Feb. 24 - Day 5 of our journey

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today is “Mary’s Day” in the Catholic Church and has been for centuries. Let us ask her special intercession for all of us on this journey to renew our Total Consecration for Jesus through Mary or to pray that Act of Total Consecration for the first time. God’s Grace has led us to make this journey and God’s Grace will take us one step at a time.

St. Louis De Montfort is certainly following Jesus’ lead in starting us on this 33 day journey by writing:

1. Those who desire to take up this special devotion, … should spend at least twelve days in emptying themselves of the spirit of the world, which is opposed to the spirit of Jesus, as I have recommended in the first part of this preparation for the reign of Jesus Christ.

In the Gospel of Mark we read Jesus’ words:

"Repent and believe in the Gospel. "(Mk 1:15).

Repent is a significant word for us, especially in Lent. We need our Lady’s prayerful intercession, that by the power of the Hoy Spirit we may truly know what it is we need to repent of, and what we need to empty ourselves of; we need to discern what the spirit of the world is that we may empty ourselves of it. We do not want to oppose the spirit of Jesus!

Mary our Mother is Mother and Model for the Church and God tells us in His Word that Mary “ponderered all in her heart” (Luke 2:19 and Luke 2:51). On this 5th day of our journey let us pnder the words of the Beloved Disciple of Jesus, who took Mary at the foot of the Cross into his life. In John’s First letter, Chapter 4, he wrote:

Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God, and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus does not belong to God. This is the spirit of the antichrist that, as you heard, is to come, but in fact is already in the world. You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They belong to the world; accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world, and the world listens to them. We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.( 1 Jn 4: 1-6)

The “we” John is speaking about is the community of believers and especially those first disciples and witnesses of Christ. Let us ponder what God is telling us through His Beloved Disciple. These are inspired words of Revelation.

Come Holy Spirit, kindle in us the Fire of Your Love.
Mary Mother of the Church, pray for us.
Jesus, we trust in You.