Mary TV daily Reflection 4/25/2013

"But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?" (Mt 6:30)

(c)Catey Nolan 2012 

            

J.M.J.

April 25, 2013

Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist

Dear Family of Mary!

"Dear children! Thank you for dedicating all your hard work to God even now when He is testing you through the grapes you are picking. Be assured, dear children, that He loves you and, therefore, He tests you. You just always offer up all your burdens to God and do not be anxious. Thank you for having responded to my call." (October 11, 1984)

"Be assured, dear children, that He loves you..." Don't we often need this assurance! There are many trials, many ups and downs in our lives. And when there are difficulties, we can begin to think that God is not so interested in our welfare. Of course, many, if not all, of those thoughts are temptations from our enemy. But, still, they seem so real.

Our Lady could see that the hard work in the vineyards was causing the villagers to feel stressed. They were vulnerable to temptations and fears. And so she spoke straight to their situation with words of encouragement. Her words are applicable to our lives today. We are burdened, we are working hard, we are not sure sometimes if God is watching, and we are tempted to be anxious.

The solution is the same for us as it was for them, to dedicate our work to God and to offer up our burdens to Him, and then to renounce anxiety, to reject it as not of God, and to turn towards the Father with trust.

As part of this process Our Lady gave this message through Jelena in 1984:

"Each Thursday, read again the passage of Matthew 6, 24-34, before the most Blessed Sacrament, or if it is not possible to come to church, do it with your family." (Thursday, March 1, 1984 to Jelena)

Our Lady wants us to get Jesus' mind on our earthly trials.  What does Jesus say about anxiety?  Matthew 6: 24-34 is His answer!  These words from Jesus can help us to reject anxiety. Jesus wants us to live in peace and trust with His Heavenly Father, because that peace and trust will only help us to find His will and become filled with Heaven here on earth. These words of Jesus are the antidote to anxiety:

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.      

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day. (Matthew 6: 24-34)

If we are burdened or anxious today, let's offer those burdens to the Lord and renounce anxiety. Our loving Father is watching over us.

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan

©Mary TV 2013

PS. There will be a message later today, which I will send out as soon as I can. Thank you, dear Mother, for these messages of hope and love. May we respond with all our hearts to your call!