"Dear children, also today I desire to call you to joy. Anew I call you to joy! I call you at the same time to responsibility. Dear children, accept my messages responsibly and live my messages, because in the living of my messages I desire to lead you to my Son. All of these years that I have been together with you my finger has been directed toward the Son, towards Jesus. I have a desire to lead all of you to Him. Therefore these days that are upcoming, may your question also be - and I pose this question to you - 'What can I do that my heart may be closer to Jesus?' May this question lead you. Say to yourselves, 'What must I leave behind? What must I reject that my heart may be closer to Jesus? Pray dear children, and I will pray for all of you that your answer in your hearts may be 'Yes, I desire to be closer to Jesus!' Thank you, dear children, for also today having responded to my call."
Padraig, Isn't she an amazing Mother? She wants us all to be with her in heaven with her Son!!! What interested me most about this message is that she seems to be telling us to grow up spiritually. We need to "accept her messages responsibly." That is something a mother or father would say to an older child. You must behave responsibly. I love that about our dearest Mother. She scolds us when she needs to do so. She challenges us when we need the challenge. She loves each and everyone of us with a motherly love. What an example for us!!! What a loving mother!!! Praise God for giving us the best of all spiritual advisers.
This, I will have to meditate upon this week. Good habits forge virtue. But some of my other habits blind me to patterns of sin. Be merciful, O Lord, and give me eyes to see! Ps 19:12 But who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults.
rosebud1, I believe that Mary speaks of our attachments to earthly things, whether relationships, desires, or possessions. Whatever impedes our relationship with God, even if it is good, must be put in its proper place and role. Only God first! Chapter 14 in Luke's Gospel makes this point forcefully! 26 "If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 33 So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Just a quick note: Jesus' use of hate in v.27 () is a form of hyperbole used to indicate that our relationship with Him is of prime importance. Jesus is not requiring us to actually hate any other human being. Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
Tonight I asked our good Lord that question. What would you have me leave behind. I was given a scene of my husband and I that is very personal yet all those who are married will know what I am talking about. The readings today were about the Holy Family. I struggled MANY years trying to get my husband to take the reigns of being the spiritual head of our home. My conversion came before his so there was quite a struggle with my new found piety. He finally converted to Catholicism but I have always been the one to read more, be more vocal, be more involved, lay down the law to the kids and 'make things happen' to help our family live the faith instead of a lukewarm domestic Church. I saw my myself kneeling at my husband's feet asking his forgiveness and learning how to be the 'gentle and kind' wife he desires instead of the 'bold and fearless' woman I am. All year our Lord in Adoration has been asking me to be 'kind and gentle' and it literally was getting on my LAST NERVE! LOL Even with Jesus! Some people just need to be taken by the ear and led don't you think??....gulp. As a mother of 7 children this is something that I have to learn. I sincerely have to say that Gail has taught me so much since I met her that I thank God for her every single day for God putting her into my life. I often say, "Help me be kind, gentle and verbally prolific and sincere like Gail , Lord!" My joke goes like this....my husband says, "You don't have a submissive bone in your body..." I say, "Just the fact that you are still alive shows how submissive I've been!" So, if kneeling at my sweet husband's feet is what I need to do, so be it. The homily was so wonderful tonight that I will do it with joy and tears and love. God desires for me to forgive and be humble and kind and gentle. PLEASE! Pray for me!!
It is a hard question you know, to ask what I must leave behind. It reminds me of the young rich man in the Gospel who Jesus asked to give up all he owned and the poor guy couldn't do it. I just ask MAry to lead me, to do my best. To give me courage not to turn away. But if there are no challenges there is no growth. Give me courage to ask this question. I am so small, you so great.
I think this is what I will discuss with Jesus tonight at adoration. Padraig, you're right to ask our Dearest Mother to lead you. Her job is to lead all of her children to Jesus. When I think of this, I think of her as a young mother in both Egypt and Nazareth. Isn't it amazing how Jesus faced persecution even as a baby and had to take refuge in a pagan land? Here they were in Egypt without family or friends, and the Holy Family lived a life to bring Jesus to the people. I can see Mary taking Jesus with her to fetch water. I can see Joseph taking the Baby with him as he would visit their newly developed friends. I'm sure everyone thought that Jesus was adorable, and they loved Him. Perhaps, in these encounters, souls were saved in the pagan land. It seems that Jesus was challenged from the moment of conception. So much could have happened when Mary was found with child. She trusted God completely. Trust will be my word for 2013. For the last two years, I've used the word Hope. Now, it is trust.
You are so kind with your words. Thank you. Inside I think "who is she talking about? certainly not me". I've left behind so much , certainly not by choice but the good Lord knew he had to get the ball rolling when he asked my husband home.But it's been about letting go of "what I want" and listening to what He wants. In a situation recently I saw that I had a very good idea, that I had heard correctly, but I put my desires in 1st position which wasn't at all in the original plans. I was shown that I was standing in Our Lady's way and she asked me politely to let go. How could I ever refuse? What was implied was " trust me". Well a whole different world opened up with that choice. I can be very stubborn and can be riddled with fear but the extreme beauty that surfaces when I trust is beyond comparison. I heard a story from a National Geographic photographer about his way of working and it applies to how God works... At least in my life. He talked about getting set up for a shot and starting to shoot and getting good shots. But then he said he waited "just a moment" and a better shot presented itself. Then waiting just a bit longer another great shot appeared. Then waiting just a tiny bit longer ( read trust here) " The Picture " appeared. That's how God works with me. If I just wait a tiny bit, the Holy Spirit will start to move and bring about the extraordinary. So what I need to leave behind is my impatience, my assuming I know how things work and opening to the Divine will. It's fear that keeps me impatient... When I rest in the Holy Spirit it all works far better than I ever dreamed.
Some of my friends would insist that I am responsible. Yet, it is the hidden responsibility to which Jesus calls me, concealed from all but Himself, done out of love for Him. Done promptly! And this is to be done not occasionally, but daily. What! No kudos? Now there's the rub! To complete a responsibility secretly and not even share it with my beloved mavornen, Geralyn? Yes, only for Jesus or Mary. Like the Little Way of my namesake, Therese! Her birthday is tomorrow, January 2. Happy Birthday, Little Flower! I love you! Safe in the Father's Arms!
Well a little bird told me it's not only her birthday but yours as well. Happy Birthday to you Mario! I hope it's blessed beyond recognition!
happy belated birthday Mario!! I have also left behind the majority of the life I used to live these past few years. Like Lee, it wasn't by choice. But like Lee said, it has been for the better although so painful while it was happening. When I read this, I think of all the attachments I have. I love sports and sporting activities. But I'd have a lot more time for prayer if I didn't have to watch every Celtics game on tv! Or spending time following politics. Granted, I do a lot less of that now that the election is over and I more or less keep an eye on world events to see if I see God's hand working amongst the world and politics. I know I've been called to fast more, so these are little things I can fast from to free up more time for prayer, which will make me closer to God. But there are lots of things people in general are attached to. All our gadgets, phones, even our houses. There may be a time when we are forced to give it all up. Detaching ourselves from it all now is probably something to consider.
