Mary our loving Mother and protector

Notes of Praise and Intercession Meeting  25 November 2014

A picture of Our Lady with her mantle spread wide.
She says:
My dear children, beloved of my Heart, you who are in the image of my Son Jesus. I myself nurture you and protect you and take you unto me within my mantle. Here I protect you just as I protected my baby Son Jesus against all evil.
Open your hearts and you will know that I will protect you!
As you are loyal to my beloved Son Jesus so I am loyal to you my children I love you with a mothers love. With a mothers longing I nurture you and guide you in the ways of peace till finally you come home to my Son Jesus and all of us in Heaven where all are surrounded in great Joy, Peace and Love.
My Son's blessing be upon you.
Your loving Mother Mary.

A picture of us in a boat with Jesus, his hands on the tiller directing the course we travel.

Matthew 25:31-46  •  Christ the King (Solemnity) (A)
³¹ 'When the Son of man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory.
³² All nations will be assembled before him and he will separate people one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats.
³³ He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.
³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right hand, "Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take as your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.
³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome,
³⁶ lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me."
³⁷ Then the upright will say to him in reply, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome, lacking clothes and clothe you?
³⁹ When did we find you sick or in prison and go to see you?"
⁴⁰ And the King will answer, "In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me."
⁴¹ Then he will say to those on his left hand, "Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
⁴² For I was hungry and you never gave me food, I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink,
⁴³ I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, lacking clothes and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me."
⁴⁴ Then it will be their turn to ask, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or lacking clothes, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?"
⁴⁵ Then he will answer, "In truth I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me."
⁴⁶ And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the upright to eternal life.'



When Christ comes again, he will judge us on whether or not we have kept the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20:2-17), that is, on our obedience to God’s law. He will also judge us on whether or not we followed his commandment to love our neighbour: ‘This I command you, to love one another’ (John 15:17), that is, on our treatment of others. This judgement is perhaps a more searching one. Christ wishes to reward us for the good we have done. He has no desire to punish us or exclude us from heaven.
Jesus laid down his life for us. He loves us unconditionally. It is critical that we grasp the depth of his love for us so that we are not paralysed with fear or by the prospect of his judgement. It is vital that we contemplate God’s love towards us, recognizing his mercy and kindness. In this way we will grow in our knowledge and experience of God’s love. Out of love for us God promised: ‘I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the cripple, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice’ (Ezek. 34:16). He fulfilled his promise when he sent Jesus as our Shepherd: ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want’ (Ps. 23:1). Jesus brings us back to the Father, bandages up our wounds, strengthens us through the gift of his body and blood, and protects us from Satan’s ferocious attacks. We live in Jesus’ love. This enables us to love others as he has loved us (John 15:12).
Matthew lists some practical ways of loving others: feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and those in prison (vv. 35-36). Fundamentally, loving others is taking care of them and serving their needs – being a blessing to them in any way that we can. This is not difficult for our love for others flows out of a grateful heart, a heart that knows it is loved. Reflect on the many ways that God shows his love for you. Let his love fill your heart. Then let his love overflow to others.
Jesus, I want to love as you have loved me. Give me an open, generous heart. Show me practical ways to love others.