August 29, 2018
The Passion of St. John the Baptist
Dear Family of Mary!
“Dear children! This is a time of grace. Little children, pray more, speak less and permit God to lead you on the way of conversion. I am with you and love you with my motherly love. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (August 25, 2018)
“Permit God to lead you on the way of conversion…”
As I pray about these words from Our Lady, an image comes to mind. What I see is a small child standing on a path, and this child wants to go down the path very much. The child has chosen the path, and is stubbornly trying to walk down it. But next to the child is the child’s father, and he is trying very much to grasp the child’s hand and lead him in a different direction. Of course, we realize the father knows the direction this child should go. But the child is stubborn. So the father allows the child to go down the path a little way further. Then he tries again to grasp his child’s hand and turn him around. This goes on until the child finally tires and lets his father carry him home.
Our Lady tells us, “Little children…permit God to lead you on the way of conversion.” She sees each of us like that child, strong willed, unwise, distracted by the world, selfish and self-centered. She knows that we are willful, and mistaken many times. We don’t know the way.
But the Father will not force us to turn around. He is a patient father. And so He shadows us and gently tries to convince us to turn around until finally we get ourselves into such a mess that we give up, in in our tired state, let Him take us home.
Conversion is that turning towards the way home. It is letting God lead us in our lives, and trusting Him to know what is best. Truly, our Father is with us at each step, ready to show us the way. But we must give Him permission, or He will let us stubbornly go down the wrong path a little further, continually trying to help us out.
Of course, talking less and praying more are the key to discovering Our Father by our side, offering His help.
I think of Psalm 23 in this regard. The Father is our Shepherd. If we surrender to Him, and permit Him to lead us, all will be well.
Ps.23
[A Psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want;
he makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff,
they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
thou anointest my head with oil,
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for ever.
May we permit God to lead us on the way of conversion today and every day.
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2018
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