The way, the truth and the life

A mother was concerned about her kindergarten-age son, Tim, walking to school. He was not happy that she walked to and from school with him. He continued to complain, and she wanted to give him independence and yet know he was safe. She asked a neighbor to please follow him and yet to stay back a safe distance so he would not notice her, and the neighbor agreed. The neighbor and her daughter Marcy followed Tim at a distance all week. The following week, a friend Tom, who was walking with Tim, said, “Have you noticed that a lady and little girl are always following us? Do you know her?”

Tim replied, “Yeah, that is Shirley Goodness and her daughter Marcy!”

Tom asked Tim, “Who the heck Is Shirley Goodness and Marcy?”

Tim replied, “Every night, my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm as my night prayer and in the Psalm you say, ‘Shirley goodness and Marcy will follow me all the days of my life,’ so I guess I’ll just have to get used to it.”

Today, we honor our mothers, grandmothers, aunts and the many women who have cared for us. As St. Peter states in the second reading, these women have been the cornerstones in our lives and are Shirley Goodness and the Mercy that follow us. Most of us even got our faith and our spiritual examples and prayers from these women as they, by word and example taught us that Jesus was the way to His Father. We may need to add a few words to Psalm 33 this Mother’s Day, “Lord, let your mercy be on us and our mothers as we all place our trust in you.”

Jesus said to the apostles, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” He said this in response to Thomas’ fear that they would not know how to follow Him to the Father. So, Jesus tells them that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

This was the best answer to their question. Salvation is open to all, whether you know Jesus well or even at all. But, for us as Christians and followers of the Apostles, we are blessed to have this way to follow! We are challenged to fulfill the first reading and put what we believe in Jesus into action. We are the modern-day deacons and disciples by word and deed of what it means to follow Jesus.

Our good works of reaching out to feed the hungry, to lead by our care and good example and to be good shepherds in the example of Jesus is the way. Just as we have tried to follow the best example for one another in the coronavirus time, so we need to keep that spirit alive into the future. We are still in uncertain times and we must be careful, for the sake of others, not just for the pleasures we want. Separation and mask-wearing may not be our style, but may be the way, the truth and the light necessary for all to live well together.

We need to be the best for one another as Mary, the Mother of God, was for Her Son Jesus as He learned from her. So, with our Christ-like hearts, faith, hope, love and action, we will lead and give confidence to others to follow Jesus: The Way, The Truth And The Life!