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March 22, 2011 Dear Family of Mary! "Dear children! I am with you in the name of the greatest Love, in the name of dear God, who has come close to you through my Son and has shown you real love. I desire to lead you on the way of God. I desire to teach you real love so that others may see it in you, that you may see it in others, that you may be a brother to them and that others may see a merciful brother in you. My children, do not be afraid to open your hearts to me. With motherly love, I will show you what I expect of each of you, what I expect of my apostles. Set out with me. Thank you." (March 18, 2011) This message reminds me very much of Philippians 2:1-11. Let's compare the two! Our Lady comes in the name of the greatest Love, in the name of dear God, who has come close to us through her Son and has shown us real love. We all know how the Son came close to us. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary! That's how! The Son of the dear God who is Love, became one of us, completely identified with us, totally like us in every way but sin, ready to die for us. As St. Paul put it: "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:5-8)
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Jesus is the great act of love of the Father. He is the gift of salvation given to us by the Father at great cost to them both. This is how God came close to us. What a miracle of love! And so St. Paul tells us to love in response to the love we have received: "So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Phil 2:1-4)
St. Paul sounds very much like Our Lady. She desires to teach us real love. "I desire to teach you real love so that others may see it in you, that you may see it in others, that you may be a brother to them and that others may see a merciful brother in you." We learn real love best from her Son, from Jesus' example of emptying Himself. The encouragement in Christ St. Paul speaks of is clear, to love others with sacrificial love, putting their needs first and being ready to lay down our lives for them. But there is more! St. Paul finishes this passage with a hymn to Jesus' name! This is the name in which Our Lady comes to us! This is the authority that has sent her to us!
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"Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil 2:9-11) Our Lady comes to us in the name of Jesus, in the power of His authority, which is one with His Father's authority. She comes with all heaven behind her, sending to us the graces we need to succeed in the task we have been given. The task? To love as we have been loved. She says to us: "My children, do not be afraid to open your hearts to me." May we respond to her call without fear, opening ourselves to the great Love that she brings to us from heaven, the love of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit! In Jesus and Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
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