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February 1, 2011 Dear Family of Mary! "Dear children! Also today I am with you and I am looking at you and blessing you, and I am not losing hope that this world will change for the good and that peace will reign in the hearts of men. Joy will begin to reign in the world because you have opened yourselves to my call and to God's love. The Holy Spirit is changing a multitude of those who have said 'yes'. Therefore I desire to say to you: thank you for having responded to my call." (January 25, 2011)
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The art of saying "thank you" is dangerously neglected in our day. As I was leaving a doctor's office the other day, I looked him in the eye and said "Thank you very much for being here on Sunday." He looked at me, startled, and then with a half smile responded, "You're welcome." He acted like he hadn't heard the words "thank you" very often. I suppose some people assume that a doctor is getting paid plenty of money to do his job, so thanks are not needed. But I was very grateful that he was working on Sunday, that he was able to diagnose the problem, and that he had become a doctor in the first place. Saying "thank you" is a wonderful way to observe and respect the dignity of the person. When we say "thank you" we are saying that we know that the person who has benefited us has a free will, that they have made choices all along the way that put them in the position to be a help to us, and that they could have easily chosen not to help us. Saying "thank you" confers on the other their personhood, a recognition that they are free and not in our control. We say that they have freely given us something, out of their autonomy and goodness and we are grateful for their generosity. Such respect for the other, for their dignity, creates a zone of peace between persons. In families where such respect exists, there is great peace. In work places, such respect builds up the sense of community and cooperation. Where ever people find themselves together, respect and deference makes the environment a joy. Our Lady, in almost every message, ends with "Thank you for having responded to my call." She shows us her respect with these words. She understands that it is out of our freedom that we respond to her. It is our choice to read her messages, to take them seriously, to live them through our actions. She never takes our response for granted. She truly knows the dignity of our souls, the infinite worth of each individual. She would never control us, or bully us. In deference, she calls us to prayer, fasting, conversion, the reading of scripture, the sacraments, and love. With real respect, she shares her heart with us, her desires, her hopes, and her plans. She understands the dignity of each person.
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With great awe, we read the last lines of this message, "The Holy Spirit is changing a multitude of those who have said 'yes'. Therefore I desire to say to you: thank you for having responded to my call." Our Lady sees the fruit of our response to her, and it brings forth this most humble expression of thanksgiving. I have never heard anything so beautiful. It brings tears.
"Thank you for having responded to my call." In Jesus and Mary!
Cathy Nolan www.marytv.tv
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