INTERCESSORY ROLE OF MARY

HOMILY OF FRIDAY 30TH OF APRIL, 2021 FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER YEAR B

OUR LADY , MOTHER OF AFRICA (FEAST)

R1:- Acts 1:12-14
PS:-1:46-47.48-49.50-51.52.53.54-5
Gosp:- John 2:1-11

*THEME: INTERCESSORY ROLE OF MARY.*

A good mother must know the potentials of her children. She must help her wards to exhibit their gifts.

Though Jesus Christ told Mary at the marriage at Cana, that his hour has not come, Mary did not hesitate to launch her son into the public.

When the wine finished at the wedding feast and Mary approached Jesus to inform him, his response was, “O woman, what is that to you or to me? My hour has not yet come.”

By this time, Jesus has started his ministry, because his disciples were already there with him. This shows that Jesus did not start his ministry with the demonstration of power or with signs and wonders. Rather, he was going about preaching the gospel of the kingdom. That was why he came. He must have been performing some signs but necessarily in the course of the ministry or in the public.

It was Mary who plunged him into this limelight which was almost a distraction to his ministry at the teething stage, because the crowd started looking for him mostly for signs and not for his gospel. He, at one occasion, had to tell them, that he must go to the next town to preach the gospel, for that why he came.

Moreover, there are occasions when we allow the applause of people to push us into doing what we did not plan to do. There are also times, when we need motivation from others to exhibit our potentials. We must not always be comfortable with own our pace, forgetting that our community or society needs us more than we think. ” I’m taking my time,” we often say. At times, we need someone who understands us to help us to press our trigger.

However, Mary who knew what her son could do, seeing the pain of the couple at the wedding, had no option than to break her son’s protocol. Its like she said, “you cannot be waiting for your hour while people are in lack here.” She knew that Jesus cannot turn down her request. She capitalized on the special understanding between her and her son. And Jesus performed the miracle.

Hence, Mary has not ceased to performed her intercessory role. She continues to present our needs to her Son, on the condition that we do whatever the Lord tells us. Its not enough praying the Rosary or calling Mary to intercede for us. If we refuse to do the will of God, we run the risk of an ineffective prayer.

By our baptism into Christ, we have gained free access to him to make our requests known to him directly. And with his mother by our side, he cannot refuse our request. Knowing her is an added advantage. As a queen mother, she has much roles to play in the kingdom of her son.

May the Blessed Mother, Mother of Africa, intercede for us. May she pray for us, that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.