“Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child within her womb. Even if she forgets, I will never forget you.”

For a father of three, now in their forties (and, I suspect, for any parent), this quote from Isaiah resonates deeply in our hearts. With each child my wife brought into this world, her focus, her attentiveness, her love, her energy, her lack of sleep, were all encompassing. As that infant grew into a toddler, an adolescent, and a young adult, her love never lessened. It changed as they grew into adulthood, moved away from home, and established their careers and their own families; her care, love, and worry never abated. It changed, but was not a part of her life or who she was.

Jesus, the Incarnation of Isaiah’s loving God, made manifest in his life and ministry the all-encompassing love of God for all and each of us. Jesus’ message and his healing ministry sought to bring into focus that, just as the Father’s love for each and every person was limitless, so too should our hearts be open. NOT an easy task!

This message challenges us to love the refugees, AND also the ICE agents who are terrorizing them, the poor AND those who create policies who make their lives miserable. This is difficult because we want to rage against evil, but we can’t rage against those whom God continues to love like the mother who holds her baby close to her breast. NOT AN EASY TASK!

As Eucharistic people, we are united with a God who calls us, no matter the price, to be people who care, who unify, and who serve a Gospel of love. He who died for us, while we are sinners, challenges us in this very difficult world to be agents of mercy and peace.

Let Us Pray:

Lord God, lover of us all, saints and sinners alike, through the intercession of Saint Joseph and Saint Patrick, whose feasts we celebrate this week, grant us an abundance of your grace to fill our hearts with love that we might be able to love as you love. Amen.