Turn to Your Mother

Twice in the month of December we honor the Blessed Mother in a special way on the liturgical calendar: on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (December 8) and on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12).  In recent decades, the Blessed Mother has played an important role in my life.  She is calling me, as she is calling you, to holiness.  I believe strongly, during this time of many challenges in our society, our spiritual mother is calling us to come to her in a special way.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the Americas and patroness of the Diocese of Orange, California, in which I serve, is saying to us during these times the same words she spoke to Juan Diego, “Do not be distressed, my littlest son.  Am I not here with you who am your Mother?  Are you not under my shadow and protection?”

Do we believe that the Blessed Mother can do miracles in our lives through her Son Jesus?  Is she your spiritual mother?  Is she an integral part of your faith life?

The power of the Mary’s intercession

I recently welcomed Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell to my radio show Empowered by the Spirit.  His advice to Catholics at this time is that we turn to our spiritual mother, the Blessed Mother.  He said to pray the Rosary in our daily prayer.  I couldn’t agree more.

Years ago, when I was going through a hard time when my children were teenagers, I went to pray during the day in a church where I was the only one present.  In that time of crisis I asked the Lord what I needed to do.  He said to me, as I believe He is saying to us all now, “Turn to my mother and pray the Rosary daily!”

Can you imagine what would happen if we all prayed the Rosary every day to defeat this pandemic?  To end violence in our streets?

In the Gospel of John, the Blessed Mother appears twice.  The first time, she is concerned about the marriage at Cana as the newlywed couple is running out of wine.  I believe she is always protecting and interceding for marriages and families!  I believe she is now protecting our families as we call upon her help and protection.

She turned to Jesus at Cana and told Him that they had run out of wine.  His response seemed to be negative at first, but she was undaunted and told the waiters to do whatever Jesus told them to do.  The result was the miracle at Cana.

The second appearance of Mary in the Gospel of John is at the foot of the Cross.  It is there that we receive the divine truth from Jesus hanging on His Cross: “Behold your Mother.”  By this act, He made all disciples, all of us, her sons and daughters.

Our spiritual mother stands and watches us, interceding as we go through our own crises and carry our own crosses.  Indeed, challenges in both our Church and nation can be a cross that seems difficult to bear at times.  She is our mother, ever vigilant; always there for us, loving, watching, interceding, guiding and leading us to her Son Jesus.

How to open our hearts to her love

In this time of trial, let us turn to her Immaculate Heart and let her transform our hearts with her love, peace and joy!  There are four keys points to help us open our hearts to Mary’s love.

Faith.  Everything about Mary is focused on faith.  The Letter to the Hebrews (11:1) says that faith is the “realization of what is hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.”  Later, in verse six, we see the importance of faith: “It is impossible to please God without faith and he rewards those who believe he exists and seek him.”

The Blessed Mother is the model of faith! When the angel Gabriel appeared to her in the Gospel of Luke, she questioned how such an amazing thing would happen but never doubted that it would occur.  She answered:

Luke 1:38 “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

When the angel Gabriel told Our Lady that her cousin Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy, Mary had faith to go visit her.  I have made six pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and I can assure you it is a long distance from Nazareth to Ein Karem where Elizabeth and Zechariah lived.  She would have had to travel over barren desert and hills where there were many robbers.  Mary was young and pregnant and yet had faith and believed that she would find Elizabeth with child, who was once barren.

It was through Mary’s faith that she heard Elizabeth proclaim, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” and, “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (Luke 1:42, 45).

Do you feel like you need healing in this challenging time?  Jesus is our healer spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically, and the Blessed Mother is there praying with us and interceding with her Son Jesus.

Surrender.  We know that in all Mary’s apparitions throughout the world, she asks us to surrender our hearts to Jesus.  In her third appearance at Fatima she told the children, “Sacrifice yourself for sinners, and say many times, especially whenever you make some sacrifice, ‘O my Jesus, it is for the love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.’”  Mary taught us at Fatima to ask for forgiveness and to intercede for the world, “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.”

It is so very important that we surrender our fear and anxiety, and simply trust in Jesus.  Jesus, I trust in you.

Peace.  Mary is the Queen of Peace.  Everywhere Mary has appeared, she urges peace.  This peace she asks for is peace in our hearts, peace in the world, and to receive the peace that only Jesus can give.

At Fatima, peace was a substantial part of Mary’s message.  She spoke to the children often and urged them to pray for peace.  This was especially important since she appeared at the height of World War I during which nine million men died on the battlefield.

Through her words to the children we were told to do penance and ask God for peace.  Peace was absolutely essential for the world and us.  She was asking us to go to her Son Jesus to receive the peace that only He can bring:

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.”

Hope is a critical part of the message from Mary.  It is hope that has to get us through this time of trial.  God is the God of hope.  Jesus is our Protector, our Shield and our Defender.

My brother and sisters, let the Blessed Mother into your prayer lives and let Jesus become your Lord and Savior.  At the end of the day this is the most important decision you can make. It is a decision that will protect you in ways we won’t fully understand until we are with Him in heaven!