FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL

May 11, 2008
Pentecost Sunday

PENTECOST, MOTHER’S DAY, MARY AND THE TRINITY
ALL ABOUT FAMILY AND LIFE

Today we celebrate both Pentecost and Mother’s Day. The two are inter-related. Both are about giving birth. And both are about the very plan of God for the world.

Pentecost is about the birth of the Church, as the Holy Spirit came upon God’s people. A mother is one who has given birth to a child, and Mother’s Day celebrates the role of mothers.

Now when we talk of mothers, what greater mother could there be than Mary, the mother of God? Through Mary came God the Son into the world. And Mary was right there in the midst of the disciples on the day of Pentecost.

“When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they ….. devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, ….. When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly ….. they were all filled with the holy Spirit …..” (Acts 1:13-14,2:1-4)

Mary gave birth to Jesus the Savior. In turn, the Church was born on Pentecost. Mary is the mother of Jesus, and the Church is the body of Christ, with Jesus as the head. Mary is thus the mother of the Church, of all of us.

Pentecost and Mother’s Day are all about family. Mary is all about family. God is all about family, as the Trinity itself is a family.

The Trinity is the divine family, with the Father, the Son, and the love that binds Father and Son together, that is, the Holy Spirit. Without true and pure love, a father and son are just relatives. Without true and pure love, a father and son live in a house but not a home. What constitutes a family are parents and a child (or children), and love that binds them together in true unity.

Did we say parents? Then that means a father and a mother. And so what completes the picture of family is the mother. In the family of God, Mary is our mother.

Now family is about life. It is about the fullness of life. Life comes into the world through the family. Life is nurtured in the family. Family begets life, and life depends on the family.

The Trinity is about life. God the Father is the Creator, who formed life at the very beginning. Jesus is the Redeemer, who defeated death and offered eternal life to all. The Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier, who makes it possible for us to live life to the full, in holiness according to the plan of God. In turn, the Church is the environment where we are enabled to live life according to God’s design. The Church is where we are nurtured, cared for and formed. And as for Mary, she was the one who gave birth to him who is Life.

Know then this important truth: Pentecost and Mother’s Day are all about family and life. Mary and the Trinity are all about family and life.

One final thing: we are blessed with family and life so that we can evangelize. On Pentecost, the Church, the family of God, was formed and the Holy Spirit poured out upon her. The Holy Spirit is about power—to live true Christian lives, to grow in holiness, to bear fruit, to witness. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit so that we can share the good news of salvation in Jesus to all. With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our lives, we are enabled to speak “in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God” (Acts 2:11). So God’s blessings are not to be selfishly kept just for ourselves, but are to be shared with all. And what better blessing could there be than to be included in the family of God, and to live life to the full according to God’s plan.

And so there we have it: The very plan of God for the world is all about family and life.

To all mothers, God blessed you by giving you the privilege of bringing life into the world, of nurturing that life, and of being the very heart of the home. We are all blessed through you. May God continue to use you and to bless you in every way.

Happy Mother’s Day to all!

Now go and share the good news of salvation in Jesus, defend and strengthen the family, and proclaim the gospel of life. May the Spirit of Pentecost always be with you!

Frank Padilla

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