A Mother's Love

Isaiah 61:9-11 (or 2 Corinthians 5:14-21)
1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8 (or Psalm 103:1-4, 9-12)
Luke 2:41-51 or Matthew 5:33-37

When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. - Luke 2:45

Flora has not spoken to her son Andy for more than 10 years. For her, it was a matter of self-preservation. Every time Andy shouted at her, or shunned her attention, or rejected something she offered, she built up the wall around her heart to protect herself against the hurt. In time, the wall became impenetrable, and although they lived in the same house, they barely even looked at one another.

That is, until the day she received a call from the hospital saying that Andy was involved in a serious accident. Steeling herself against further rejection, she went inside his hospital room to find that he already had several visitors. When Andy saw her, he said to the others, “This is my mother,” and that was all it took to melt her hardened heart.

I realize that it’s not just Flora, but all of us who, in one way or another, choose to remember past hurts, false first impressions, malicious gossips, and various negative traits of others. May we learn to have a heart like Mary’s, treasuring memories that build up, rather than tear down, our relationships. Cecille L.

Reflection: Are the treasures you keep in you heart making you rich, or are they weighing you down?

Mama Mary, teach us how to have a heart full of love for your Son and for each other.

St. John Francis Regis, confessor, pray for us.