Well, it happened again—almost a total blackout of coverage by the major media outlets of the March for Life in Washington, DC. Thank God for EWTN. I wish I was able to go to the West Coast March for Life in San Francisco tomorrow, but I will be there in prayer. Please join me.
Hail Mary, Full of Grace the Lord is with thee,
Blessed are you among women and Blessed is the Fruit of your womb, Jesus!
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners—now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
I was speaking to a customer on the phone today, who was making a reservation for a moving truck to help her son and his wife move in with her. We got into a discussion about how maybe this country’s unemployment woes are part of God’s plan to get families closer to one another again. I told her it wouldn’t surprise me. We get so full of ourselves sometimes that He has to step in and slap us upside the head to remind us what is truly important.
Saturday’s readings remind us that war and fear have been a part of human experience for a very long time. Natural disasters and cruel human acts have always been with us, as has the faith of people to face these tragedies and, at times, even grow. One can’t help but be touched by the sorrow that David felt and the impact of the losses beyond just his immediate family and circle of friends. It’s another reminder of how interconnected we all are to one another. Our actions, or lack thereof, have ripple effects well beyond our viewing area. We are not isolated beings in this fragile world but a complex connected web where vibrations anywhere are felt in some way everywhere.
The psalm reflects a people reaching out almost in desperation for some favor or comfort from their God. In many ways, this feels different from the majority of psalms that seem to focus on praise. That sense of knowing that no matter what, God is there in all ways manifested and that the outcome will truly be okay is a tremendous gift. That does not mean the outcome will always be what fits my plans but I know that whatever, I need to not worry and hand it over and believe. Having the grace and faith to keep accepting is one of the most important parts of my prayers. The gentle bonk on the head that I’m not in charge!!
In the gospel, Jesus’ relatives think he is out of his mind! Of course, this doesn’t include Mary and Joseph. I can imagine how some of his actions and ways would have seemed so strange to those around him. Without the grace of the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds, we, too, might consider this over the edge. But then faith does not mean we believe what we see and feel around us—it goes beyond what might make sense and allows our hearts and minds to accept and believe without seeing. It is by the grace of God, that we KNOW Him and accept Him into our hearts.
When I got home and logged on to the Internet the first story I read in the “news” (and I use that term very loosely) was this story. Praise be to God!
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