The attack on marriage is really an attack on the human person, and his dignity, for the devil seeks to pervert our true purpose, to pervert God's holy design. For many of us, we cannot march in protests or write dozens of letters or call numerous times to urge legislators to vote for the Truth. But one thing we can all do is pray and fast. We have designated one day each week to fast for these intentions:

1. That marriage may be preserved, promoted, and understood as God's plan for creation.

2. For all marriages that they may reflect the love of the Trinity.

3. For broken marriages that Christ bring healing and conversion to the spouses' souls.

4. For those who are married, for the sanctification of their marriage and their spouse. For those who are single, for their future spouse and vocation.


Thursday, June 5, 2014

June 6 Fast

+
JMJ
"My heart had expected reproach and misery. And I looked for the one that would grieve together with me, and there was none: and I sought one that would console me, and I found none." (Ps 68:21)
June is the month of the Sacred Heart; a time to ponder the depth and greatness of Our Lord's love and mercy.  Father Michael Gaitley, in his book 33 Days to Morning Glory, noted that Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta was particularly drawn to the above Scripture verse that is used for the Offertory on the Feast of the Sacred Heart.  She responded to our thirsting Lord:
"Tell Jesus, "I will be the one."  I will comfort, encourage, and love Him. . . Be with Jesus.  He prayed and prayed, and then He went to look for consolation, but there was none. . . I always write that sentence, "I looked for one to comfort Me, but I found no one."  Then I write, "Be the one." So now you be that one.  Try to be the one to share with Him, to comfort Him, to console Him.  So let us ask Our Lady to help us understand."
How can we comfort Our Lord? By loving Him with the same pure, unadulterated love that issued forth from His Sacred Heart on the cross.  A love that is satisfied with the wellbeing of the other, a love that is given freely without expecting gratitude in return.  That is an easy love to read and dream about, but one much more difficult to put into practice.  It is a love that takes perseverance and patience, a love that must fight through fatigue and frustration, disappointment and despair just as Our Lord did on the way to Calvary.  

A young mother rushes to the aid of her newborn babe at the slightest cry; she attends to his every need without hesitating and first considering the cost it entails.  Her maternal heart selflessly forgoes small pleasures, and even necessities, in order to console her dependent child at any given moment of the day.

 Someone who has emerged from the infant stage may no longer be dependent for physical necessities, but will always be crying out for love.  A person thirsting for love, and comfort is as helpless as the babe crying out for his mother.  Yes, our duties are numerous, but above all our duty is to love.  Our task in this life is to love.  In this we can imitate the example of the Most Merciful Mother, whose maternal heart aches to comfort those Her Son died to save.  Like her, let us seek out those, especially within our family, whose hearts yearn for our love, who yearn for His merciful love.




Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)