Mary Gentle or Tough – Jesus the Person – Here I am to Worship – Let’s Fast

Vincentian Day of Fast and Prayer Tuesday May 13, 2014

Dear Vincentian Family: I pray everyone in your family is well and feeling the love of belonging to Christ. Listen! Jesus is calling your name. Your resurrection is here. Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is Risen. I never tire of saying this. Get our children back is the mournful cry. Together we pray for the freedom of those young girls. Each day I will pray, please join me but especially today.

Pray for seminarians especially Andrew whose family is a tremendous benefactor for SSVP. Pray for all religious, priests, deacons, bishops and our beloved Pope Francis. Christ is with us, we are His disciples. Amen!

Mary, Gentle or Tough – Do you ever think of Mary as being tough? I always think gentle, full of grace. Mary is gentle and pious, but at the same time is one tough woman. Not with roughness, but a tough love. Mary is portrayed as meek in pictures and statues and in our minds and prayers. Our vision is of the gentle mother, coddling her baby with gentleness. I think of how tough

Mary was when Jesus was separated from her and Joseph. She had to be frantic, but she held strong. During the time people mocked her Son, she bravely supported what she knew was His calling even to watching Him die on the cross. She never stopped loving God and she had the kind of toughness, softened with gentleness. Mary loved deeply. Ask Mary in your prayers for the

Grace to love our Lord as she does and for the toughness it takes to allow your child to grow to an adult. Our gentle Lady offers grace to all who come to her. She is waiting for us to spend time with her. When we look at her gentle image, it calls us to pray. Ask her to help us be tough and share in her unconditional love for our children. Help us to be tough in a gentle way. She is our loving mother and wants to spend time with us. Hail Mary full of Grace!

Jesus the Person – Pope Francis said a Christian should never be sad or discouraged. For ours is not the love of having possessions, but from having an encounter with a person – Jesus! Jesus was like us in everything, but sin. He was real and felt pain. He suffered and asked for things to change, if it were the Father’s will. Yes, Jesus is the real thing, a person, who loved the Father beyond our comprehension. The Father loves us, too. He gave us the Son. Jesus is alive in our work. He certainly fed the hungry as do we. His was certainly miraculous, but He always thought of those who do not have enough. He also shared the broken bread and wine at the last supper to let us know He is always with us. We do not perform the same dramatic miracles, but each time we go to those in need, bringing food, or a message of hope, a miracle is performed. Jesus is the person who helps us carry out these miracles.

Here I am to Worship – God is there for us and truly overcomes evil and helps us to do the same. If we got to know ourselves better and got in touch with our inner selves, we would see God.

He loves us even when there is sin in us, He calls us to worship – He calls us to love ourselves. We often do not think we are good enough, however we make a difference each day we serve Him. You know you made a difference in someone’s life this week. We do not need to be smart, or rich, or famous or even beautiful or heaven forbid, perfect to make a difference in someone’s life. We just have to be there at the hospital bed, at the death or illness of a child, or in the prison. We are called each day to worship those our Lord places before us and we are called to see Jesus in them. Through our Lord we turn lives around and truly make a difference. Always remember to worship. To love is to care. Caring is opening ourselves to weakness which is so much better than bitterness. It truly is better to care, with the love of God. We are Easter people and Christ is Risen, Alleluia. Our Faith allows us to burst out in song, worship and service. Even are darkest moments become brilliant rays of hope. We know God is there always and definitely has our back. We are Easter people, come to worship.

Let’s Fast – Yes, Lent is over and we are still in the Easter Season. We don’t need a calendar reason to fast, especially if we fast from being hurtful. We can fast from losing our temper (this is a good one for me); fast from gossip and idleness; it is always good from being mean and instead be gentle of heart. We can love more! Do not spend your time fasting from food, fast from unpleasant treatment of others, especially those close to you. It is easier to be angry at someone who loves you deeply, but is not the best. Love and be loved and gentle of heart. You can be tough without being a bully or a harsh person. Being tough is controlling your emotions of anger and putting others down. Celebrate life in your fast.
Blessings,
Lynn