Homily for 4 June 2016 Heart of Mary

4 June 2016

Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Yesterday, we celebrated the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus—the divine Heart that is poured out in mercy and love for all creation.  We celebrated God’s open invitation to “come, be with him.”  Today, however, we celebrate another heart—the human heart of Mary, who answered God’s invitation with a resounding “Yes.”

While our Blessed Mother loves us, her Immaculate Heart is given entirely to God.  We see that from the moment of the Annunciation, and through her life with Jesus, there at the foot of the Cross, and at Pentecost.  Wherever God was, there she was, and still is—like that other Mary, the sister of Martha, who was found sitting at the feet of Jesus, just being open to whatever he had to say.

Of course, we want to be a part of that.  We want our heart to be just as open to, and in love with, God as is Mary’s Immaculate Heart.  We want what our Blessed Mother already enjoys—perfect communion with the Holy Trinity.  And we have some strong hints today in Scripture about one way we can grow in our communion with God.

Saint Timothy says: “The time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but . . . will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth.”  And this is direct contrast to that image of Mary there at the Temple: Jesus was found among the teachers, and his mother “kept all these things in her heart.”

As much as Mary was the Mother of Jesus—and he did obey her and learn from her—she came to know that Jesus was also the Teacher of teachers.  And so, she obeyed him and learned from him.  Like Martha’s sister, Mary, the heart of our Blessed Mother couldn’t help but find a spot at the feet of her Son, listening and learning.  There, in humble wonder, she deepened her communion with God.

And that’s something we can do as well—we can sit more at the feet of Jesus.  We can listen to him more often.  We always have something more to learn from him.  And there, at the feet of our Shepherd and Teacher, in adoration and wonder, our own hearts will open up, like Mary’s, to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.