our refuge, our light, Shepherd, Savior… just to name a few titles of our God! He is our origin, our destiny and our very life. Let us rejoice in Him this Advent as we wait… and let us give thanks too for Our Lady of Guadalupe especially today on her feast day. Here are some of her own words to St. Juan Diego: “Know and understand well, you the most humble of my sons, that I am the ever virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God for whom we live, of the Creator of all things, Lord of heaven and the earth…Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything…” We are children of God, children of Mary – that is reason for hope that the world cannot quench.
A Thousand Congrats to Sr. John-Mark Maria PCPA on your first profession today!! Much joy to you and all our Sisters at Our Lady of Solitude!
3 comments:
I love it! You know we don't hear anything in this blog about what the mother said. Isn't wonderful how the Lord provides us with these teachable moments (in this case with sisters help of course :) I hope I would have explained what a religious sister is and how she is one of many ways to serve blessed LORD and Blessed Mother. Awesome story.
Sure to have brought a SMILE to everyones face that wonderful day! Congrats to Sister John-Mark Maria as well!
Isn't it a shame that it's unusual to see a sister in her habit out in public. Wouldn't it be nice to have more of these religious vocations?
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