Mary TV Daily Reflection 4/19/2011

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April 19, 2011
Tuesday of Holy Week

Dear Family of Mary!

In the Office of Readings for the Monday of Holy Week, St. Augustine says:  "The passion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the hope of glory and a lesson in patience." (Sermo Guelferbytanus 3: PLS 2, 545-546)  The minute I read it, I knew it was anointed for me.  I had been thinking about patience before I read this.  I realized how little patience I have, how hard it is for me to wait.  The Lord has been asking me to put my own needs on the back burner lately and think about other people, and that takes patience.  What is patience??

I think it is an act of faith, of hope and of love.  When we are patient, we have faith that God is with us and hearing our prayer.  We live in the hope that all will be well, that God is going to take care of everything, and then we live out of love for God, doing the right thing, even if it isn't easy and even if we have been waiting a long time for answered prayer.  All three of those virtues are in action when we are patient.  It is also a real testimony to others when we are patient.  

Jesus throughout the whole Passion was so patient.  He allowed himself to be mistreated, misjudged, mocked, scourged, and crucified, and He bore it all out of faith, hope and love for the Father.  Jesus' Passion and Death was a complete act of patience.     

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I feel the need to grow in patience myself.  

I need to trust God in everything, no matter what the signs are right now.  Certainly Jesus knew how to wait on His Father, to stand firm and not to crumble under any attack, especially from the enemy.  No matter what lies Satan hurled at Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane or all along the bitter road to Golgotha, Jesus never lost His focus.  He knew that the Father was allowing everything for one purpose, to redeem all of us.  So Jesus held fast to the Father's will, through patient endurance.  

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Our Lady has only mentioned patience a couple of times in her messages.  Here is one:

"My dear children! Satan is so strong and with all his might wants to disturb my plans which I have begun with you. You pray, just pray and don't stop for a minute! I will pray to my Son for the realization of all the plans I have begun. Be patient and constant in your prayers. And don't let Satan discourage you. He is working hard in the world. Be on your guard!" (Message conveyed by Vicka from Our Lady - January 14, 1985)

In this message Our Lady connects our patience with the defeat of Satan!  Satan loves to attack us exactly in our will, in our resolve to trust and follow the Lord.  He knows that if we lose faith, hope or love, he can detach us from the Lord and get us out of God's plan for us.  So patience is a very great weapon against the enemy.  Through patience, we can hold fast to the Lord, no matter the trial, and win through to victory.  

This is exactly what Jesus did for us, by patiently enduring his Passion and Death.  He won through for us.  Now we can win through for Him!  May we all grow in the gift of patience as we follow Jesus this week.  May our patience keep us totally connected to Jesus!  

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

Cathy Nolan
(c)Mary TV 2011 

P.S.  We will be praying the Divine Mercy Novena starting Good Friday, on the internet, live.  Join us if you can, as we call down mercy on all those we love, all those in need!  3:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time, US.  www.marytv.tv  

 

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