The Fourth Sunday of Advent: Staying Close to Mary in Our Season of HOPE !

(Holy Card re-print permission granted from "Holy Cards for Your Inspiration"
http://thewindowshowsitall.blogspot.com )

Hello my dear friends in Christ!

This is such a special week as we wait for the celebration of our Lord and Savior's birth! Can you just imagine how Mary felt when she found out that she was pregnant with the Son of GOD? I can only remember my humble days of waiting for my first child's birth, also in December. . . oh the joy, and oh the waiting!

And here we are, in waiting still. How close are we to our Blessed Mother, our spiritual mother? To stay close to Mary every day of our lives is essential to finding Christ in this life and to living with Him in eternity.

I know that I need to grow closer to our Lady more each day and trust in her intercession with her Son more and more. Mary teaches us to hope and to be patient. We are so impatient in today's culture and society; wanting 'things' now, now, NOW . . . or better yet: yesterday! Those who do not aspire and believe in the attainment of eternal life with our heavenly Father and Son are those who give up, complain, who have either lukewarm or non-existant faith, and who cling to earthly 'things' above all else.

How many of us are becoming overwhelmed with the never-ending negative news around us? When we keep our minds, hearts, and souls focused on what is coming soon, we will stay focused RIGHTLY and we will be filled with JOY knowing what is to come! That JOY and that HOPE will conquer and push out all of the discouragement!

Jesus told us in Matthew 6:19, that our hope is not to be placed in the things of this worldly life, which mothes and rust destroy, and which thieves can steal, but rather our hope is to be placed in the pure treasures of unimaginable joy living in eternity with God! My hopes and prayers are that I will grow ever so much closer to Mary, and to Christ and our Heavenly Father each and every moment, to forgive my never-ending human sinfulness, and to recieve His blessings and GRACE! THAT IS MY CHRISTMAS WISH AND HOPE!

We're not just suffering now and in the past; but we are always going to do so until we find our JOY in heaven. Hope in our Lord strengthens our patience in our adversities.

Let's not forget to always place our TRUST in Jesus, for He is perfect in His timing to help us and to give us the graces that we need. Let's continue to wait for the Lord, and know that all will be well in HIS timing and not ours. Let's keep hoping and living with JOY despite our earthly dispairs.

And let us remember to be ever more devoted to our Blessed Mother, who is Christ's Mother and a necessary advocate for our salvation. In these few days before we celebrate our Lord's birth, it behooves us to look to her example of HOPE in her Son!

With amore' to you,

~ Bella

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