Thursday of the First Week of Lent overshadows the Commemoration of Our Lady of Lourdes, but today's Gospel call to take up our cross, follow Jesus, and in the reading from Deuteronomy, the invitation to choose life, can easily be tied into Mary, the Immaculate Conception. In view of her role as Mother of God, she was preserved from any stain of original sin: she had no inclination to sin, and remained sinless from the moment of her conception to her assumption into heaven. Yet she knew the cross, and is regarded as the First Disciple of her Son. And, surely, as she gave her FIAT to the archangel Gabriel, she chose Life, the life of God himself who came to dwell in her and through her, brought life to us. She stands as a fitting model as we begin our Lenten Journey toward a deeper and closer discipleship with Jesus. When we are tempted, or when we fall into doubt and frustration at our behavior, or question, "Why me, Lord?" when the cross weighs heavier than we'd like on our shoulders, a thought of Mary and her life, a Hail Mary, slowly prayed, can help stabilize us and keep us on our Lenten path. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Bro. Rene
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