We had a huge storm in the first week of December, and since we have had cold but not much more snow... this first storm gave us a white winter! Well, we are told that this weekend we could add to that now 2 months later... some say maybe up to 18 inches, but time will tell. I love this picture of my Mary statue in the pink sunrise under the snowladen branches. The angels surround her as they do in heaven, with her Son, Jesus Christ, at her side and all the Saints gathered at their feet in worship and praise! Saturdays are devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and it is such a special day for me, as a woman in the Amazing Church! I might be getting carried away by the exclamation points... I would say that I usually do when I write on here about The Church... that is because there is so much excitement and JOY, as I share how wonderful is the journey called "Conversion to The Church 41 years ago, and every day since for Barbara Lynn Luke!"
Huge for me is my constant turning to Mary with each moment of each day! I see that as a woman of Faith this is huge! What better role model and intercessor is there? She is the Mother of God, and whatever she asks of HIM - He listens to her, with all of His loving and forgiving Heart, and LOVES us and Forgives us unconditionally! I found such great strength to have Mary standing with me at the foot of the Cross called my 20 year old son, John's cancer/healing/seminary! The Cross has given John LIFE and LOVE eternal... just as it does for all of us in our lives! As we embrace our Most Cherished Cross, we die to self and find LIFE! The prayer of Mary - the rosary- was my lifeline in the year of battle for John's life! With every breath that I take, and with every beat of my heart - the Hail Mary was giving me Hope, Strength, Faith that Jesus was in control in the midst of the storm, and, as Bishop LeVoir pointed out - "In times of great agonizing fear repeat the phrase - 'Jesus, I trust in you.' " That has become my motto for LIFE, and is what St Faustina gave us to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for all those that are dying - I also use it to pray for my dead... most especially my sister, Mary, brother-in-law, Don, and father-in-law, Gerard!
The 11 kids and Sugar Bear in Minneaplis just shortly after becoming Catholic. Jesus, each day in your glorious Church is a wonderful gift to me. As a woman, I can look to your Mother to recognize the calling we receive to LOVE, and follow after YOU - be obedient to the Truth! "We must not be satisfied with morning offering, but frequently during the day we should turn to HIM whose eyes and heart are fixed on us and offer him as sincerely as we can whatever work or occupation we have on hand, begging him to make it serve for building up of the Church, which is his family. Our great model and helper is the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of the Church. If our actions are offered through her, then she will lend something of her own perfect purity of love to them, making up for whatever is defective in ours and rendering them most pleasing to God and fruitful for all the family."Fr Anselm Moynihan (1998) It is so true,Lord, that YOU love and honor your Mother, and give ear to her intercessions for us! She truly does humbly model for us how we are to follow after YOU and respond "Yes!" to your call to us to bear YOU to the world around us - most especially in our domestic Church/family. Mary,Joseph, and welcoming their Son, Jesus Christ, God made Man... they form the model of Family - The Holy Family! How I would love to have been able to watch them living their LIFE of domestic Church/Family as we are called to do! A Family that is centered on Christ and His Bride, the Church... that is a little slice of Heaven here on earth, and with your help, Jesus with your Queen Mother at your side, we can find that in our families. Hear our Prayers, and Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Halleluia
Bless-bless, Barb
"I am all thine, and all that I have is thine, O most loving Jesus, through Mary Thy most holy and Immaculate Mother." St Louis de Montfort
http://www.iipg.org/consecration1.htm Read this - a 33 day total consecration to Jesus through Mary by St Louis
Susan/Hallel wore a chain around her ankle to show that she was a slave to Jesus through Mary. She took it off to leave and go to France to join the Community of the Lamb! Yet, she is still devoted to looking to Our Lady, Queen of Heaven and Earth!
Danielle Rose - Small things with Great LOVE - Mary showed us this and we can see it in her daughters - St Therese and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The bottom line is we are called to be humble and small like Mary the Mother of God!
No comments:
Post a Comment