Welcome to Truth of the Spirit. I am Patti Brunner. This is day 26 of “Daily Meditations for Lent” on Sunday of week 4. We will share personal revelations given during Lent for you to discern and other contemplations to help you grow “in closeness to the Lord through truth, repentance, and the word of God moving into fullness within your heart.”
We are now midway in our Lent and beginning the 4th week of Lent. How are you doing? Has the grace of Lent and sacrifices allowed your faith to bloom? The Church calls this Laetare Sunday. Laetare is Latin for “Rejoice”. It compares to the mid-point of Advent and Gaudate Sunday. You know, lest the sacrificial nature of Lent drag us down, the Church in its wisdom gives us two very special solemnity celebrations that generally fall in the midst of Lent: The Annunciation on March 25th and the solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary on March 19. The Lord teaches us something about family with these feasts. In the U.S. when they fall on Sunday they are moved a day. So in 2023 we set aside our fasting on Monday March 20th and then on Saturday we celebrate again with Mary. Rejoice indeed!
My own patron saint, St. Patrick, is also celebrated in some dioceses with a release from fasting on March 17. Let’s recall the joy in our faith as we celebrate the “Yes” of Mary and St. Joseph to God’s plan of the Incarnation of Jesus, true God, true man as we consider family as a way to holiness this Lent.
As I prayed on the day of the Annunciation I heard the Lord say to us, “My Child, the everlasting grace is available to all who call upon the name of the Lord. I Am provides for all his children, all his followers, all his beloved. The continuous need for grace is always surpassed by its availability, its abundance. Continue to prepare your life; continue to prepare your work; continue to prepare your product; continue to prepare your fruit for consumption,” says the Lord.
Last year on the feast of the Annunciation the Lord taught me this about family love. The Lord said, “My child each person has opportunities and failures. With the power and grace of God—all things are possible—including couples who have Golden Wedding Anniversaries! In the imperfections of life, I Am,” the Lord says. “I bring the kingdom into those moments to reveal love, my love, my sacrificial love.
“It tests the will and purifies the heart towards the image of God. Sacrificial love is also brought forward through family: being a servant—in working and homemaking to provide for others in selfless acts, setting aside selfish needs and unselfish ones. What glorious training within the Kingdom of God! What clear reflections of the Savior! This is why Satan hates families and marriages, and why he promotes pleasure and selfishness and “me, me, me” lives. Only in the midst of sacrificial love can true joy be found.” The Lord says, “I give you those moments of unconditional love. They are moments of the Kingdom of Heaven breaking through to encourage you on this journey of preparation for eternal life. Forgiveness is part of sacrificial love, too. In marriages you get the chance, often, to learn and practice forgiveness. Praise God for this opportunity. From the beginning,” the Lord says, “I created you in my image. Family reveals Me to the world especially the unconditional love within the family.” Isn’t that beautiful!
As I prayed in the adoration chapel on the solemnity of St. Joseph, the Lord said, “Sweet Child, each time you come here I fill your heart with my Grace. It strengthens you in the Way and allows you to grow in understanding of My Kingdom. Continue to seek aide for those of my Children who need my help—especially those who forget to ask. I long to heal all my children, but, alas, they choose not to ask for it nor are they each open to receive it with contrite hearts. A few I allow to suffer, for now, because it is only in their pain that they turn to me. In their good health, they look to their wealth for their satisfaction to make their life meaningful. Continue to reach out to all my children. Help those who will let you. Continue to pray for those who won’t.” The Lord then shared with me this amazing poem:
“I listen to my people but they call not to Me.
I send my Son but they know Him not
I purchased for them life with the Blood of the Lamb
And they refused my Gift
“I send my Spirit to bring them hope and understanding
They reject because it is not written down for them
I send my Comforter to teach and guide each heart and mind to glorify the Father
And they glorify man running on a field of green or wood.
“Bring my people to the edge of this world
Show them the abyss they run towards
Lead them to the Kingdom where instead there is life
My kingdom–the Father, Son and Holy Ghost–awaits.”
This Lent the Lord has more to tell us about hope, understanding and resurrection power. This is Day 26. We invite you to listen each day for words from the Lord and Daily Meditations for Lent. Remember: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your heart.” Easter is coming! “Prepare for it, ready your heart.” The transcript of this episode is available at PatriarchMinistries.com/296. Come back tomorrow for more. With the Holy Spirit there’s always more. Amen.
