Whatever He tells me

There’s no better way to start the new year off than to be with family. The death of my mother’s youngest sister last March triggered off this reunion which saw her sister and her family from Vancouver, and her brother and his family from Melbourne all converge in Singapore. I got to meet for the very first time one of my cousins, along with everybody else, and, of course, it was good fun to spend time with the children of my cousins, three of whom were my flower girls two years ago. 

Mummy and her siblings are all in their 80s so meeting up like this is significant. Of course we ended up eating too much over the several meals we had together, but celebrations of any sort usually involve food.

We celebrate today the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God and it was a special thanksgiving mass P and I attended this morning at the Church of Saint Teresa for Father Michael Arro, the former parish priest, who is retiring and moving away from the parish after 17 1/2 years of serving in this parish (the last four years as priest in residence). He is one of the key reasons I began serving in that parish, first as a lector and heading the ministry for several terms, then for two terms in the Parish Pastoral Council as an office holder. How does one say no to one’s Spiritual Director who unfailingly remembers to schedule regular monthly meetings in order to help direct one’s spiritual journey? 

Through Father Arro I have experienced the mercy and love of God, and been inspired to seek Jesus more and more in my life these past years. Plus his Gallic sensibilities have taught me to appreciate and nurture my feminine genius more fully. 

Father Arro spoke of Cana, and to follow what Our Mother instructed the servers: Do whatever He tells you. We should all remember we can recreate the abundance of Cana when we do whatever He tells us. With recourse to His Mother, we can be sure she will intercede on our behalf, sometimes without our saying a word but relying solely on the refined sense of a woman who knows what is needed and will present the need to a Son who cannot refuse His beloved mother’s compassionate request.

I thank Father God today for the yes of Father Arro and all his MEP confreres who came before him and brought the faith to Asia. Without their wholehearted response to do whatever He told them to do, I would not be acquainted with Jesus as I am, and would therefore be living a life devoid of spiritual richness.

I  also give thanks for such a wonderful way to start off the new year by being with family, experiencing the pleasure that must have been found in Cana of celebrating life, laughing and eating with people I love, and renewing relationships. 

May my yes be as faith-filled and steadfast as Mary’s was in 2019 for great things He has done for me these last days and years.