Mothers' Light

Pentecost Sunday
11 May 2008


First reading: Acts 2:1 - 11
When Pentecost day came round, they had all met in one room, when suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.

Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled, each one bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language. They were amazed and astonished. ‘Surely’ they said ‘all these men speaking are Galileans? How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya round Cyrene; as well as visitors from Rome – Jews and proselytes alike – Cretans and Arabs; we hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God.’

Second reading: 1 Corinthians 12:3 - 13
I want you to understand that on the one hand no one can be speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit and say, ‘Curse Jesus’, and on the other hand, no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose. Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink.

Gospel: John 20:19 - 23
In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.
‘As the Father sent me,
so am I sending you.’

After saying this he breathed on them and said:
‘Receive the Holy Spirit.
For those whose sins you forgive,
they are forgiven;
for those whose sins you retain,
they are retained.’

Reflection
By Pietro S. Albano

"Mother" has been a wonderful and popular word that anyone could have heard of. Used primarily to the women who have borne us in their wombs and have nurtured us from infancy onwards, it is also used to address other women because of the affinity we have with them or care they have showered us. Hence, we have grandmother, godmother, etc. There are institutions too that we look up to as mother. That is why we call our church as "Holy Mother", the school we graduated as "Alma Mater", and our coutry as "Inang Bayan".

Our biological mothers are aptly called "Ilaw ng tahanan" (Light of the home). I think this also applies to our other 'mothers' after all they have, in their unique ways, enlighted us.

Being a mother is such a challenging task. Even the Blessed Virgin Mary wasn't spared from such. That is why Jesus is sending the Holy Spirit to His followers, mothers included, to strengthen them so they could keep that light in them shining.

This Mothers' Day, which coincided with the great feast of Pentecost, let us ask the Holy Spirit to pour down His Light and Love on all mothers that they would remain faithful to their calling to be that light for others. Imagine if all homes, communities, and countries are living in the light no one would be lost!










We thank You, O Holy Spirit, for being our Advocate and Guide. Keep our hearts open. Bless all mothers in particular that, like the Blessed Mother, they would be able to contribute to the building up of Your kingdom here on earth. Amen.