August 11, 2020 Reflection – Like a little child!
Like a little child! (c)Mary TV 2020 August 11, 2020 St. Clare Dear Family of Mary! Our Gospel for today is a beautiful scripture passage! Jesus speaks about humble souls, the souls of little children. He shows the Heart of God in this passage: The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.” (Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14) Our Lady has often spoken to us about humility, about being little, about being childlike. This is truly a quality she looks for in us. Jesus does too! We might wonder how we can be childlike. But I think it is impossible to think our way into being childlike. Rather, we are like children when we are relating to Our Father, Our Mother, and Our Brother Jesus! When we are with them, we are really children. So small, and so dependent and so much in love!! Let’s take some time with these messages about humility and being childlike. They may help us to get in touch with Our Father in Heaven. July 25, 1989 “Dear children! Today I am calling you to renew your hearts. Open yourselves to God and surrender to him all your difficulties and crosses so, God may turn everything into joy. Little children, you cannot open yourselves to God if you do not pray. Therefore, from today, decide to consecrate a time in the day only for an encounter with God in silence. In that way you will be able, with God, to witness my presence here. Little children, I do not wish to force you. Rather freely give God your time, like children of God. Thank you for having responded to my call.” December 2, 2008 “Dear children; In this holy time of joyful expectation, God has chosen you little ones to realize His great intentions. My children, be humble. Through your humility, God, with His wisdom, will make of your souls a chosen home. You will illuminate it with good works and thus, with an open heart, you will welcome the birth of my Son in all of His generous love. Thank you, dear children.” October 2, 2010 “Dear children; Today I call you to a humble, my children, humble devotion. Your hearts need to be just. May your crosses be your means in the battle against the sins of the present time. May your weapon be patience and boundless love, a love that knows to wait and which will make you capable of recognizing God’s signs, that your life, by humble love, may show the truth to all those who seek it in the darkness of lies… My children, my apostles, help me to open the paths to my Son. Once again, I call you to pray for your shepherds. Alongside them, I will triumph. Thank you.” September 02, 2013 “Dear children, I love you all. All of you, all of my children, all of you are in my heart. All of you have my motherly love, and I desire to lead all of you to come to know God’s joy. This is why I am calling you. I need humble apostles who, with an open heart, will accept the Word of God and help others to comprehend the meaning of their life alongside God’s word. To be able to do this my children, through prayer and fasting, you must learn to listen with the heart and to learn to keep submitting yourselves. You must learn to keep rejecting everything that distances you from God’s word and to yearn only for that which draws you closer to it. Do not be afraid. I am here. You are not alone. I am imploring the Holy Spirit to renew and strengthen you. I am imploring the Holy Spirit that, as you help others, you too may be healed. I am imploring Him that, through Him, you may be God’s children and my apostles.” January 02, 2014 “Dear children, for you to be able to be my apostles and to be able to help all those who are in darkness, to come to know the light of the love of my Son, you must have pure and humble hearts. You cannot help for my Son to be born in, and to reign in, the hearts of those who do not know Him, if He does not reign – if He is not the King – in your heart. I am with you. I am walking with you as a mother. I am knocking on your hearts. They cannot open because they are not humble. I am praying, and you my beloved children also pray, that you may be able to open pure and humble hearts to my Son and to receive the gifts which He has promised you. Then you will be led by the love and strength of my Son. Then, you will be my apostles who everywhere around them spread the fruits of God’s love. My Son will act from within you and through you, because you will be ‘one’. My motherly heart yearns for this – for unity of all of my children – through my Son. With great love I bless and pray for those who are chosen by my Son – for your shepherds. Thank you.” St. Clare, pray for us to become children of God as you did, trusting Him in everything and loving Him unreservedly! In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2020