|
Homily to
CACE Members My dear Brothers and Sisters: Chief Administrators of Catholic Education (CACE), I am pleased and honored to welcome you to the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. I would be happy to welcome you to Oklahoma anytime but I am especially pleased that you are here this year on the historic occasion of the one hundredth anniversary of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA). I hope and pray that you will find this time to be pleasant and profitable and spiritually renewing. ***** How fitting and appropriate that today’s Gospel identifies Jesus as Teacher and He is “put to the test.” His clear, direct and complete answer is the most accurate response that could ever be made. God is love and we are His people! ***** Some weeks ago, I was visiting Saint John School in Yukon, Oklahoma. The pastor and the principal were excited about the most recent addition to their program. They had just opened a Pre-K3!! Three-year-olds just seem too small to be in school, but there they were. They were filled with energy and enthusiasm. They sang and danced and performed quite well. When I blessed them and was preparing to leave, a little girl ran up to me and thrust this card into my hand. “What is this?” I asked and she quickly responded: “It’s for you!” I thanked the children as I held the card before them and examined the attractive front and back covers which the teacher had made. With that, the kids surrounded me and noisily insisted that I open it. Then I noticed that there were several thin pages between the covers and each page had a small photo of a child alongside some crayon scribbling. The name of the child was neatly printed – by the teacher. They all wanted to show me their own picture – so I called each name and every child in turn jumped up and down shouting “That’s me! That’s me!” When I had gone through all the names and pictures, I held up the card before them, thanked them again and said I was so grateful and I would take their card home with me. Immediately a little girl shouted: “And show it to your mother!” Simple – childish – but it said so very much. This child loved her mother. She trusted her mother. Out of the mouth of an innocent little child, I heard an expression of solidarity. I sensed the security she felt in the presence of her mother. The bond of a child and mother should never be broken. ***** Another innocent person said something similar but more profoundly and solemnly as He hung on the Cross. He looked at His Mother and at Saint John, His Apostle, standing at the foot of the Cross. Jesus said to His Mother: “Woman, this is your son.” And to the disciple, He said: “This is your mother.” And from that hour, the disciple took her into his home. Jesus’ magnanimous gift of His Mother as our mother unites us all in a very special way – enabling us to live as God’s family. We could sum up Mary’s role: She brought Jesus to us and now she brings us to Jesus. The theme of your conference this year is Nurturing The Call. The invitation, the call, the Vocation of Leadership that has been extended to you is a profound, divine offer. God wants you to grow in His love. He wants you to share His love with others. This is your Vocation of Leadership in the Church. For you to be a true and effective follower of Jesus and a leader in the Church, your vocation must be continually nurtured. The call must develop and grow. Your role cannot be self-centered. Nor can it be only academic or professional. The vocation must be nurtured like a branch on the vine, otherwise it will wither and die. This week, during your conference, you will explore many good ways to nurture the call. Therefore it is extremely important to remember the integral part that our Blessed Mother has in our lives and vocation. She, as our mother, can help us rightly discern God’s call. In fact, Mary occupies in Christianity a place which is unique, transcendent and essential. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is not simply a development of personal or cultural piety. It is a divinely established condition for the family of God: “Behold your mother.” Moreover, the Blessed Virgin Mary is the best example of someone who observed the great commandment of love completely. Mary loved God with her whol heart and she loves all her neighbors. They are her children. A person’s loving devotion is not adequately Christian unless it includes within its object the mother of the Incarnate Word. Devotion towards the Virgin Mary is not only important but necessary if we wish to draw abundantly from the source of life. To separate Christ from His mother in our devotion is to divide Christ. To do so would be to fail to appreciate the sacred humanity of Christ, His humanness, in the bestowal of supernatural grace. When one forsakes the Mother, one no longer understands the Son. The Sacred Scriptures clearly and in many places attest to the need for Marian love. The early Church practiced Marian devotions rooted in the Scriptures. The great theologian, Origen, taught that profession of the Christian faith required devotion to the Mother of Jesus. The Council of Ephesus proclaimed Mary, the Mother of God. Saint Augustine said devotion to Mary was essential in our spiritual journey. The continuous sequence of theological schools, papal teachings and the documents of the Second Vatican Council all combine to present us with the authentic teachings of our Catholic faith in this area. They concur that we, as human beings redeemed by Jesus and called to serve in the Church, need the maternal love of Our Lady. Indeed, it is she who can best help us to nurture our vocation of leadership. Therefore, I commend you to the loving care of Mary the Mother of Jesus and our mother, too. ***** Again, I thank you for responding to God’s call. I thank you for your ministry of service to God’s people. Above all, I thank Almighty God for all His gifts, graces and blessings of life and I ask the Good Lord to lead us safely to life everlasting in heaven. Most Reverend
Eusebius J. Beltran |