April 11, 2009: Easter Vigil (B)
(Picture: Michael Phelps hugging his mom after winning his gold medal)
Around this time of the year, I like to watch Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of Christ." When it first came out, I went to the theater at least 8 times. Somedays, I watched it twice, back to back. I kept going back because there was an incredible mystery that was captured in that movie--a mystery between a son and his mother. In one scene, Jesus was placed in a dungeon at the high priest's place after being arrested at the Garden of Gethsemane. His mother somehow intuitively sensed where his son was placed below and bent down to the floor to comfort her son. She knew intuitively that her son needed company because all of his disciples have abandoned him. She was present when her son was jeered and laughed at Pilate's praetorium. She was also present as her son received a heavy cross to carry to Calvary. The most touching scene for me was when he fell with the cross for the second time. 
She was several steps away from him but she hesitated to approach for it was too painful for her. Then she recalled an old memory where she comforted him when he fell as a child. With that to give her courage, she dashed to her son. Jesus, who was exhausted, could not get up. But with his mother now at his side, he grabbed hold of the cross again as he declared to her, "Mother, behold I make all things new." This scene really captures the mystery between Our Blessed Lord and Our Blessed Mother. To make something new requires someone who believes that new beginnings are possible.
If you've watched Beijing Olympics last year, there was one athlete that most Americans eagerly followed: Michael Phelps. The media was also watching one other person, his mom, Debbie. After he clinched a record breaking eight gold medals in swimming, the cameras were all over Michael and his mom. The media dubbed her as "The World's Most Famous Mom." It's not because she won the medals herself but because her son credited his accomplishment to her. Michael had a difficult start when he was a kid. He showed symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder. Debbie said she will never forget what one teacher told her when Michael was in elementary school. “This woman says to me, ‘Your son will never be able to focus on anything.’ ”
His grades were B’s and C’s and a few D’s. Debbie also heard that her son was not gifted. She replied, "What are you going to do to help him?" So from the beginning, Debbie believed in him and stood by him. And you can believe that she also stood by him as a faithful mother when he recently fell from his tall horse doing something really stupid. Now she may no longer be the "World's Most Famous Mom," but she is still a mom who will ask anyone, "What are you going to do to help him?"
His grades were B’s and C’s and a few D’s. Debbie also heard that her son was not gifted. She replied, "What are you going to do to help him?" So from the beginning, Debbie believed in him and stood by him. And you can believe that she also stood by him as a faithful mother when he recently fell from his tall horse doing something really stupid. Now she may no longer be the "World's Most Famous Mom," but she is still a mom who will ask anyone, "What are you going to do to help him?"
Around this time of the year, I like to watch Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of Christ." When it first came out, I went to the theater at least 8 times. Somedays, I watched it twice, back to back. I kept going back because there was an incredible mystery that was captured in that movie--a mystery between a son and his mother. In one scene, Jesus was placed in a dungeon at the high priest's place after being arrested at the Garden of Gethsemane. His mother somehow intuitively sensed where his son was placed below and bent down to the floor to comfort her son. She knew intuitively that her son needed company because all of his disciples have abandoned him. She was present when her son was jeered and laughed at Pilate's praetorium. She was also present as her son received a heavy cross to carry to Calvary. The most touching scene for me was when he fell with the cross for the second time. 
She was several steps away from him but she hesitated to approach for it was too painful for her. Then she recalled an old memory where she comforted him when he fell as a child. With that to give her courage, she dashed to her son. Jesus, who was exhausted, could not get up. But with his mother now at his side, he grabbed hold of the cross again as he declared to her, "Mother, behold I make all things new." This scene really captures the mystery between Our Blessed Lord and Our Blessed Mother. To make something new requires someone who believes that new beginnings are possible. A priest who was the chaplain of the Korean Catholic Church in Metairie told me that during Katrina one of his parishioner refused to evacuate. Her son was incarcerated in one of the local prisons, and she would rather die with him rather than depart to save her own life. Here was a mother who truly believed that new beginning for her son was possible!
Easter is about new beginnings, and this mystery between Our Blessed Lord and Our Blessed Mother extends to all of us. Our Lord, as our Redeemer and Savior brings forth new life in us by his sacrifice. And Our Blessed Mother stands by us, encourages us, and believes in us so that we may bring to fruition the eternal life that is planted in us. In order to truly understand what happened in Easter, we need to gaze at that famous statue of Pieta, in which Blessed Mother holds in her hand the limp body of Our Lord. As she waits in silence for her Son to resurrect, she likewise holds our bodies in her hand for our resurrection. Hence, the world's most famous man is not without the world's most famous mother. 
