'Do Whatever He Tells You'

By Bishop Paul S. Loverde
Bishop of Arlington
(From the issue of 1/22/04)

The following homily was given by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde during the Mass for the second Sunday in ordinary time celebrated at St. Joseph Church in Alexandria on Jan. 18.

Because she loves her children, a mother always desires to give them good advice on how to live life well. This is precisely what Our Blessed Mother is doing in our midst this morning. Her words of advice, proclaimed in today’s Gospel account, are also for us: "Do whatever he tells you." If we listen attentively and follow obediently her advice, we will live life well as disciples of her Son.

"Do whatever he tells you." What does Jesus tell us? He tells us that He has come to make all things new. Through Him, the words of Isaiah the Prophet are fulfilled: " … you shall be called by a new name pronounced by the mouth of the Lord." The water turned into wine by Jesus is the sign of the New Covenant, that is, of God’s Kingdom now fully initiated among us. The prophecies of the Old Testament are now fulfilled. God does dwell among His People in a new way through Jesus, His only-begotten Son. Now, a new relationship has begun between the Lord and each of us. Now a new intimacy is possible because God Himself invites us to draw closer. Again, the words of our first reading confirm His desire that we be intimately united with Him. "No more shall people call you ‘Forsaken’ or your land ‘Desolate,’ but you shall be ‘My Delight’ and your land ‘Espoused’ … and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so shall your God rejoice in you."

Our union with the Lord is deepened and strengthened as we meet Him in the Sacraments, especially in the Sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation. In these privileged encounters with Jesus, we are freed from our sins and drawn into deeper intimacy with our Lord and Saviour. Then, we are empowered to put into practice what Jesus tells us.

"Do whatever he tells you." What does Jesus tell us? He tells us that we should be one, the way He and His Father are one. Such was His prayer at the Last Supper: " … that all may be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you; I pray that they may be [one] in us, that the world may believe that you sent me" (Jn 17: 21). Today we begin the Week of Payer for Christian Unity. Sadly, there are divisions within the Body of Christ. Our Holy Father continuously calls us to pray and to work for greater unity among those who profess to call Christ their Lord and Saviour. Much yet remains to be done through dialogue under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Much can be done in areas where we can collaborate with other Christians in relieving the needs of the poor and needy. All this dialogue and collaboration will not be truly fruitful unless all we do is grounded in fervent prayer, asking the Lord to bring about that unity for what He Himself prayed on the night before He died. So, this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity recalls us to this essential responsibility.

"Do whatever he tells you." What does Jesus tell us? He tells us that we must love one another the way that He loves us. Such was His mandate at the Last Supper. "This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. … The command I give you is this, that you love one another" (Jn 15:12, 17). Racism, violence, injustice: these attitudes and actions are in direct opposition to Christ’s commandment of selfless unconditional love. This weekend, we recall Dr. Martin Luther King, who strove with all his being to eradicate racism, violence and injustice in this country, especially towards our African-American brothers and sisters. He did this from the perspective of faith in the Lord Jesus and obedience to His command to love all people. We cannot do less as we continue to root out racism, violence and injustice now and in the future.

"Do whatever he tells you." What does Jesus tell us? He tells us that life is our most precious gift: life here and life hereafter. "I come," He says, "that they might have life and have it to the full" (Jn 10:10). Life indeed is precious from its first moment at conception all the way through to its last moment at natural death. Attacks on life are so frequent and prevalent in our contemporary society from abortion to euthanasia. Abortion is particularly sinful and immoral because it causes the death of an innocent defenseless human being. If life cannot be defended and protected at its beginning, then there is no life to be later nurtured and developed. This week, on Thursday, Jan. 22nd, when we recall the infamous decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, Roe v. Wade, we shall gather in Washington for the March for Life, publicly witnessing to our conviction that all life is sacred, beginning at its first moment at conception.

"Do whatever he tells you." What does Jesus tell us? He tells us that we must share our gifts and talents with one another, especially with the poor and needy. Today’s second reading confirms this, "To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit." Continuing on, St. Paul reminds us that there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, different kinds of service, different workings. These gifts do not have to be miraculous or sensational or extraordinary. But, whatever we have been given, no matter who we are, ordinary or famous, saint or sinner, the same Holy Spirit has given to each of us gifts and talents to be used for the good of others — within the family, among our co-workers and neighbors, and in this parish. In this way, we build up both the human family and advance God’s Kingdom on earth, a Kingdom of truth and life, of justice and peace, of reconciliation and love.

"Do whatever he tells you." This is such timely advice for us from the Mother of Jesus whom we proclaim as Lord and Saviour. She is also our Mother and all she desires is that we follow Her Son closely — all the way to heaven, to that glory which Jesus began to reveal in the first of His signs at Cana in Galilee.

Let us make the following prayer our own. "Lord God of peace, source of all consolation, grant us the gift of your Holy Spirit. In a world that seeks security through violence and war, make us messengers of your peace. As members of your Church, the body of Christ, forgive us the sin of our divisions and give us the courage to seek that unity which is your gift and your will and in which lies our peace" (The Word Among Us, January, 2004, p. 37).

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