When I was a young child, I had a tendency to wander off. I was never one to stay in one spot for very long.
Case in point: one Saturday, my family was at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie and I just happened to drift away from my parents as I searched for some toy or something more exciting than clothes. In a matter of moments, they were gone. Despite my efforts to find them, they were nowhere in sight. I suddenly felt isolated and very afraid. I worried that my parents wouldn’t find me, and they would just leave me like an orphan to fend for myself. I began to cry. Then, some kind motherly woman noticed me in my pain, and came to my aid. She sensed that I was lost and scared and gently whispered, “Everything is going to be just fine.” She took me to the security office so that they could make an announcement of a “lost child” over the mall speakers. There was a glimmer of hope that I might be reunited with my parents. She stayed with me until my parents arrived. And when they appeared, there was an instant feeling of joy as my mother hugged me tightly and said, “Thank God you’re ok.” She sincerely thanked the woman who found me, and once again, all was right with the world.
Looking back, this truly was a resurrection moment for me as I moved from hopelessness to joy. This all happened because of the presence of the Holy Spirit working through a loving woman’s actions. I no longer felt like an orphan, but like someone who was loved.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that he will not leave us as orphans. An orphan is defined as someone who has to rely upon themselves for their food, clothing, shelter, and basically everything. And we’ve all seen those images on TV and online of what is known today as contemporary orphans: Ukrainian children who have lost their parents and become orphans of war, those orphaned from their families by natural disasters, or even children who have been separated due to divisions within the family. Even the disciples experienced abandonment and great sorrow as Jesus left them in bodily form. But Jesus promises hope to his disciples, and us, by sending what he calls “another Advocate” to care for us and abide with us always. That Advocate is the Holy Spirit, a companion who will stick with us through thick and thin. And that ongoing presence means that we will never be left alone or orphaned, especially during our trials and struggles.
In the first reading, the Samaritans were paying close attention to what was being said and what was being done by the apostle Philip – and this brought them immense joy. We need to ask ourselves: are we paying attention to the resurrection moments that are happening in our lives? Have we noticed the rebirth of trees and flowers around us? Have we witnessed people making a difference in our communities? Have we shown our love for Jesus by our selfless actions towards our sisters and brothers? All these things are resurrection moments, and as we encounter all these incredible things, it should not only invoke praise and thanksgiving to our heavenly Father, but it should also inspire a sense of hope in all of us.
St. Peter challenges us in the second reading when he says, “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.” That’s really tough to do. Let’s be honest, with all that is going on in our communities and in our world – war, violence, anger, prejudice, hatred, mistrust, and on and on – it’s really easy to lose hope or even give up all together. But then we hear the message in today’s readings, and we are reminded that in Christ and only in Christ rests all our hope.
This is one of the reasons why I love hugs! Hear me out. Because when someone hugs me, I imagine that I’m being hugged by Jesus – and that is the best feeling ever. Because when we are embraced by the Lord, there is this feeling of hope that swells from within us, making us feel loved, wanted, needed, and not alone – and we just know that no matter what is going on in our lives, everything is going to be just fine.
That’s why the Spirit of love will always abide with us. Jesus says, “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
So maybe the question we need to be asking is do we keep and observe the commandments of Jesus? Perhaps the answer might be, “Well, kind of – sort of.” Or “I really need to try a little harder.” Or “I’m not very consistent.” But Jesus is saying, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” In other words, Jesus is telling us that there is a relationship between our love and trust in Jesus and keeping his commandments. It’s all about loving and obeying Christ, especially when we don’t understand what God is up to, or why God’s doing what he’s doing, or why God is not showing himself to us. But when we love and obey, it leads us to an understanding or certainty that in one way or another, through faith, we believe that God is with us and we’re not left to fend for ourselves.
There’s an old saying that says, “God never promised a smooth journey, but a safe landing.” We are never left alone because Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey. So we need to be alert, look around, and pay attention – because God might be in plain sight. Once we realize that God is there, and convince ourselves of it, we hunger to find God there. It is then when we realize that we are not lost or alone. And when we truly believe this, there is a sense of comfort, a feeling of peace, a glimmer of light in the darkness, and a true sense of hope that will eventually lead us to happiness and joy.
My sisters and brothers, God loves you. God really loves you. God will never leave you orphaned, alone, or even lost in a mall. Jesus has given us an Advocate to guide us, protect us, and be with us as we go through this crazy thing called life. Will the journey be bumpy, include some suffering, and even be a little scary? Absolutely. But remember that the Holy Spirit is always with us and in us.
So don’t worry. Everything is going to be just fine.
On this Mother’s Day, we cry out “Mother, Help Me!”
