(Here's a reflection I gave during the Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Parish in Nottingham on 22 June 2013. The reflection is part of a series of reflections focusing on the "Hail Mary". This event coincided with the Parish Fiesta.)
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
It's almost 10 years ago when my family and I started worshipping in this church. One of the parishioners I got acquainted with was Anne Lokes whom I consider to be "full of grace". An elderly woman who used to attend daily Mass, Anne always sits at the last pew and was the first person I would see in church every time I pass by before going to work in what used to be Henry Mellish School many years ago. I would often see her kneeling and praying the rosary. She would even greet me as I make my way to a pew and then as I go out of the church. Apart from daily Mass she was also a welcome during weekend Masses. In spite of her old age, she also looked after the flowers adorning the altar. "Where does she get that energy?" I once asked myself.
A soft-spoken lady, Anne smiles as though she was an angel as far as I am concerned. Years ago, I was under the weather and decided to go to confession one cold Saturday evening. As I opened the church door, I saw Anne sat in the porch, holding a rosary. She told me, in her gentle voice, that the rosary was being recited at that very moment. For some reason, her gesture gave me assurance that everything will be alright; that all I need to do was pray and have faith in God. I went to confession and later joined in the rosary. I went home at peace.
Anne continued to serve the parish until she retired due to illness. She passed away a few years later.
When the Archangel Gabriel addressed Mary as "full of grace" he recognized how God was pleased with Mary. The Lord was delighted with Mary so much that He preserved her from original sin at the moment of her conception, that she was chosen to be the new Eve (Christ being the new Adam), that she was to become the spiritual mother of all Christians, and that she was taken up to heaven body and soul. Mary received all these blessings, not because she deserved them, but because of God's grace. As the Church Fathers have taught, she received these blessings to make her more worthy to be God's mother and to be the perfect role model for all of Christ's followers.
We may not be as privileged as Mary, but each of us has received grace from God that we need to become more worthy as His stewards (e.g. as a parent, child, professional, community servant, etc.). We just need to:1. be aware of grace; 2. be open to it; 3. be willing to share it. Going back to Anne, I saw her awareness of and openness to grace through her prayerful life. She was also generous with the blessing she received by sharing her time, efforts, and talents with the parish and by touching the lives of those around her, mine included.
I'm sure Anne followed the example of Mary to whom she was devoted to. At the Annunciation, Mary told the archangel: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word." I believe Mary said these words in her heart in the many events she shared with Jesus: at the stable in Bethlehem, the Temple of Jerusalem, the wedding feast in Cana, and even in Calvary.
The Year of Faith is a year of grace. Through Mary's help let's live and grow in God's grace so that others would also believe in Him; so that others would experience that the Lord is with us!
Happy fiesta!
A soft-spoken lady, Anne smiles as though she was an angel as far as I am concerned. Years ago, I was under the weather and decided to go to confession one cold Saturday evening. As I opened the church door, I saw Anne sat in the porch, holding a rosary. She told me, in her gentle voice, that the rosary was being recited at that very moment. For some reason, her gesture gave me assurance that everything will be alright; that all I need to do was pray and have faith in God. I went to confession and later joined in the rosary. I went home at peace.
Anne continued to serve the parish until she retired due to illness. She passed away a few years later.
When the Archangel Gabriel addressed Mary as "full of grace" he recognized how God was pleased with Mary. The Lord was delighted with Mary so much that He preserved her from original sin at the moment of her conception, that she was chosen to be the new Eve (Christ being the new Adam), that she was to become the spiritual mother of all Christians, and that she was taken up to heaven body and soul. Mary received all these blessings, not because she deserved them, but because of God's grace. As the Church Fathers have taught, she received these blessings to make her more worthy to be God's mother and to be the perfect role model for all of Christ's followers.
We may not be as privileged as Mary, but each of us has received grace from God that we need to become more worthy as His stewards (e.g. as a parent, child, professional, community servant, etc.). We just need to:1. be aware of grace; 2. be open to it; 3. be willing to share it. Going back to Anne, I saw her awareness of and openness to grace through her prayerful life. She was also generous with the blessing she received by sharing her time, efforts, and talents with the parish and by touching the lives of those around her, mine included.
I'm sure Anne followed the example of Mary to whom she was devoted to. At the Annunciation, Mary told the archangel: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word." I believe Mary said these words in her heart in the many events she shared with Jesus: at the stable in Bethlehem, the Temple of Jerusalem, the wedding feast in Cana, and even in Calvary.
The Year of Faith is a year of grace. Through Mary's help let's live and grow in God's grace so that others would also believe in Him; so that others would experience that the Lord is with us!
Happy fiesta!
