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July 22, 2011
St. Mary Magdalene
Dear Family of Mary!
"Dear children; today I call you to a difficult and painful step for your unity with my Son. I call you to complete admission and confession of sins, to purification. An impure heart cannot be in my Son and with my Son. An impure heart cannot give the fruit of love and unity. An impure heart cannot do correct and just things; it is not an example of the beauty of God's love to those who surround it and to those who have not come to know that love. You, my children, are gathering around me full of enthusiasm, desire and expectations, and I implore the Good Father to, through the Holy Spirit, put my Son - faith, into your purified hearts. My children, obey me, set out with me." (July 2, 2011)
Mother Mary speaks to us of purity of heart in this message. She urges us to examine our conscience and root out all that is not good. If we do not clean our hearts of all sin, we will not be able to be in her Son and with her Son. Yesterday in prayer, I read 2 Corinthians 3 and 4, and as I prayed about it I realized it spoke to Our Lady's message. So I journaled with the Lord about it. I don't usually share my journaling, but I would like to share this because it connects with Our Lady's message for July 2.
"The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. All of us, gazing on the Lord's Glory with unveiled faces, are being transformed from glory to glory into His very image by the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Cor 3:17-18)
I felt led to ask the Lord this question: "How do we gaze on your glory, Lord?"
He seemed to reply: "With the eyes of your heart. You can gaze with unveiled face if you are humble and admit your sins. If you confess them, then your veil is gone and you can look upon Me without fear or shame. And if you gaze, you will receive from Me. Gazing is contemplation. It is unblinking admiration and wonder, open and receptive. This is how you are transformed from glory to glory and take on My very image. It shines through you as you take Me in."
I realized that it is the very impurity that Our Lady speaks about in her message that hinders the eyes of my heart from gazing on the Lord. My sins keep me focused on myself, looking inward at my own problems and sorrows, needs and desires, so much so that I can't open the eyes of my heart to look upon the Lord in all His goodness. Our Lady wants me to be changed, from glory to glory, as I gaze upon Jesus. If I can just get rid of my sins and let go of my attachments to sin. Thank the Lord for confession!
But the scripture continues with this line:
"Their unbelieving minds have been blinded by the god of the present age so they do not see the splendor of the gospel showing forth the glory of Christ, the image of God." (2 Cor 4:4)
I continued to journal with the Lord: "So, the eyes of the hearts of the unbelievers are blind too. They cannot perceive Your glory because they are not open, humble or receptive but they are instead closed, proud and grasping. They are filled with selfishness, thinking only of themselves, unable to accept Your light."
The Lord seemed to answer: "They worship themselves, it is a terrible existence. It ends in fire and everlasting pain. I long for them to see Me and to understand My love".
I responded: "How can we help unbelievers see You?"
He seemed to reply: "They do not ask for grace because they don't know it exists, so they need someone to ask for them. So your job is to pray for them. Ask for them. Say the Rosary for them. Then the Father will send the graces, unlooked for, to them and they will have the opportunity to believe and receive."
Image by Lawrence OP via Flickr
I realized that someone must have been praying for me so I would be able to repent and turn to God. Maybe it was Mary Magdalene. She understands what it means to receive the grace to see Jesus. She was a sinner, but when He came into her life and saved her from her sins, she saw Him! She saw Him with unveiled face because of His forgiveness. And she could not stop gazing upon Him. Even when He was in the tomb, she could not keep away. Now she prays for all of us to gaze upon the Glory of the Lord, so that we will all be transformed, from glory to glory into His image!
God be with you all!In Jesus and Mary!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2011
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