(c)Mary TV 2012
Mary, Mother of Jesus, Pray for us!
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J.M.J.
November 12, 2012
St. Josaphat
Dear Family of Mary!
"Dear children, as a mother I implore you to persevere as my apostles. I am praying to my Son to give you Divine wisdom and strength. I am praying that you may discern everything around you according to God's truth and to strongly resist everything that wants to distance you from my Son. I am praying that you may witness the love of the Heavenly Father according to my Son. My children, great grace has been given to you to be witnesses of God's love. Do not take the given responsibility lightly. Do not sadden my motherly heart. As a mother I desire to rely on my children, on my apostles. Through fasting and prayer you are opening the way for me to pray to my Son for Him to be beside you and for His name to be holy through you. Pray for the shepherds because none of this would be possible without them. Thank you."(November 2, 2012)
"Through fasting and prayer you are opening the way for me to pray to my Son for Him to be beside you and for His name to be holy through you." Our Lady goes to bat for us all the time, before the Lord. She intercedes on our behalf, begging for the graces we need to be saved. She is the real Queen Esther. She enters the presence of the Lord, in all His regal power and authority, and through her purity and beauty, asks for mercy upon us. But even Queen Esther needed help. She needed the prayers of her people to be heard by the King (I have included the entire account of the prayer and fasting because I think they are so beautiful. You may want to skip some of it!):
Esther sent back to Mordecai the response: "Go and assemble all the Jews who are in Susa; fast on my behalf, all of you, not eating or drinking, night or day, for three days. I and my maids will also fast in the same way. Thus prepared, I will go to the king, contrary to the law. If I perish, I perish!"
Mordecai went away and did exactly as Esther had commanded. Recalling all that the Lord had done, he prayed to him and said: "O Lord God, almighty King, all things are in your power, and there is no one to oppose you in your will to save Israel. You made heaven and earth and every wonderful thing under the heavens. You are Lord of all, and there is no one who can resist you, Lord. You know all things. You know, O Lord, that it was not out of insolence or pride or desire for fame that I acted thus in not bowing down to the proud Haman. Gladly would I have kissed the soles of his feet for the salvation of Israel. But I acted as I did so as not to place the honor of man above that of God. I will not bow down to anyone but you, my Lord. It is not out of pride that I am acting thus. And now, Lord God, King, God of Abraham, spare your people, for our enemies plan our ruin and are bent upon destroying the inheritance that was yours from the beginning. Do not spurn your portion, which you redeemed for yourself out of Egypt. Hear my prayer; have pity on your inheritance and turn our sorrow into joy: thus we shall live to sing praise to your name, O Lord. Do not silence those who praise you." All Israel, too, cried out with all their strength, for death was staring them in the face.
Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish, likewise had recourse to the Lord. Taking off her splendid garments, she put on garments of distress and mourning. In place of her precious ointments she covered her head with dirt and ashes. She afflicted her body severely; all her festive adornments were put aside, and her hair was wholly disheveled. Then she prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: "My Lord, our King, you alone are God. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you, for I am taking my life in my hand. As a child I was wont to hear from the people of the land of my forefathers that you, O Lord, chose Israel from among all peoples, and our fathers from among all their ancestors, as a lasting heritage, and that you fulfilled all your promises to them. But now we have sinned in your sight, and you have delivered us into the hands of our enemies, because we worshiped their gods. You are just, O Lord. But now they are not satisfied with our bitter servitude, but have undertaken to do away with the decree you have pronounced, and to destroy your heritage; to close the mouths of those who praise you, and to extinguish the glory of your temple and your altar; to open the mouths of the heathen to acclaim their false gods, and to extol an earthly king forever. "O Lord, do not relinquish your scepter to those that are nought. Let them not gloat over our ruin, but turn their own counsel against them and make an example of our chief enemy. Be mindful of us, O Lord. Manifest yourself in the time of our distress and give me courage, King of gods and Ruler of every power. Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion, and turn his heart to hatred for our enemy, so that he and those who are in league with him may perish. Save us by your power, and help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O Lord. "You know all things. You know that I hate the glory of the pagans, and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised or of any foreigner. You know that I am under constraint, that I abhor the sign of grandeur which rests on my head when I appear in public; abhor it like a polluted rag, and do not wear it in private. 1 I, your handmaid, have never eaten at the table of Haman, nor have I graced the banquet of the king or drunk the wine of libations. From the day I was brought here till now, your handmaid has had no joy except in you, O Lord, God of Abraham. O God, more powerful than all, hear the voice of those in despair. Save us from the power of the wicked, and deliver me from my fear."
On the third day, putting an end to her prayers, she took off her penitential garments and arrayed herself in her royal attire. In making her state appearance, after invoking the all-seeing God and savior, she took with her two maids; on the one she leaned gently for support, while the other followed her, bearing her train. She glowed with the perfection of her beauty and her countenance was as joyous as it was lovely, though her heart was shrunk with fear. She passed through all the portals till she stood face to face with the king, who was seated on his royal throne, clothed in full robes of state, and covered with gold and precious stones, so that he inspired great awe. As he looked up, his features ablaze with the height of majestic anger, the queen staggered, changed color, and leaned weakly against the head of the maid in front of her. But God changed the king's anger to gentleness. In great anxiety he sprang from his throne, held her in his arms until she recovered, and comforted her with reassuring words. "What is it, Esther?" he said to her. "I am your brother. Take courage! You shall not die because of this general decree of ours. Come near!" Raising the golden scepter, he touched her neck with it, embraced her, and said, "Speak to me." (Esther: 4:;15-16, C: 1-30, D: 1-12)
Esther (though mortally afraid) spoke and through her intercession saved her people. She gained the grace she needed through her prayer and the prayer of her people. In our day, Our Lady is pleading for our cause before God. She can't do it alone. She needs our prayer and our fasting, just as Esther needed the prayer and fasting of her people. This is a time of decision. And Our Lady is asking the Lord Jesus to be near us, and for His name to be Holy in us. That means that she is asking that we be given the strength to be pure witnesses to Jesus, pure and steadfast and righteous. She is praying for us to be strengthened by Jesus' presence in us. We need Him.
May we continue in prayer and fasting, united with Mother Mary in this day, united in her intercession for the Church and for the world. Like Esther, she is representing us before the King!
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2012
PPS. Don't forget Marija Pavlovic Lunetti's visit to the University of Notre Dame, November 15, 2012, Live at www.marytv.tv !! 6:00 pm EST! Those who can, come to the JACC at Notre Dame, to join in the evening of prayer.
PPPS. November 16-18, 2012 Marija will be present at the Northern California Marian Conference in Sacramento California! She will speak, share her apparition, and answer questions. There are many other speakers lined up for this conference. I will speak on Saturday morning on the Messages of Medjugorje, a way of life! I would love to see any of you who can make it.
Conference Info: Woodlake Inn, 500 Leisure Lane, Sacramento, CA 95815
916-686-6354 for information.
See you there!
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