“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”
It’s the month before christmas and the birthday of my Mother (earthly)
“When God could not be everywhere, so He made mothers” is an apt statement to describe my own mother!
A hands-on mother who didn’t spare the rod to make us into wonderful children after all these years!
As a child and till date, I always am in awe of her! How she managed to teach and train me about the faith and also to be a street-smart woman in a world trying to push me down. I have never once felt the need to question her beliefs because I know she comes with so much faith it can move mountains and cure disease. I did think that as I prayed with her for some distressed souls, and they did very well.
A woman with a simple upbringing rooted in the Catholic faith (my grandmother would say the rosary and bless us all grandkids every night– im sure she still does it from heaven) with a family so full of love and affection it passed down into my cousins and us. Having priests in the family and receiving the bishop at my grandmother’s house seemed like a routine! A stellar athlete and dancer with the voice of an angel—she always encouraged me to never skip any event and is busy pursuing her passion in singing and music with her choir.
My mother is educated with a degree in chemistry but ended up in a job at the bank, where she worked tirelessly, and even to date I have her local customers speak fondly of how she was the cheerful presence there. Her uncanny ability to make friends with any human or animal of any age makes her a delight to have around. Many of my close friends turned up at our door for their wedding nuptial preparation for guidance and often visit her even if I am not available!
In 2018, while traveling through her dream spot of the Holy Land, she suffered a brain bleed and had to undergo surgery on her brain in Palestine. While she made friends with everyone around her and recoveredin record time to get back home, she made sure to keep in touch with her surgeon and prays for him every day!
Yes, like every Indian mother, she can be overbearing and bossy often, but she is also the best person for advice in my life—rational and always supportive! I have sobbed to her when I lost patients or when I lost marks during exams—she shares her stories with me via calls every Sunday, updating me about every neighbor, family member, and stray cat so I never feel I’m away from home!
The kingdom of God is among me with her and my father! They embody to me what faith can do to a relationship and family! From being absolutely diligent about the rosary at 8 pm sharp to ensuring they don’t ever skip any church activity to help with the community and spread the cheer!!
Find your kingdom in your heart, house, and neighborhood, and keep it in your life to remind you of where you belong and what matters the most!!!
I wish my mama a very happy 70 years and pray for good health and happiness always!!! Do keep her in your prayers!
AMEN
