Day: March 6, 2020

I am asking for love… (c)Mary TV/ Anthony Zubac 2020 March 6, 2020 Dear Family of Mary! “Apostles of my love, it is a time of vigilance, and of you I am asking for love, that you not judge-anyone. Because the Heavenly Father will judge everyone.” (March 2, 2020) Our Lady calls us to hold vigil, but she doesn’t stop there. She continues with a very difficult call:  “Of you I am asking for love… and that you not judge-anyone….”    Mother Mary knows that these two calls are both difficult, and lofty! If we embrace them both, we will be on the path to holiness, to be like her Son, Jesus. In the Office of Readings for today, March 6, 2020, there is an incredible teaching by Saint Aelred, Abbot. (From “The Mirror of Love, Christ the Model of Brotherly Love”). It demonstrates perfectly how we can “love and not judge-anyone”:  The perfection of brotherly love lies in the love of one’s enemies. We can find no greater inspiration for this than grateful remembrance of the wonderful patience of Christ. He who is more fair than all the sons of men offered his fair face to be spat upon by sinful men; he allowed those eyes that rule the universe to be blindfolded by wicked men; he bared his back to the scourges; he submitted that head which strikes terror in principalities and powers to the sharpness of the thorns; he gave himself up to be mocked and reviled, and at the end endured the cross, the nails, the lance, the gall, the vinegar, remaining always gentle, meek and full of peace. In short, he was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb before the shearers he kept silent and did not open his mouth. Who could listen to that wonderful prayer, so full of warmth, of love, of unshakeable serenity-Father, forgive them-and hesitate to embrace his enemies with overflowing love? Father, he says, forgive them. Is any gentleness, any love, lacking in this prayer? Yet he put into it something more. It was not enough to pray for them: he wanted also to make excuses for them. Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. They are great sinners, yes, but they have little judgment; therefore, Father, forgive them. They are nailing me to the cross, but they do not know who it is that they are nailing to the cross: if they had known, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory; therefore, Father, forgive them. They think it is a lawbreaker, an impostor claiming to be God, a seducer of the people. I have hidden my face from them, and they do not recognize my glory; therefore, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. If someone wishes to love himself, he must not allow himself to be corrupted by indulging his sinful nature. If he wishes to resist the promptings of his sinful nature, he must enlarge the whole horizon of his love to contemplate the loving gentleness of the humanity of the Lord. Further, if he wishes to savor the joy of brotherly love with greater perfection and delight, he must extend even to his enemies the embrace of true love. But if he wishes to prevent this fire of divine love from growing cold because of injuries received, let him keep the eyes of his soul always fixed on the serene patience of his beloved Lord and Savior. (St. Aelred – Christ, the Model of Brotherly Love.) Thank you, dear Jesus! You are the perfect Model. May we follow you always! In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!Cathy Nolan© Mary TV 2020 PS. On March 8, 2020 Daylight Savings time begins in many countries. But it does not begin in Medjugorje until March 29, 2020. So we who change on Sunday, March 8, will have to adjust our schedules in order to view the live programing from Medjugorje. We have a digital clock at the top – right hand side- of our home page at marytv.tv  – You can always check to find the time in Medjugorje there. Then you will know what time it is for you locally to tune in for our live programing from Medjugorje.