SPECIAL COMMENTARY
Sunday, October 8TH, 2000 - The ENTRUSTMENT
The Immaculate Heart of Mary
by Monsignor Benjamin Franzinelli, Spiritual Director
A NEWS CAPTION FROM THE CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE DESCRIBED THE EVENT OF SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8th, when Pope John Paul II, surrounded by 80 cardinals and more than 1,500 bishops, solemnly prayed for the protection of the Virgin Mary over the entire world.
With a large congregation also present in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father directed attention to the famous statue of Our Lady of Fatima, which had been brought to Rome specifically for the event. "Today we wish to confide the future that awaits us to you," the Pope said in his prayer to the Virgin; "we ask you to accompany us along the way."
In his prayer for Mary's protection, Pope John Paul observed that mankind today has acquired "extraordinary powers of intervention" over the physical world, and even over "the very sources of life."
These powers, he observed, could be used to "make the world a garden, or reduce it to a pile of ashes." The choice, he said, is between acceptance of moral law, or "science that accepts no limits," and therefore threatens human dignity.
With humanity facing this important crossroads, the Pope affirms, "O Holy Virgin, our hope for salvation is entirely and solely in your Son Jesus." He prayed that "all men will discover Christ, the light of the world and its only Savior." In his prayer, the Pope implored the Virgin's intercession on behalf of all men, beginning with the weakest". He specifically called upon Mary to help the poor, the weak, and the sick, and to rally broken families.
O’ Mary, Our Mother, Receive, the Spirit for us and with us, as happened in the first community gathered around you in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (cf. Acts 1:14). May the Spirit open our hearts to justice and love, and to guide people and nations to mutual understanding and a firm desire for peace.
Pentecost had its day and St. Paul saw the light for his conversion; add now the innumerable extraordinary conversion events recorded in our history. The witness of faith of many thousands upon a thousand Servants of Christ have marked the last millennium. But for a more immediate realization of the action of the Holy Spirit in recent time, mark well the indelible evidence of the interventions of the Holy Mother of God, Mary. In the Western World those milestones were Guadalupe, Mexico; Lourdes, France; Fatima, Portugal; and a growing number alleged as well as approved Apparitions and wonderful happenings.
Our Blessed Mother’s intervention in this time indicates her serious concern for her children for whom she has a maternal care. "WOMAN BEHOLD YOUR SON, YOUR CHILDREN"
Our Lady has become for us a beacon - the Holy Spirit is Her Lamp; the Light guiding our journey to a safe haven. Like the Apostle John, the Mother of God is to be taken into our homes, our lives, our hearts. In the very words of Our Holy Father’s ENTRUSTMENT in Rome, October 8th, in front of the miraculous statue of Our Lady transported from the Fatima Shrine: "O’ MOTHER WE WISH TO TAKE YOU INTO OUR HOME, THAT WE MAY LEARN FROM YOU (how) TO BECOME YOUR SON."
In the personal intimacy of your home, Christ’s Loving Mother is ever closer to you. Can you imagine Her gratitude for your hospitality, her proximity to your prayers and your hearing what she has to say to you?There is no doubt Our Lady will tell your heart how best you can serve Her Son and imitate His Purpose in seeking your salvation and the salvation of other souls.
The messages of Fatima, and the messages of Our Mother, Mary, from Medjugorje and every corner of the earth presents her dialogue: Her desire for our conversion, our prayers from the heart, and the victory of the Kingdom of God over evil.
The future of this 21st century has been entrusted to the hands of the Immaculate Heart of Our Lady, Queen of the Holy Rosary, the Mother of God described by the Seers of Fatima. Pope John Paul II has focused our eyes to her Apparition and Message of Fatima, recommending it as Prophetic. It is well for us to revisit those words and reflect upon its message. The message seems redundant, namely: pray, pray, pray; offer up penances for the conversion of sinners. Imitate the response of the two children of Fatima, Francesco and Jacinta, so recently beatified.
Those messages continue from Our Lady’s continuing apparitions reported elsewhere, but especially from Medjugorje. You can read up on those messages from this website.
Message of June 25, 2000 - 19th Anniversary: "Dear children! Today I call you to prayer. The one who prays is not afraid of the future. Little children do not forget, I am with you and I love you all. Thank you for having responded to my call.
Message of July 25, 2000: "Dear children! Do not forget that you are here on earth on the way to eternity and that your home is in Heaven. That is why, little children, be open to God’s love and leave egoism and sin. May your joy be only in discovering God in daily prayer. That is why, make good use of this time and pray, pray, pray; and God is near to you in prayer and through prayer. Thank you for having responded to my call." 07/2000
Message of August 25, 2000: "Dear children! I desire to share my joy with you. In my Immaculate Heart I feel that there are many of those who have drawn closer to me and are, in a special way, carrying the victory of my Immaculate Heart in their hearts by praying and converting. I desire to thank you and to inspire you to work even more for God and His kingdom with love and the power of the Holy Spirit. I am with you and I bless you with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call." 08/2000
Message of September 25, 2000: "Dear children! Today I call you to open yourselves to prayer. May prayer become joy for you. Renew prayer in your families and form prayer groups. In this way, you will experience joy in prayer and togetherness. All those who pray and are members of prayer groups are open to God’’s will in their hearts and joyfully witness God’’s love. I am with you, I carry all of you in my heart and I bless you with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call." 09/2000.
Can you recognize the common theme and spirit of motherly concern? Can we ignore their coincidence and continuing similarity of purpose and language? Her words, "It is up to you." Indeed Our Lady has, is now and shall intervene on our behalf, if for no other reason that Our Holy Father, Her Son’s Vicar, the St. Peter of our time, has asked her. But the implementation of her interventions can only bear fruit to the measure of our response to receive her into our homes, our hearts and our lives. Hear her call. And respond.