February 28, 2020 Reflection – Pray and do penance!
(c)Mary TV/ Anthony Zubac 2020 February 28, 2020 Dear Family of Mary! “Dear children! In this time of grace, I desire to see your faces transformed in prayer. You are so flooded by earthly concerns; you do not even feel that spring is at the threshold. You are called, little children, to penance and prayer. As nature fights in silence for new life, also you are called to open yourselves in prayer to God, in Whom you will find the peace and warmth of the spring sun in your hearts. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (February 25, 2020) This wonderful message is a call to joy! Our Lady wants us to be transformed by our prayer, freed from our earthly concerns, filled with new life and basking in the peace and warmth of the spring sun, Her Son, in our hearts. She wants us to live the joy and peace of a relationship with God. That is what our Lenten practices are meant to accomplish. And so she tells us we must pray and do penance. It sounds quite dire, but in fact prayer and penance lead to joy!! Let’s pray Psalm 51 together to help us respond to Our Lady’s call to prayer and penance! Psalm 51Have mercy on me, O God,according to thy steadfast love;according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,and cleanse me from my sin!For I know my transgressions,and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,and done that which is evil in thy sight,so that thou art justified in thy sentenceand blameless in thy judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,and in sin did my mother conceive me.Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward being;therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.Fill me with joy and gladness;let the bones which thou hast broken rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins,and blot out all my iniquities.Create in me a clean heart, O God,and put a new and right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence,and take not thy holy Spirit from me.Restore to me the joy of thy salvation,and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors thy ways,and sinners will return to thee.Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,thou God of my salvation,and my tongue will sing aloud of thy deliverance. O Lord, open thou my lips,and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.For thou hast no delight in sacrifice;were I to give a burnt offering, thou wouldst not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.Do good to Zion in thy good pleasure;rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,then wilt thou delight in right sacrifices,in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;then bulls will be offered on thy altar. Amen In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!Cathy Nolan©Mary TV 2020