+(Intro) Today we celebrate the memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Following the feast of the Sacred Heart we are reminded of Mary’s total dedication to her Son. Let us take a moment to reflect on any failures of our own in our commitment to her Son Jesus.
(After the gospel) This liturgical celebration honoring the interior life, the profound love of the Blessed Virgin Mary is highlighted in our gospel. The encounter of Jesus and Mary after the three days’ search is very revealing as it clarifies His sense of mission and Mary’s own readiness to deal with mystery and her own pain in the face of it.
This mystery of Divine Love touches each of our lives as we are called to share in Christ’s life. If Jesus did not exempt his mother Mary whom he so deeply loved, from pain and sorrow, we can’t expect anything different if we seek to be true to our calling.
Through our baptism, Christ has thrown his cloak over us even as Elijah did to Elisha in our first reading. We can never anticipate what God may ask of us, but we can be sure that if we are attentive, we will be led along a path that will bear abundant fruit for ourselves and all those dear to us.
1Kings 19:19-21; Luke 2:41-51