Day Sixteen of Lent – The Greatest of Miracles

REFLECTION AND PRAYER
Day Sixteen of Lent
The Greatest of Miracles

[Jesus] said, “Do not weep any longer, for she is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed him, because they knew that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and called to her, “Child, arise!” Her breath returned and she immediately arose. He then directed that she should be given something to eat. – Luke 8:52b-55

This was but one of the many miracles that Jesus performed. Our Blessed Mother witnessed Jesus’ miracles throughout His public ministry. His first miracle, at the Wedding of Cana, was done at her request. After that, Jesus performed many more. The dead were raised, the multitudes were fed, demons were cast out, the blind and deaf were cured and so much more.

As our Blessed Mother stood at the foot of the Cross, she would have hoped for one more miracle. As she gazed at her Son, she heard the mockery of the scribes and elders as they said, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. So he is the king of Israel! Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him” (Matthew 27:42). And though there were some who were hoping that Jesus would come down from the Cross and save Himself in an earthly way, the miracle that our Blessed Mother hoped for was far greater.

What miracle did she hope for as she gazed at the Crucifixion of her Son? She hoped that the saving grace of His perfect sacrifice would be poured forth on all people so as to wipe away their sins. She hoped that the very scribes, Pharisees and elders who mocked her Son would convert and be saved on account of His death. She hoped that the soldiers who nailed Him to the wood would come to see the power of His Cross and turn their lives over to her Son. The greatest miracle that our Blessed Mother hoped for at the foot of the Cross was the salvation of the world.

Like Mary, we too must seek the greatest good in our lives and in the lives of others. Though at times we can be selfish in our desires and hopes, we must push beyond this selfishness and seek the miracle that was the culmination of Jesus’ life. We must seek our own eternal salvation and the salvation of all.

Reflect, today, upon the miraculous power of our divine Lord. He can raise the dead, heal the sick, feed the multitude and restore sight to the blind. But there is one thing that He cannot do. He cannot impose the grace of His saving sacrifice upon those who obstinately resist it. Commit yourself to total openness to this grace so that Jesus’ greatest miracle may be accomplished more fully in your life and so that the hope in the heart of our Blessed Mother may be fulfilled.

PRAYER

My dear Mother, you witnessed so many miraculous events in the life and ministry of your Son. You saw Him raise the dead, heal the sick and cast out demons. As you stood before the Cross on which hung your only Son, you may have been tempted to despair. But in your perfect faith, you dismissed such temptations and hoped in the last and greatest miracle offered by your Son. You had perfect hope in the miracle of the salvation of the world.

My dear Mother, pray for me that I may be a recipient of this last and greatest miracle. Help me to open wide the door of my heart so that I may receive all that your Son offers me from the Cross.

My precious Lord, I thank You for this last and greatest act of Your life. I thank You for the grace poured forth from Your Cross for my salvation and that of the whole world. I open my life to You, dear Lord, and beg that I may receive all that You wish to bestow upon me. I love You, dear Lord. Help me to love You more.

40 Days Journey with Our Lord
Day Sixteen: The Word of God

“He said in reply, ‘It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’’” This was Jesus’ response to satan when tempted to turn stones into bread to satiate His physical hunger. Though it is a rejection of satan’s foolish attempt, it goes much further than a rejection. It also identifies the mission we all have in life.

The “word that comes forth from the mouth of God” is the Word of God. Jesus is that Eternal Word. Because Jesus’ endurance of the desert was a sacrificial act of love for us, then what He speaks here is especially for us as we endure our temptations in life. Jesus is saying to us: Do not live for that which is passing, but live for that which is eternal. What is eternal is all that He revealed and gave to us as the Eternal Word.

Jesus, the Eternal Word, is Eternal Truth. All that we need to know, understand, believe, and live by is found in the very Person of Jesus. He is the full revelation of the Father in Heaven and the full revelation of what it means to be human.

When satan tempted Jesus to turn stones into food to satiate His hunger, Jesus did what we all must do. He is the model and the Way to perfection. Therefore, when the evil one tempts us, our response must be Jesus’ response. We must choose to live by “every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Practically speaking, this means we must sort through temptations, lies, desires, and impulses by using the Word of Truth as our prism, elevating our minds to Christ, uniting our wills to His, and dismissing the disordered temptation inflicted upon us. Essentially, two voices speak to us all the time.

There is the distorted and confusing voice of the evil one, influencing our fallen human nature, and the supernatural voice of our Lord, calling us to a new height of supernatural living. The more we live by God’s voice, the more we understand what He says, the easier it will be to reject temptation.

The gateway to the Word of God is what is found in Scripture. By prayerfully pondering the Scriptures, especially the Gospels, we come to know the Living Word of God. We come to know the Voice of God, the Wisdom of God, the Truth Himself. This must become a daily exercise by which we become more and more familiar with the Eternal Word as God guides every decision we make in life.

Ponder your soul and ask yourself which voice you listen to more often. Do you allow the distortions of the evil one to tempt you toward selfish indulgences, or do you keep focused on the pure and holy Word of the Lord? Are your daily decisions based upon that which gives you instant gratification?

Or are your daily decisions based on the example of sacrificial love and selflessness lived and taught by Jesus? Learn to live by “every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” Learn to live by the Wisdom of the Eternal Word. Get to know Him through your prayerful reading of the Scriptures every day and by listening to His voice within the depths of your soul.

PRAYER

Jesus, Eternal Word of the Father, You and You alone must be my guide in life. I pray that I will hear Your voice as You speak to me Your eternal wisdom and Truth. Please free my mind from the many lies and temptations of the evil one so that I will be free to follow You with all my heart.

Mother Mary, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

Source: mycatholiclife