Are we really thankful for what we have? I am not talking about big things but the everyday, mundane things. I was reading Proverbs 31 today and the thought came to me that I should probably be more aware of everything that God is giving me on a daily basis. Yes, I have to wash and vacuum my car but I should thank God that I have a car. I am always having to repair my house and cut my grass, but again, I should thank God that He has blessed me with these things. Proverbs 31 is focused on the advice that Lemuel's Mother gives him. The latter part of the passage focuses on the value of a worthy wife. It is really a beautiful passage as we approach the celebration of St. Valentine's Day. It basically focuses on all of the little things that we do in our daily lives. Of course, it goes deeper than that. It calls us to revel in each task and to find delight. It tells us that each and every task should be done for the glory of God. It really forces you to focus on your humanity. But take time to study the passage more carefully and it causes you to think about why you are doing all of these things. Do you do it merely out of habit? Are you focused on the ultimate prize of unending life in the company of God in Heaven? Do you approach each task with happiness and purpose? There is no way we can make each and every task of each and every day a celebration but we can begin to realize that we are allowed to do these things through the grace of God. He has called us to each and every task. He wants us to enjoy our life. There is a purpose to each task. Going forward, I am going to begin to focus on the task at hand and think about its ultimate purpose. But I want to return to the advice of Lemuel's Mother. I am also going to focus on how much my wife does for her family each and every day. I am going to focus on making her load lighter. I am going to let her know that I appreciate everything that she does for her family for she is cheerful. Indeed, she is the good wife that Lemuel would be lucky to find. And I thank God for that and all the little things.
The spiritual climax of the Gospel of John, as Father John Waiss points out, occurs at the foot of the Cross, where Jesus utters his parting words: “Woman, behold, your son!” and “Behold your mother!” (John 19:26-27). While these words were addressed to the Apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, the Church has long understood this moment as a universal adoption. To truly image Christ, we must share in His parentage; if we embrace God as our spiritual Father but reject Mary as our mother, we treat Christ as a half-brother rather than our "firstborn among many brethren" (Rom. 8:29). As Origen noted as early as the third century, the profound depths of the Gospel are only accessible to those who, like John, rest their heads on Jesus’ breast and receive Mary into their own homes. This maternal role is deeply rooted in biblical typology, positioning Mary as the fulfillment of the great mothers of the Old Covenant. She is the New Eve , the mother of all the living according ...
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