Extraordinary Promises

As Jesus was preparing his disciples at the Last Supper for his imminent suffering and death, as well as for the days beyond, he made two extraordinary promises that, unfortunately, we often forget: "Amen amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it." (Jn 14: 12-14). Dare we be so bold as to presume that we will perform greater works than Jesus, or dare we ask "anything" of Jesus? This is where our faith seem threadbare. No we really don't believe these promises, do we? Yet if King Herod could keep his promise to Salome, for "anything she wanted," is not Jesus a more reliable keeper of promises? We need Mary's example to spur us on to a deeper faith. Her act of faith at the Annunciation and her living out of that faith as the mother of that growing child, that suffering servant, that resurrected Christ, almost shames us into believing. Let our prayer be: Mary, as you believed, help me to believe that truly, nothing is impossible with God.
Bro. Rene