Partners in Mission: Following the Call of Our Mother of Perpetual Help
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June 1, 2022After a recent last meeting of our “Partners in Mission,” one of the members expressed some personal thoughts regarding our group. I asked this humble disciple to please send me her thoughts in a text message and to express them the very same way as she had just shared them with me.
I knew her words were sincere and very meaningful, and I did not want to forget them. I would like to share them with you. This is what she wrote to me: “You always know that you will leave our meetings (Partners in Mission) feeling better than when you entered. I listened intently to the reflections of the past month from our fellow “Partners in Mission,” knowing I would be moved by their words and grow spiritually from them.
As the last person spoke this evening, I realized there was a common denominator. No one spoke about themselves. It was always about someone else’s needs; about what act of love was done or could be done to help someone else; about their faith in prayer to “Our Mother” for strength and the desire to give hope and encouragement to others.
I thought that each one of us is living their life in a small “Redemptorist” way. Partners in Mission, I realized how grateful I am to be part of this Boston “Partners in Mission” group and look forward to where it will take us.”
I was particularly struck by these words: “It was always about someone else’s needs; about what act of love was done or could be done to help someone else; about their faith in prayer to ‘Our Mother’ for strength and the desire to give hope and encouragement to others.”
This is the message of our Mother, and yes, more specifically, this is the prayer of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Her very title of “Perpetual Help” shows us that she is oriented outward – her vision is beyond herself in order to be the “conduit of grace” that God has called Her to be. In her image we see that, first and Partners in Mission, continued foremost, she is pointing us to Christ.
Looking at the Holy Icon of Perpetual Help, we see that Mary is, in fact, not holding Jesus to herself, rather, she is offering Him to us; she is extending Him outward – to her children – that we might become more and more like unto Him.
She holds Him unto us that we might understand who we really are and for what purpose we were created. We are made in His divine image, and we are called to radiate His love, His peace, and His light in this world.
Mary offers us the light that is Christ Jesus, and she asks us to carry that light within us, just as she did, and then to reach outward, beyond ourselves, in love to the other.
When I heard this “partner in mission” share her thoughts, I knew that our Mother was with us and would safely guide us along the path her beloved Son has paved for us.
She is our Mother and she is the Mother of our “Circle of Disciples” here in Boston. And because of this, we know that she will lead us forward – always according to the will of her Beloved Son. And so, there is no doubt or worry about the future. Our humble “Circle of Disciples” will grow according to God’s design, because of Mary’s loving protection.
Mother of Perpetual Help,Mother of humility and of Divine Light,Lead us forward in humility toward the radiant light of your risen Son. Help us to be all that Jesus is calling us to be.Mother of Perpetual Help,Pray for us!
