By ZOE CANNON
GRATITUDE FOR THE GIFT OF FAITH
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit upon His glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before Him’’ (Matthew 25:31).
Imagine the reality of that day! Jesus will come again; He will be sitting with angels, and every nation will gather before Him. All glory to God!
The gospel message from Matthew 25:31-46 explains the Kingship of Jesus and the importance of caring for one another. This gospel was read on the Solemnity of Christ the King to remind us that Jesus came to serve, not to lord power over people as an earthy king.
Life’s most valued blessings are based on a sense of partnership. A great friendship is a blessing. A successful marriage is one of the most powerful gifts of human existence. A love-filled home is a place of opportunity. These are great examples of partnering, but the most wonderful partnership of all is being united with God to build up His kingdom!
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me” (Matthew 25:35-36).
We see the strangers, the hungry, the thirsty, those in need of clothing, the sick and elderly; we may not know someone personally, but there are people in prison who need a visitor.
“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
These are powerful words! This passage reminds me to be thoughtful in the things I do and kind in the words I speak. You only love Jesus as much as the person you love the least. These words may not be written verbatim in scripture, but the meaning is very clear: love others as God loves us!
On Dec. 8, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary the Mother of God. The grace of God reveals her perfect and sinless nature from the first moment of her conception. If we remain faithful to God this is our own destiny, made possible by His grace for all humanity.
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church we read: “Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, ‘full of grace’ through God, was redeemed from the moment of Her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of Her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin” (CCC 491).
Teaching children about Mary is precious. I asked our five-year-old granddaughter Vella Ann what the Immaculate Conception meant. Her reply was perfect: “Mary was born without sin because God wanted the best for Mary, so we can have the best for us, and the best for us is in loving Jesus! Oh, and did you know Mary told Bernadette She was the Immaculate Conception?”
The Miraculous Medal symbolizes Mary’s spiritual union with Jesus’ redemptive mission and her role in salvation history. "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." Vella Ann’s four-year-old sister Leah drew a picture to explain what this prayer meant to her; it was a birthday cake for Mary. Children understand the servant heart of Mary, her treasured life in the Church, and the gift of her Son. May the glory of the angels and all the nations assemble before Him! Amen!