JMJ+OBT
Omnia Pro Iesu Per Mariam!
Omnia Pro Iesu Per Mariam!
"Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening" should be our humble petition at every moment of our lives. We should have, at the same time, the disposition of heart to attentively respond to the Living Word that God speaks to us in His Divine Love. "Here I am, Lord, I come to do Your Will" is the disposition of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Just Heart of St. Joseph, and all the Holy Angels and Saints. We, who are created and called to be Saints, must have the same disposition of heart.
Jesus, Who is the Living Word, is God the Father's Word to us. God speaks to us in the Word of God. The Word is living and effective. Yes, the Word is living, and the Word is the Way, the Truth and the Life. In our Baptism we are united with the Word of God (see last week's reflection). The question is whether we have embraced the Word of God, and become one with the Word of God.
When we live our Baptism and embrace the Word of God, empowered by the Most Holy Eucharist, then the Word becomes effective in our lives. We learn from Our Blessed Mother how to embrace the Word so that it becomes effective in our lives. Our Lady embraced the Word with such dedication and devotion that by the power of the Holy Spirit the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
St. Augustine says that Our Lady conceived the Word in her heart before she conceived the Word in her womb. Our Lady shows us the effectiveness of the Word in the lives of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Our Lady is the first and perfect disciple of Jesus Christ. We imitate Mary, become like Jesus, and live for the Triune God. We find in Mary the fruitfulness that a disciple of Jesus is to bring forth as we pray "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus..." Yes, indeed, blessed is the FRUIT of thy womb, JESUS.
Recently, I had the privilege of hearing a homily by a holy Bishop, who asked the people how many people owned a cell phone. Almost everyone raised their hands. Then he asked how many people owned a Bible, and thank God, most the people raised their hands. Then he asked how many people answered their cell phone or checked their messages everyday. Then he asked the very important question: HOW MANY PEOPLE OPEN THEIR BIBLE EVERYDAY AND HOW MANY PEOPLE CHECK GOD'S MESSAGE IN THE BIBLE EVERYDAY?
The holy Bishop went on to ask whether we would return home if we left the Bible at home, and other questions to emphasise the importance we place on our cell phones, but how we often fail to place the same emphasis on the Living Word of God. He went on to make the point that we can live without the cell phone, but we cannot live without God's Word.
Learn from Our Blessed Mother how to make the Living Word effective in your life. Live as a Disciple of Jesus and Mary. Invoke the Holy Spirit and pray "speak, Lord, Your servant is listening" and then enter into the Word of God. As God speaks to your heart say "here I am, Lord, I come to do Your Will."
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Through the intercession of Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. Michael, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. John, St. James, St. Therese, St. Rita, St. Philomena, St. Jude, St. Nicholas, St. Alphonsus, St. Peter Chrysologus, St. Zachary, St. Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist, St. Perpetua, St. Felicity, St. Francis, St. Veronica Guiliani, St. Joan of Arc, St. Louis, St. Joseph Calasanz, St. Padre Pio, St. Patrick, St. Bridget, St. Columban and all the Holy Angels and Saints may you be abundantly blessed in the Covenant of Communion of the Most Holy Trinity, with my Priestly blessing,
Father Zachary of the Mother of God, SOLT
