Mary TV Daily Reflection 2/6/2015

(c)Mary TV 2015      J.M.J February 6, 2015 St. Paul Miki and Companions Dear Family of Mary! "Dear children! I am here, I am among you. I am looking at you, am smiling at you and I love you in the way that only a mother can. Through the Holy Spirit who comes through my purity, I see your hearts and I offer them to my Son. Already for a long time I have been asking of you to be my apostles, to pray for those who have not come to know God's love. I am asking for prayer said out of love, prayer which carries out works and sacrifices. Do not waste time thinking about whether you are worthy to be my apostles. The Heavenly Father will judge everyone; and you, love Him and listen to Him. I know that all of this confuses you, even my very stay among you, but accept it with joy and pray that you may comprehend that you are worthy to work for Heaven. My love is upon you. Pray that my love may win in all hearts, because that is the love which forgives, gives and never stops. Thank you." (February 2, 2015) "Already for a long time I have been asking of you to be my apostles, to pray for those who have not come to know God's love. I am asking for prayer said out of love, prayer which carries out works and sacrifices." It is true that Our Lady has been asking us to be her apostles for some time now. As early as 1993, she began to call us her apostles: "...I invite you to be apostles of love and goodness. In this world of unrest give witness to God and God's love, and God will bless you and give you what you seek from Him..." (October 25, 1993) I can remember even then, being uncomfortable with the word "apostle." It just seemed too big and important for the likes of me. But Our Lady continued to refer to us as her apostles: "...Little children, I desire that you become apostles of love. By loving, little children, it will be recognized that you are mine." (March 25, 1998) "..."Dear children; I am calling you and am coming among you because I need you. I need apostles with a pure heart...´ (October 2, 2010) "...My children, my apostles, great is the trust that the Heavenly Father has given you through me, His handmaid, to help those who do not know Him, that they may reconcile with Him and follow Him..." (August 2, 2013) Apostles are people sent by an authority to carry a message to others. Apostles are messengers. We are being asked to be Our Lady's messengers, those who carry the grace and joy of her presence out into the world. Those who carry her mission out into the world. And one very important mission she has is to reach the millions of people all over the world who do not yet know the love of her Son, Jesus. These millions of people may have never encountered Jesus. They may have never heard His name! They certainly do not know that He is their Savior, the one who has come to redeem their lives and make sense out of the misery of human existence. We are being asked to make it possible for these poor people to encounter Jesus. It may be through our witness. It may be through our service. But it will definitely be through our intercessory prayer. Our Lady is asking us to be intercessors for those who do not know the love of her Son. The Catechism defines Intercession this way: 2634    Intercession is a prayer of petition which leads us to pray as Jesus did. He is the one intercessor with the Father on behalf of all men, especially sinners.112He is "able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them."113 The Holy Spirit "himself intercedes for us... and intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."114 (432) 2635    Since Abraham, intercession-asking on behalf of another-has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God's mercy. In the age of the Church, Christian intercession participates in Christ's, as an expression of the communion of saints. In intercession, he who prays looks "not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others," even to the point of praying for those who do him harm.115 (2571, 2577) Praying for others. Our Lady needs us to pray for others like Jesus is doing day and night before the Father. She needs us to pray for others like Abraham and like Moses, who both strove with God for the sake of sinners. Our intercession for those who do harm is very much needed in our day. Praying for those who do harm is a very difficult calling, one that can only be done with the grace of God. It is Jesus' prayer from the Cross ("Father forgive them..."). It is Our Lady's prayer beneath the Cross. And it is our prayer in these days when the world has been turned upside down by violence and unthinkable acts of cruelty. We can stand in the gap, praying for those who have not come to know God's love. St. Faustina was a powerful intercessor. Our Lady asked St. Faustina to be her apostle of intercession: 1934. On the day of the Assumption of the Mother of God, I did not assist at Holy Mass. The woman doctor did not allow me; but I prayed fervently in my cell. After a short time, I saw the Mother of God, unspeakably beautiful. She said to me, My daughter, what I demand from you is prayer, prayer, and once again prayer, for the world and especially for your country. For nine days receive Holy Communion in atonement and unite yourself closely to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. During these nine days you will stand before God as an offering; always and everywhere, at all times and places, day or night, whenever you wake up, pray in the spirit. In spirit, one can always remain in prayer. (325 Diary) Our Lady asked St. Faustina to pray for the world (a world hurtling toward World War II), and she is asking the same of us. We can do as Our Lady instructed Saint Faustina and stand before God as an offering; always and everywhere, at all times and places, day or night, whenever we wake up, pray in the spirit. In spirit, one can always remain in prayer! In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2015

"Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world." Saint John Paul II Be connected! www.marytv.tv