God Gave Us the Best He Knew
Fr. Michael Gorman in Medjugorje, pictured above, speaks to us about the importance of Our Lady's role.
The following is taken from a homily in Medjugorje, given by Father Michael O’Gorman from San Antonio, Texas. He speaks about the important role of Our Lady and Her care for us. Father begins:
“Like Peter said at the Transfiguration, ‘It is good for us to be here.’ We have come because we believe God, in all His wisdom, has sent a very special Messenger to His people, and this Messenger is sent to heal. We have come to give thanks to God and to give praise and honor to the Mother of God. Our first thought this morning must be; we will honor the Mother of God, not just my Mother or your Mother, but the Mother of God.
“Since the creation of Eve, there have been millions and millions of girls on this earth, girls with mellow qualities of heart and mind walking on the stage of human history. And of that vast number, God chose one. It is written beautifully in the Gospel, ‘Rejoice, you have enjoyed My favor. The Lord is with you.’ So, we can definitely say He did not pick a woman at random.
“The French poet, Henry Jordan once wrote, ‘God may have said that when I sent My Son on earth, He was not hard to please about food or clothing or anything except His Mother. He wanted His Mother to be a masterpiece.’ When we talk about Mary, God’s Mother, we are talking about a masterpiece. When we talk about Mary, we are talking about our Mother too. Take a moment to think about mothers, uncaring mothers aren’t only a rarity, but a contradiction.
“Mary became a Mother when She conceived and gave birth to the Savior. She was formally appointed our Mother at the foot of the Cross. We read in John’s Gospel, ‘Mother, this is your son.’
“The care She lavishes on the earthly Church, the care She gave Her Son on earth, She gives to us from Heaven. We should never forget that! Mothers do not come any better than the Mother of God.
“You and I are great exponents of compromise. We do God’s work when it suits us. We follow God’s way until it begins to hurt. Often, when the pressure is on, when the heat is on, our resolution melts like ice in the heat. Not so with Mary! Imagine being told at 15 or 16 that you were to become the Mother of the Savior. Mary listened and received the Word into Her Heart and responded to it with Her life. She placed Herself at God’s disposal. She became the perfect instrument of His will. She said, ‘Let it happen to Me according to Your will.’ By doing God’s will, it landed Mary on a pedestal, but it also landed Her on a crucible as well. If you were to ask me, as well as others, ‘What is the hardest thing in life?’ I believe often the answer is how hard it is to watch others suffer. There, at the foot of the Cross, stood Mary, Jesus’ Mother. She didn’t faint. She didn’t swoon. She didn’t run like the disciples did. She was and is the Faithful One, the figure of fidelity. When it was over, those around Her were conscious of Her incredible strength.
“Recall Mary’s famous words at the Wedding Feast at Cana, ‘Do whatever He tells you.’ No woman ever took Her own advice so completely to heart. This is because Mary was so faithful, so positively and courageously faithful. She represents such a tremendous challenge to us, and for us, She is such a helpful Mother.
“St. John was particularly close to both Jesus and Mary. He was the one given to Mary to represent us. After the Crucifixion, He was Mary’s adopted son. He saw first hand the influence Mary had on the Apostles and the Early Church. John wrote in his Gospel the account of the Wedding Feast at Cana because it beautifully describes Mary as our Great Intercessor. What She did that day, She does everyday. She nudges Our Lord. In Heaven, Mary continues to be our intercessor.
“As Mother of God and Mother of us, next to Her Son and in union with Him, She is the greatest intercessor of them all. As the One who cooperates closely with Christ, She is the One most passionately concerned that people should seek eternal salvation. Even when Mary was assumed into Heaven, Her Motherly duties continued. Once a Mother, always a Mother.
“Take your anxieties to Mary. The thing about a Mother is that She cares. Remember, God is strong and He has a good Mother. He gave us the best He knew, the best He could find. She is the Mother of God, Our Mother, Woman of Faith.
“I pray that one consequence of your visit to Medjugorje will be a deepening attachment to the Virgin Mary. I hope you will honor always God’s Mother, trust Her as your own, and let Her bring you closer to God and His Church.” - Father Michael O’Gorman, Medjugorje
We encourage you to accept Mary as your Mother, and bring Her your anxieties and worries. How is it possible for one to do this? One concrete way of doing this is simply by bringing your petitions before Our Lady. On Medjugorje.com, you have the opportunity to have your petition placed in the presence of Our Lady, the Queen of Peace, in Her apparition in Medjugorje. Also, the Community of Caritas prays over your petitions in the Bedroom of Apparitions at Caritas, as well as in the Field of Apparitions. Three sanctified places: The Bedroom, the Field, and in Medjugorje. Would you accept Our Lady as your Queen of Peace? Allow Our Lady to give you the gift which She says:
February 25, 1991
Your petitions, placed before Our Lady, it costs you nothing except your time. To have your petition placed before Our Lady, please visit this page. To see where your petition is brought to, please visit this page.
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