J.M.J.
October 27, 2016
Dear Family of Mary!
“Dear children! Today I am calling you: pray for peace. Leave selfishness and live the messages which I am giving you. Without them, you cannot change your life. By living prayer, you will have peace. By living in peace, you will feel the need to witness, because you will discover God whom you now feel to be far away. Therefore, little children, pray, pray, pray and permit God to enter into your hearts. Return to fasting and confession so as to overcome the evil in you and around you. Thank you for having responded to my call.” October 25, 2016
Our Lady speaks very directly to us in this message. She does not waste any words, but gets right to the point. First, pray for peace. Second, leave selfishness behind. Third, live the messages she is giving us!
It immediately struck me that I have just about given up on praying for peace. We have prayed for so long, Rosary after Rosary, for peace. But things only seem to be getting worse. But the fact remains, we are supposed to pray for peace. Mary calls us to pray for peace. So it must be important and powerful!
And then, with two words she knocked me over. “Leave selfishness…” I needed to hear that too. It is so easy for selfishness to creep in to my heart and slowly take over. It is a slow turning of the eyes inward, looking only at what I need, and then at what I want. Pretty soon I take up most of my thoughts. Where did prayer go? It slowly recedes, and only an inner dialogue with myself remains. “Leave selfishness” shatters this inward descent into hell. We do not live for ourselves.
Finally, “Live the messages which I am giving you.” This is Our Lady’s antidote to all that ails us. Her messages are a cure for the modern mentality, the godless society, the humanistic wasteland we live in. Her messages speak life into our hearts again!
St. Paul is able to speak in a similar way. In his letter to the Philippians he gives a very moving pep talk, much like Our Lady’s message:
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 1: 1-13)
Wow! “Do nothing from selfishness or conceit…” “Leave selfishness…” Both Mary and Paul caution us to beware of this subtle and dangerous way of being. Instead they call us to pray, to keep Jesus before us, and to long for peace. May it be so!
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2016
