"DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU", JULY 23, 2025

"Do whatever he tells you."

""When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."" (Lk. 2: 3-5)

Today we celebrate the birthday of my eldest son, Sean, who turned 54. Many friends and family members know Sean's dramatic, powerful, and miraculous story but I feel inclined to retell it today to give glory to God the Father and Jesus, and to honor the Virgin Mary. It's powerful story because it was a life changing event for Theresa and I, the entire Morales and Ramirez families, and several friends.

Sean was a 4 year old child when doctors found he had a rare and highly aggressive cancer called Burkitt Lymphoma. His chances of surviving it was 40%, however during the 3 years of radiation and chemotherapy, the doctors told us, twice, there was nothing more they could do medically to treat him; he was dying. [Today, 50 years later, the cure rate overall is 90%]

The news was a bombshell for Theresa and I - we were in our twenties when we were given the prognosis for Sean and we had other younger children to care for at the time. Thanks to a small circle of friends and family members, especially Minerva Gonzales, Theresa's Aunt (God rest her soul), our faith was propped up by them to trust in the healing power of Jesus. A supernatural faith in Jesus was essential; at that time being told you had cancer was like being given a death sentence. Concurrent with this stirring up of our faith in Jesus, Theresa and I, separately, received an inner revelation that Sean would be healed, but, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary. And so, for the next three years, with much faith-filled prayer to Jesus, we also faithfully prayed the Rosary pleading for her intercession, even when at times, medically speaking, there was no hope for Sean's recovery. During that period, every aspect of our being: spiritual, physical, and psychological stamina, and our finances, were a wild hair-raising emotional roller coaster ride. We wanted instant healing for Sean, as we read in the Gospels, but God took us through the slow and long route so that it could sink in and go down deep; and it did, praise His Holy Name.

It's true that God is all knowing; but it was the Virgin Mary who called it to Our Lord's attention that the bride and groom's vine had failed! Jesus, in a seemly agitated toned, gave her a prophetic response, "O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come."- [recalling God's promise for man's redemption from the great fall through a 'woman' (Genesis 3:15) - and what a woman she was, Our Lord's own Mother; she who believed what God had spoken to her would be accomplished (Lk. 1:45), by her unwavering faith, moved our Lord to work His first miracle at the wedding in Cana. And so, Our Lord Jesus continues today to work miracles, and some no doubt through the intercession of His Mother. God is so good to allow Himself to be moved by her unfailing love and faith in Him but her words to the servants exhort us today, as always, "Do whatever he tells you!"

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