February 27, 2020 Reflection – Choose Life!
(c)Mary TV/ Anthony Zubac 2020 February 27, 2020 Dear Family of Mary! As we begin our Lenten pilgrimage, we are called by God to make a choice. It is the choice for life or for death. It is up to us. Each one of us. Do we want to accept the gift of life He has given us, or do we turn from God and His ways, which means choosing death? For truly there is only life in God, to reject Him and His ways removes us from our life source. We have free will. It is vital we choose. Here is the first reading for today’s Mass from Deuteronomy 30: Moses said to the people: “Today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom. If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving him, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous and the LORD, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy. If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long life on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy. I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Dt 30: 15-20) Our Lady speaks in the same way in these two powerful messages: March 25, 1996 “Dear children! I invite you to decide again to love God above all else. In this time when due to the spirit of consumerism one forgets what it means to love and to cherish true values, I invite you again, little children, to put God in the first place in your life. Do not let satan attract you through material things but, little children, decide for God who is freedom and love. Choose life and not death of the soul, little children, and in this time when you meditate upon the suffering and death of Jesus I invite you to decide for life which blossomed through the Resurrection, and that your life may be renewed today through conversion that shall lead you to eternal life. Thank you for having responded to my call…” March 18, 2003 “Dear children! Particularly at this holy time of penance and prayer, I call you to make a choice. God gave you free will to choose life or death. Listen to my messages with the heart that you may become cognizant of what you are to do and how you will find the way to life. My children, without God you can do nothing; do not forget this even for a single moment. For, what are you and what will you be on earth, when you will return to it again? Do not anger God; but follow me to life. Thank you for being here.” What a blessing it is that we who hear these words are alive today. We can choose once more the gift of life God has given us and choose to support life for our brothers and sisters, from the newly conceived to the oldest among us. “I call you to make a choice. God gave you free will to choose life or death.” Dearest Mother, help us to understand that life is a beautiful gift from God that we must choose to accept. God wants us to be partners with Him in the path of life which can only happen if we obey Him. Help us to choose life! In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan©Mary TV 2020