June 27 - "Mary's Day" - Our need to pray with Supernatural Faith

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Saturday is “Mary’s Day” to honor her Supernatural Faith, on the Holy Saturday after Jesus’ death. Mary continued to believe He would rise just as He said. Others doubted.

Today’s Mass readings for Saturday speak to us of Faith and our need to pray for an increase in Supernatural Faith, Hope and Charity given in Baptism. Today is also the optional Memorial of St. Cyril, bishop and Doctor of the Church, who greatly defended Mary as Mother of God in the Council of Ephesus.

Having listened to both sets of Readings, I focused on the readings for Saturday. Hopefully, you’ll take time to read both but especially ponder the First Reading from the Old Testament Book of Lamentations in which the prophet weeps over Jerusalem. See if it speaks to your heart about the Church today – and our need to pray with with Supernatural Faith!

Today’s Gospel continues chapter 8 in Matthew. After curing the leper in yesterday’s Gospel, Jesus today cures the servant of a Roman Officer because of this Officer’s faith. There is a natural faith which can lead to supernatural faith, and we need to hear Jesus speaking to us all today, deep within our own hearts.

Excerpt from Reading 1:

…Your prophets had for you
false and specious visions;
They did not lay bare your guilt,
to avert your fate;
They beheld for you in vision
false and misleading portents.

Cry out to the Lord;
moan, O daughter Zion!
Let your tears flow like a torrent
day and night;
Let there be no respite for you,
no repose for your eyes.

Rise up, shrill in the night,
at the beginning of every watch;
Pour out your heart like water
in the presence of the Lord;
Lift up your hands to him
for the lives of your little ones
Who faint from hunger
at the corner of every street. ( Lamentations 2:2 )

Excerpts from today’s Gospel:

…“Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.
I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,
and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven,
but the children of the Kingdom
will be driven out into the outer darkness,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
And Jesus said to the centurion,
“You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.”
And at that very hour his servant was healed…

… When it was evening, they brought Him many
who were possessed by demons,
and He drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick,
to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet:

He took away our infirmities and bore our diseases. (from Mt. 8: 5-17)

Mary, Mother of the Church help us to pray with supernatural Faith – the little ones of God are hungering for God’s Truth in a world of turmoil! Come Holy Spirit fill us with the Fire of Your Love and the strength of Mary’s Faith in Jesus. Jesus we trust in You!

For more on "Supernatural Faith see: Natural and Supernatural Faith - Homiletic & Pastoral Review

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Stephie,

Thanks again for your Faith-full and loving “heart.” Hope you’ll have time to read the article I linked to the post today. So many have never learned about the importance of prayer for our ongoing growth in holiness and/or the importance of supernatural faith in that process from our birth into Christ and new Life in Him, at Baptism until the hour of our death on earth.

Maybe the weekend will give people more time to ponder the beauty of God’s Grace which is a share in His Divine Life and in reading this article they may also realize that if we do not pray with faith that is God’s gift, we may be saying just words.

The Letter of James is very helpful when we listen with attention and devotion and truly ponder all He says in our hearts: In Chap. 1 verses 2- 7 God says:

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that **the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And **let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it. But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways…

Please let us continue to pray for one another, for the Church and for the world in so much in need of God’s Grace and Mercy. Let us pray with supernatural faith which is God’s gift.