Our Lady’s Lent message to Marija

Dear children! At this time, in a special way I call you: ‘pray with the heart’. Little children, you speak much and pray little. Read and meditate on Sacred Scripture, and may the words written in it be life for you. I encourage and love you, so that in God you may find your peace and the joy of living. Thank you for having responded to my call. February 25, 2012

Let the message of Christ, in all its richness,
find a home with you... Colossians 3 : 16

Lord, you have the message of eternal life. John 6 : 68

• Who hasn’t whiled away their time in the company of others “putting the world to right” and talking as if they have “all the answers”?

Our Lady is spot on with this message. It’s not the first time she has said that we speak much and pray little, perhaps a dozen times already.

Yes, I find it hard to resist from wanting to “put the world to right” at times. There is so much to put right, isn’t there? I am never lacking when it comes to being fed bad news that needs a comment or two or a few words of my ‘wisdom’ or opinion. If only people listened...

But there are some who will listen to what I have to say. Maybe not the politicians and the experts, or even my friends and neighbours, but people with a lot more power and influence on the outcome of what happens in this world. Our Lady is just one example. I can also choose to listen to the Quiet Voice that speaks to me through the words of Holy Scripture.

I may not always be able to put the world to right as I see it but I can hand over the difficult task to Jesus and his Blessed Mother, and let God be God, so to speak, and learn to understand that all of creation is in his hands. When I begin putting my own house and heart in order then I know the world will start to appear to be a better place. “Putting the world to right” begins with myself.

My wife reckons I could talk for England when I start chipping in with my two-penny-worth of opinion. And she’s not slow to point out the times I “talk a good game” and when my tongue seems to be the only muscle I use in my body! So there are two women in my life who have me sussed!

It’s not that I don’t pray. I do. But I have to admit that the precious time I spend rabbiting on with people, and even online, about stuff that really isn’t that important in God’s plan for me or for the world, could be better spent in prayer.

“Do not talk about peace, but make peace… I do not desire you to talk about prayer, but to pray… You talk and talk but do not pray… You speak much about God, but you witness little with your life… You cannot speak or witness about prayer, if you do not pray… I urge you, little children, to speak less and to work more on your personal conversion so that your witness may be fruitful… Little children, you speak much about God, but you witness little with your life… There are many who think that they are doing a lot by talking about the messages, but do not live them… You are talking but you are not doing…”