Apr. 25 - Feast of St. Mark - Saturday - "Mary's Day"

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Saturdays have become more and more special as “Mary’s Day” for me. For centuries the Catholc Church has honored our Mother Mary on Saturdays because of her great faith on Holy Satururday, when she may have been the only human person on earth believing Jesus would rise from the dead. Mary believed with “great faith” when the disciples whom Jesus had chided for their “little faith” had run from Him; one had betrayed him and another denied he even knew Him.

Mary is Mother or our faith and Mother of the Church for Jesus lived first in her by the privilege of Her Immaculate Conception preserving her from originals sin and making her a pure tabernacle in which she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit the Incarnate Son of God, Jesus the Word Made flesh in her womb.

In today’s Mass reading we hear God’s encouragement to be like Mary, our Mother, the First Letter of Peter who had denied Christ, yet repented :

Beloved:
Clothe yourselves with humility
in your dealings with one another, for:

God opposes the proud
but bestows favor on the humble.

So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that He may exalt you in due time.
Cast all your worries upon him because He cares for you.

Be sober and vigilant.
Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, steadfast in faith,
knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world
undergo the same sufferings.
The God of all grace
who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus
will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you
after you have suffered a little.
To him be dominion forever. Amen…

The Gospel gives us another call to live His Truth as Mary did by humility and faith:

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
“Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature…

….they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

Not everyone is called to “preach” in the same way. We are not all ordained priests or deacons to preach at Mass nor are we all catechists or even mothers and fathers who teach their children, but we are all called to carry the Light of the Gospel into the world by living in Christ – He enables us to speak His truth by living His Life humbly in Supernatural Faith, Hope and above all Charity!

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your Faithful; kindle in us the Fire of Your Love. Jesus, Living in Mary, Come and Live in us! Mary Mother of the Church, pray for us. St. Mark, Evangelist, pray for us.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Cath, and edward_george1,

Thank you both for your “hearts” which tell us of your love for Jesus through Mary and the Holy Scriptures which are so important for our learning to live and remain in Christ! Perhaps you;ve already heard the good news:

Bishops of U.S., Canada will consecrate their nations to Mary, May 1
For more see article HERE

How I thank the Lord for this! It has been so good to know many of us have continued praying the Rosary with attention and devotion, for many years, and yet painful to see so many both inside and outside the Catholic Church, who continued to ignore or worse disrespect our Mother Mary.

How I thank God for His Love and Faithfulness in Honoring Mary and hearing the prayers of those who love Him through Mary! His Holy Word continues to ring true:

We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28)