Mary TV Daily Reflection 11/19/2010

(Picture thanks to Sue K)

November 19, 2010 Dear Family of Mary! "Dear children! With motherly perseverance and love I am bringing you the light of life to destroy the darkness of death in you. Do not reject me, my children. Stop and look within yourselves and see how sinful you are. Be aware of your sins and pray for forgiveness. My children, you do not desire to accept that you are weak and little, but you can be strong and great by doing God's will. Give me your cleansed hearts that I may illuminate them with the light of life, my Son. Thank you." (November 2, 2010)  "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,  so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.  He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption; therefore, as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord." (1 Cor 1:25-31) Finally, Our Lady tells us that if we accept our weakness and littleness, and we enter into God's will, we will be strong and great!

This is the awesome paradox of Christianity.  St. Paul says it so well.  The foolishness of God is wiser than men!  The weakness of God is stronger than men!  Those who are weak and small, foolish and of no account but who love the Lord and live that love in every moment of their day (i.e. they do His will) are really the strong ones, the wise ones, the powerful ones.  It may not be apparent now, to the eyes of men, but it is all too clear in the heavenlies!  Think of the saints who were martyred or struggled in poverty all their lives or were misunderstood, even by the Church!  They looked foolish, weak and lowly, but they are now powerful and glorious, with Christ!  It is true that we can be strong and great, even in our lowliness, if we are living our lives out of love for Jesus, because our weakness and littleness takes on the power of God, the unseen and overlooked power of God that can level mountains and lift up valleys.  God can move through the lowly ones much more freely than through the proud and haughty.  

Saint Andre Bessette comes to mind.  He was a weak, frail boy who lost his parents at a young age.  He worked at menial jobs until he entered the Congregation of Holy Cross in Montreal. There he was judged to be too weak and uneducated to be made a priest, and so they showed him the door to Notre Dame College, and told him to let people in and out.  That was his job. In his weakness and littleness (he was not even 5 feet tall) he lived in obedience and love for Jesus (and a special love for St. Joseph) and the rest is history!  He became a conduit of God's power and greatness!  Healings occurred constantly due to his prayer!  People found the answers they needed.  Lives were changed.  A huge basilica to St. Joseph was built!  This is power!  And it moved through little, weak Brother Andre.  

This is the paradox of God!  He chooses the weak and little.  He prefers the weak and little! All he needs is a loving and obedient heart.  The rest He does!  

May we all find our resting place in our littleness and weakness, and invite Jesus into that resting place as our best friend and constant guide.  Jesus will show us His will for us, no matter how small or menial, no matter how lowly, and through that will, we will see great and wonderful things happen!

In Jesus and Mary!
Cathy Nolan

 

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