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By Father Lamartine Eliscar, ms
"Sit on my right and left."
A few weeks ago, I attended a Martin Luther King program in New York with my 12-year-old nephew and my 15-year-old niece during the black history month. After the program, on our way home, we were reflecting on the program and who Martin Luther King Junior was. My nephew asked me "Uncle why is not there a day dedicated to celebrating children as we celebrate MLK's day, mothers' day and Fathers'day?" My niece (15) answered her brother, saying "every day is children's day because we suck the life out of our parents".
"Oh, that's true," said my nephew. My nephew goes on to say that "I do not want children on my own because children are too demanding." I sarcastically said, "Yes you are." As the conversation continued, my niece and nephew seem to understand the level of sacrifices that they parents make for them on a daily basis, especially their Mom. They understand that the love of their Mom and all good moms and dads for her children is beyond our human comprehension. Good parents, especially great moms often forget about themselves to put the needs of their children first. There is nothing that a good mother won't do for her children to give them a better life. Making daily sacrifices has become routine for moms for the well-being of their children.
Indeed, the mother of the sons of Zebedee is one of these many mothers who forget about herself to ask Jesus to give a better place to her sons. The mother of the sons of Zebedee did not ask Jesus a place for her but simply made the request for her sons. I am sure the mother of the sons of Zebedee desired a place next to Jesus herself, but she did not want to be the center of attention.
How about you? How many times in our daily prayers do you take the focus away from our own personal needs to think and pray for someone else's needs? If you have not done that, it is not too late to follow the example of the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
There are many thoughts that came to mind in reflecting on today's Gospel. The sons of Zebedee like many sons and daughters in our time have drifted away from Jesus and need the intervention of their mothers to ask Jesus for a favor. Moreover, the request of the mother of the sons of Zebedee echoes the request of Mary at La Salette, on our behalf for the need of conversion. At La Salette Mary made the same request pleading for our conversion to be on the right and the left sides of Jesus. This season of Lent is a great opportunity for us to answer the call to conversion that Mary at La Salette pleaded to Jesus for us like the mother of the sons of Zebedee pleaded for her sons to Jesus.
Father Lamartine Eliscar, ms is a Missionary of Our Lady of La Salette and currently serves the American Province as it's vocation director. When not traveling he resides at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro, MA. If you know of a someone who might be interested in becoming a Missionary of La Salette contact him at https://www.lasalettevocations.org/contact
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