November 10, 2011
Dear Family of Mary!
"...That is why I desire that you be the light of my Son. That to all those who have not come to know the Father - to all those who wander in the darkness of sin, despair, pain and loneliness - you may illuminate the way and that, with your life, you may show them the love of God. I am with you. If you open your hearts, I will lead you. Again I am calling you: pray for your shepherds. Thank you." (November 2, 2011)
Our Lady is Mother to each person on earth. She has received each of us from Jesus. She longs for each person to come to know the Father, to be free of sin and sadness, and to live forever in heaven. Her hopes are high!
She asks us to be her collaborators in the plan of salvation for lost souls. Our job? To become light.
How, we may ask, can we become light? Recently, a friend shared an experience she had at work that illustrates becoming light. She told me that at her work place there was a certain person who caused a lot of turmoil for the staff. She was not happy, and took it out on everyone. She could reduce my friend to tears by her comments. But my friend decided to treat this person as she would like to be treated herself. So she would every day buy her colleague something to drink at lunch time. She never received a thank you, but she kept doing it, to be kind.
Not long ago the difficult person broke down and confided with my friend all her interior suffering, her broken heart. It was a moment of truth. My friend was astounded that she would share so intimately with her. Now she understood the difficult behavior. Now she knew how to pray for the person.
What brought about this moment of grace? Kindness. What was the light? Kindness. My friend's generosity and thoughtfulness broke down the barriers and built up trust, until her colleague's heart could open. The darkness of sin, despair, pain, and loneliness was illumined by acts of love.
Also, I heard, second hand, a story told by Mr. Joseph Scheidler at a Right-To-Life dinner recently. Mr. Scheidler said that there was a pro-choice person who would escort women into an abortion clinic, walking them past the silent praying pro-life witnesses. One cold day, the escort's scarf blew off as he passed a prolife witness and that person gently replaced the scarf securely so that the escort would not be cold. The pro-choice escort could not forget that act of kindness, and it led to his conversion to the pro-life cause. One act of kindness was a light that shone brightly in that man's life and saved him. Kindness!
We think of Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta as the kindest person we have ever known. She understood the power of kindness. She wrote to her sisters: "Be kind to each other. I prefer you make mistakes in kindness - than that you work miracles in unkindness. Be kind in words." (Mother Teresa. Come Be My Light, the Private Writings of the 'Saint of Calcutta'. Edited by Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C. Page196)
Kindness is the gentle light of God that slowly penetrates our hearts through the humble ministrations of love that come from God's holy ones. We begin to believe in God's love through the kindness of His people. We can be the light of kindness for those who are suffering, lost in the darkness of sin.
St. Paul taught: "Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." (Phil 2:14-15) Do all things with kindness, humility, and peace, not grumbling or questioning (fighting), and we will be lights of God's love. This is not too hard for us, but it is dynamite!
In Jesus and Mary!
Cathy Nolan
和ary TV 2011
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please no anonymous comments. I require at least some way for people to address each other personally and courteously. Having some name or handle helps.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.