February 22, 2012
Ash Wednesday
Dear Family of Mary!
"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
"Dear children! With the time of Lent, you are approaching a time of grace. Your heart is like plowed soil and it is ready to receive the fruit which will grow into what is good. You, little children, are free to choose good or evil. Therefore, I call you to pray and fast. Plant joy and the fruit of joy will grow in your hearts for your good, and others will see it and receive it through your life. Renounce sin and choose eternal life. I am with you and intercede for you before my Son. Thank you for having responded to my call." (January 25, 2008)
Notice the action words Our Lady employs in this message: plowing, planting, receiving, growing, choosing, praying, fasting, renouncing, and responding. Sounds like a lot of hard work, doesn't it! But there is an underlying sense of great expectation!
Yes, our hearts need to be plowed. The rending of the earth of our hearts is necessary, if new life is to be cultivated there. We have to dig up the old seed beds, dislodging the old growth, the old tendencies and desires, the unfruitful roots of envy, anger, sloth, lust, avarice, pride and gluttony.
Yes, we have to receive the good seeds of holiness: faith, hope, charity, prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice. Yes, we have to choose to plant them deeply in our hearts, through prayer and fasting and renunciation.
Yes, we have to wait patiently as these new seeds grow ever so slowly and silently below ground. Yes, we have to wait for the joy we plant to grow into the fruit of joy!
But we will not be disappointed, if we follow this plan of action. Our Lady says she is with us and intercedes for us before Jesus. With such help from a seasoned gardener, we will certainly find ourselves enjoying the fruits of joy by Easter!
This time is a time of grace for us, but not just for us. As Our Lady says, others will see our joy and receive it through our lives. We will be sources of encouragement for all those who need hope! We will bring joy to those who as yet have not found it. A reason for yet more joy!!
So, though we have foreheads covered in ashes, and our faces are downcast, though the plowing we have to do is really hard right now, we have an underground river of joy to draw strength from. Our Lady is with us to help us! We are planting joy!
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2012
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.