How to Love

 

Here we are already in Holy Week, a day after listening to that long sorrowful narrative of the Passion of our Lord.

 And every time I read or hear the Passion, I remember the words my mother would tell me.

 See, I was very restless as a child, especially at Mass and on Passion Sunday, my mother would say, “If you stay completely still when the priest is reading the Passion you will go right to heaven”. Now, if that is the only criteria to get to heaven, I will never make it. I still squirm

You can only stand still for so long even as an adult. But, I really tried, but there was one time, I had to scratch my nose so bad and finally I did. I moved! Another year and no heaven again, and I looked up at my mother and she turned and frowned at me and I thought, wow, she moved too, she’s not going either. But, today, we have a much shorter Gospel, one that is filled with complete surrender and the love of Mary, in serving our Lord. Surrendering her greatest treasure, an extravagance of love to bring honor to Jesus and joy to herself.

It’s knowing that love doesn’t calculate the cost; it gives and its only regret is it doesn’t have more to give.

 And we have Judas, the betrayer, the thief, the money holder, filled with hate, and serving only himself. His greatest treasure was in the bag he was holding. No love to give, no true friendship, because you cannot serve two masters.  

And, the harsh words of Judas, of wasting the oil, is an attempt to destroy Mary’s gift of love. Although, his words of wasting, and not his motive for saying them, could incline us to think the same way. But the oil is meant to reveal complete surrender to Christ, all that we have, bringing the greatest honor to Jesus and His Church and to the giver.

 Mary’s gift and love filled the entire place with the sweet fragrance of spices, an aroma benefiting herself, Jesus and all around her. But Judas was resentful, his beliefs were warped, and he took a bitter and an unpleasant view. It’s the heart that speaks. Because a person’s sight depends on what is inside their heart. Mary surrendered to Jesus. Jesus was eventually surrendered by Judas.

This is the week that we can give our all for Jesus, serving Him completely and walking closely with Him to His Cross. We have our treasures to give, we sacrifice, we pray and adore Him in the Blessed Sacrament.  He thirsts and we give him drink. Let this Holy week become an internal flame of love burning inside, allowing the fragrance of complete surrender, to fill our hearts with the love for Jesus. 

Then on Friday at the Cross, we will recognize that, Love doesn’t calculate the cost; it gives and its only regret is it doesn’t have more to give. Jesus gave us His all, there is nothing more to give. That is total surrender. That is how to love!

Foster Father, our Patron Saint

 

Growing up, I remember two important things about St. Joseph. One I was taught by St. Joe nuns and two, we always had off of school on March 19th the feast of St. Joseph.

 Our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph were two human beings. The very same wants and desires that we have, the same temptations, the same hardships.

And their focus was always on keeping God’s commandments. Mary and Joseph were born with the same free gift that was given to us and that is our free will.

They, like us had options. We can all say no to God. But they were determined to say yes.

There yes, must be our yes, to follow Jesus, even with all the hardships and crosses He asks us to bare. Our yes and perseverance means, there will be a place for us in heaven.

Look at the face of the crucified Jesus, look at His beaten body, and know His pain, and your pain, your hardships will become bearable.

St. Joseph, Foster Father of Jesus and husband of Mary, pray for us