“Those who love me will keep my word,
And my Father will love them”

Dear Friends:

A complete circle of love is found in today’s gospel reading. God loved the Son, Jesus. The Son loves his followers, and the followers show their love for God through their love for one another. It is clear in this reading that while we are part of this circle, we are only part of it because God chose us to be. Our response to God’s choice for us is simply to show our love for God through the love we show to other human beings.

The lives of parents are very full and busy. It’s like juggling apples and catching each falling one to prevent it from splatting to the floor while tossing the others high in the air. But sometimes we need to think beyond the immediate demands of jobs, family and home. When we widen the circle of those who we include in our love, our children see first hand how we live this gospel message.

When we reach out to others, especially those who are difficult to love, they learn by our example what Jesus asks us to do in showing our love to one another just as he shows his love to us.

Jesus asks us to love one another as he has loved us. It’s easy to love those who love us, but what about the hard part of this command? How do we show love to the person that does not show us love? Think about who those people are in your lives.

Today we honour our Mothers !
When God created Mothers, he created the most loving, unselfish human being. Mothers of every species, every nationality world-wide, all seem to be blessed with the same nurturing instincts. Just look at the term, “mother bear”; what mother does not naturally protect her young? There is no greater love stronger than a parent’s love for their children.

So let us give thanks to Our Lord Jesus for giving us the love of His Mother, our own mothers here on earth, and if we are mothers, the blessing of the children we have nurtured. I wish you all a joyful and blessed Mother’s Day.

(From a parishioner, a mother)

“On this day O beautiful Mother,
On this day we give you our love”