"God's Love Doesn't Stop with You"

Today is a lucky and joyous day! Some of you might be asking yourselves “Why?”. Growing up in a Mexican household living in the US means that you have the privilege of celebrating your mom twice for Mother’s Day – on May 10th for Mexican Mother’s day, and then on the second Sunday of May. Today is the second Sunday of May and May 10th, therefore, I want to start off by wishing all mothers, grandmothers, caregivers, and maternal figures in our lives a Happy and Loving Mother’s Day! ¡Feliz dia de las Madres a nuestras mamás, abuelas, tías, y figuras maternas en nuestras vidas!  

I am blessed to have mi mama, mi abuela, my spiritual mothers who model love so beautifully. Others may experience that love in different ways. Through caregivers, mentors, friends, all those who are maternal figures to us. Whoever those people are, they help pass on something sacred, the knowledge that we are loved and that we are called to love. And through our actions, that love continues to move forward, touching lives we may never even realize. Let us remember all those maternal figures in our life, who love us by remembering their presence, the way they make your favorite comida (food), the way they ask you questions after you specifically tell them not to, the times they forgave you, all the times they loved us. No matter how small or insignificant it may have seemed, they chose to not only feel love, but to share that love, show it, celebrate it with joy, and pass it on.  

Mothers, and the maternal figures in our lives, are often our first teachers of love. They are our first exposure to this beautiful and scary world. They give a unique motherly love that is steady, patient, and active. It is the kind of love that shows up when you are crying because you scratched your knee when you were five. The love that continues through those rebellious teenager years where your mom can become your biggest enemy yet still make sure you are safe, fed, and loved. It is a love that shows up en lo cotidiano, in the every day. It is a love that extends even on your worst days, when you break down crying because you had your first heartbreak, and your mom comforts you and reminds you that you are so loved. A love so strong that it sustains a mother—like Mary—as she watched her son be unjustly sentenced, mocked, and crucified. And that’s exactly the kind of love we hear about in today’s readings and Gospel. One that is not just spoken of, but witnessed, lived, celebrated, and passed on.  

As we move through the readings we see the ripple effect of love, the Holy Spirit moves through and within us, and we are given the blueprint to not only be on the receiving end, but being capable to be on the giving end too. God’s love begins as a gift that transforms lives. People are healed, restored, and filled with joy. In response, we are called to proclaim what God has done, inviting others to “come and see.” We are asked to be chismosas and chismosos about the love we have encountered and felt. We live this love by our actions: it's a choice, it's a way of life, it's a journey. Jesus makes it clear that love is proven through what we do, not just what we say. Jesus was not just saying and preaching but also walking, healing, and accompanying those on the margins. To not only feel love but to love. It asks us to be witnesses, models, and advocates for love in the hopes of continuing Jesus’ ministry and mission. To have a love that fights for justice. A love that shows up when the world is falling apart. A love that is gentle and compassionate. A love that is not only felt but shown. A love that allows open dialogue. A love that becomes part of your cotidiano. A love that challenges us, meets us with grace, sits with us in the uncomfortableness, accompanies us in the rock bottoms or in the highest points of your life and whatever else comes in between. Whether that be in the small quiet moments, or in the big loud moments, or in what I like to call "Godwink" moments where you are unexpectedly reminded of the love around you therefore are inspired to share that love.  

Live in such a way that no one who meets you doubts they are loved. In a world that is beautiful and scary, let us ask ourselves a question: how am I passing that love on? Because the love we’ve received was never meant to stop with us.