July 28, 2020 Reflection – I am calling you to persevering prayer…
(c)Mary TV I am calling you to persevering prayer… July 28, 2020 Dear Family of Mary! Matthew 13:36-43 Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He said in reply, “He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom. The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” This Gospel for today has always sent shivers down my spine. Good seed, bad seed, harvest at the end of the age, and fiery furnaces…Truly this is a picture of the end times. Our Lady used the word “harvest” in her July 25, 2020 Message. She may have had this passage in mind: “Dear children! In this peaceless time in which the devil is harvesting souls to draw them to himself, I am calling you to persevering prayer, so that in prayer you discover the God of love and hope…” (July 25, 2020) Mother Mary must see that the end of the age is near. That is why Satan is harvesting souls for damnation. It is time to gather his prey into his fiery furnace. And this must also be why she is calling us to prayer. We must discover the God of love and hope, and grasp His loving hand, so we can be led into His Kingdom. Increasingly we see only two possibilities for the world and for each person in the world. We can let Satan draw us unto himself, or we can choose to draw close to God. In the first case, we become attracted by all the false “goods” that the enemy waves before our eyes and become ensnared in his traps. In the second, we see God in all his beauty and love, and decide to seek after Him, to find Him. The first way takes away our freedom, little by little. The more we lust after the enemy’s stuff, the more powerless we become, unable to choose otherwise until we are cut down and thrown into the fire. The second way depends upon our freedom. God never coerces us or forces us in anything. He only presents Himself to us, bloodied and broken, hanging from a cross, showing us how much He loves us. In that moment we begin to realize how very much we are loved, and our hearts desire to be one with the lover of men. We choose in freedom, to join Him in the love that brings hope. It is then that we will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of the Father. It is important not to shy away from recognizing the end times that are upon us. We do not know how long the time will be, but we do know how to win through to Glory! We must fall deeply in love with Jesus, and long for Him in prayer. We must surrender ourselves to God, with total trust. We must freely choose to follow Jesus on His way of the Cross, and fear nothing. In this way, our end times will result in the joy of Heaven. Let’s pray, pray, pray, as Our Lady asks. Through prayer we will discover the God of hope and love!!! In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan © Mary TV 2020