Day 120: Guidance

"But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"  Luke 16:31

This is something that relates to parenting.

Jesus reprimands those who are listening to him, for he wants them all to become followers by word and deed.  Yet, he knew that there would be some who wouldn't listen or take his words to heart.  In the same way, I see that this is the role of a good parent.

Growing up, and even to this day, my mom disciplines me whenever I do not listen.  I don't like it many times, but after I get over the shock, I realize that she only wants the best for me.  She wants me to grow and to live a fulfilling life.  I see that Jesus was the same.  If we as children don't learn how to listen to our parents, then how will we listen to anybody else around us?  How will we listen to others who don't provide us with food, nor converse with us, let alone even know our name?

To take these questions even further, how will we know what to listen for in the end times?  How will we know what direction to walk in?  We are very fortunate to have something as concrete as the bible.  In the bible we have many different stories telling us how to live a good life.  We have advice readily available to us.  And, above all, we have the Gospel of love being relayed to us throughout many lives, particularly that of Jesus, the ultimate sign of love.

I know that I have been blessed with a parent who shows me unconditional love and who leads me to God.  However, I do know that others are not blessed in that exact same way, sometimes even lacking a parental figure entirely.  The good news, though, is that we have the parental words of Jesus ready for us to receive.  Sometimes they are fatherly, and other times they are motherly.  We need to listen to these words and take them to heart, for Jesus wants us to come back home, and we will only be able to do that if we grow up at home.

My Lady, My Mother

Ὅ τι ἂν λέγῃ ὑμῖν ποιήσατε
"Whatever he says to you, do it."
John 2:5

This message must be pretty interesting to hear, considering that the final phrase is now a meme or a slogan, whichever you choose.  And yet, it has been with us for nearly two thousand years.  What have we learned?
Today, we have many churches, many faithful people, and many services.  However, are we still fulfilling this command?
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior."
These are the start of a hymn of praise that Mary says before the birth of Jesus Christ.
Throughout the gospels, Mary appears in some significant moments in her son's life, such as his birth, his first miracle, and at the foot of his cross.  These are a longstanding example of a great mother, one who loves her son before all else.
The Virgin reminds me of my mother, especially after seeing that she was present at most of the significant events in her son's life; for my mom has been at all of the significant events of my life.  She sings, just as Mary does, and she loves me very much, both through all the good and bad.  Alongside being a great mother, she is also someone who has pointed me to God.
My mom's greatest message and advice to me is, "Get on your knees and pray."  She always points me to God, just as Mary does in the Gospels.  When there was a shortage of wine in a wedding feast, she states the solution: Whatever he says to you, do it.
After seeing these parallels, I can only imagine what a great mother Mary was to Jesus, especially after witnessing throughout my whole life the great mothering from my Mama.  Mary must have sung to him many things, and she must have done so much for him throughout his childhood, just as my Mama has.  She was there with him throughout times of great glory, such as the miracle at the wedding feast, and times of sadness (which approaches embarrassment), the crucifixion.
I intentionally chose to have an ambiguous title with this.  In one sense, Mary, my lady, is my mother.  She has shown a life as an example of pure love and devotion in Christ.  In another sense, there are two women in this post, my lady, Mary, and my mother, Sandra Montes.  And, in yet another, I have my lady and mother, who has never left my side, always leading me to Jesus, just as the Holy, Blessed Virgin Mary does.