Live Greater Thy Kingdom Come

"It began in that hour, and of this "kingdom" there will be no end. Thus you remain the midst of the disciples as their Mother, as the Mother of hope. Holy Mary, Mother of God, our Mother, teach us to believe, to hope, to love with you. Show us the way to his Kingdom! Star of the Sea, shine upon us and guide us on our way!"

-Pope Benedict XVI (Spe Salvi, 50)

My friends, may the Lord give you His hope!

This past weekend I was on a glorious silent retreat. Yes silent. It was wonderful to turn off my phone, put down my school work, and spend some intense quality time with our Lord. The theme of the retreat was hope. Reading and praying over Pope Benedict’s encyclical was very fruitful and inspiring. Also very timely, for at the moment I went into silence for the retreat the noise was still loud about our new president and his first couple of days in office. It could have been a coincidence, but I see it as God’s providence!

Last week was historic and for many a time to rejoice. But if you are like me, the transition to a new president brought a sense of frustration and even disappointment for what the future may hold. Elections have consequences and we will see really soon what the true outcome will be. But after a weekend of prayer and reflection I hope we all can consider a different way of looking at this new challenge.

The "change" promised by our new president is evident in his plans. We are all concerned about his radical support of abortion, which is probably the most notable. There will be other things that affect our lives and policies that will that will upset us and we must do our part to stand up for life and our beliefs. But will every move and every decision made by our new leader define the way we live? Will we let his agenda control us? Will we allow it to take away our peace and passion for our faith and what is right? I hope not. Because I can tell you one thing, I will get tired and worked up really quick if my life is consumed with President Obama.

Christ is our HOPE!

"The true shepherd is one who knows even the path that passes through the valley of death; one who walks with me even on the path of final solitude, where no one can accompany me, guiding me through: he himself has walked this path, he has descended into the kingdom of death, he has conquered death, and he has returned to accompany us not and to give us certainty that, together with him, we can find a way through." (Spe Salvi, 6)

While praying, it hit me. "Of His kingdom there will be no end!" (Luke 1:33) It was kind of like a spark that put in perspective this new world we find ourselves in. As much as our culture might change and as heart breaking and challenging it might be, Jesus will have the last word. As the cross and resurrection have shown us, HE wins…end of story.

Now this might not do much for us as our country and world for that matter are still in the fascination mode. But when you find yourself worried, frustrated, and wondering what is going to become of us, remember Luke 1:33. Write it down, put it on your mirror, make up a song about it, or do whatever it takes to remember that the Kingdom of our Lord cannot be conquered. The end is decided and with great hope it is up to us to fight the battle of truth and love. Jesus knows our struggles, He walks with us and we can be certain that He will see this through.

Let us turn to Mary who is our hope and guide to her Son. May she give us great confidence and hope as we strive to live for Jesus and the salvation of souls.

Mr. President, the hope you speak of is not yours to give. We pray you find the true hope of Jesus and that He becomes your way, truth, and life. We are praying for you…

God Bless You,

In Mary,

Rusty

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