Our Mother of Perpetual Help

^{Our Mother of Perpetual Help}

^{John 19, 25-27}

^5 [j]Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother^[k] and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” ²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

I like to say that we Catholic Christians don’t memorize scripture verses, rather we live the scriptures. We take the scriptures into our lives and we allow them to transform us.

If I say to a typical Catholic John 19, 25-27. It will draw a blank. Most of us cann’t spout off bible verses. We all know the Our Father by heart, but few of us know that it is from Matthew’s sixth chapter verse 9-11.

It is good to know the scriptures. It is important understand them, but it is more important to take them heart. Take the Gospel for today’s feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. We know what is happening. The scene is the crucifixion, Jesus is in agony on the cross. He is about to breathe his last but his concern isn’t for himself. It is for his mother.

We know that Jesus was an only child, Joseph was already dead. As a widow without anyone to take care of her Mary would have had nothing, no home, no food, alone. So Jesus says to his mother, “behold your son.” Then he says to the beloved disciple, “behold your mother.” We know that this is what is happening, but on only one level. We know that there is a deeper meaning in the scripture.

We know that Jesus is dying, we know that Jesus will no longer be with us in the same way. Despite the agony of the cross, despite his pain and suffering, Jesus thinks of our needs and what does he give us? He gives us his own mother, to love and care for us.

Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. The Icon is telling us the same story. The icon is teaching us that Jesus has given us his mother, a women ready to help us each and every moment regardless of our needs or wants, she is our Perpetual Help. So let us celebrate her feast doing what is that Jesus wants us to do. We turn to his mother, we turn to Our Mother and Say, Mary Mother of Perpetual Help Pray for us.