He Chose You
There were two criminals crucified beside Jesus; unlike Jesus, these men were guilty of their crimes. Suffering in the final hours of his life, one of the men had a profound, life-changing conversion. He set his eyes on heaven and desiring to be with Jesus forever said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom.”
For many parents, our past looks different than the future we desire for our children. For example, my son, who was conceived when I was a teen, learned that I went to three different abortion appointments to end his life. It is in these moments that we must allow God’s grace to enter into these conversations.
I explained to my teens that I arrived at motherhood as a kid myself; for a long time, I chose darkness. I chose to stay broken. I chose to wander in a desert, hungry and thirsty, with no idea where I was headed. I chose to deny Jesus, say yes to temptation, and even open the gate for the prowling lion...
But, today — I choose differently. Simple as that.
If your past looks different than the future you want for your children allow it to be an opportunity to teach them the power of God’s mercy. Let us all have the courage and humility to let go of our past with a contrite heart and say, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
When we listen to the Passion this Palm Sunday, remember Peter. Remember that he denied our Lord three times, and he was still chosen. God didn't choose Peter because he wasn't going to fall; He chose him because he would get back up. As Venerable Fulton Sheen wrote, "What happens to us is not so important, but rather how we react to what happens. Judas and Peter both sinned against the Lord, and he called them both devils. But one became a Saint because he overcame his weakness with the help of God's grace." (Way to Inner Peace, Ch. 40)
As we look towards this week that will end in Christ's Passion, we remember that He chose you. He walked the road to Calvary because He knows that you struggle with sin. As a parent, there are times when you will fall. There are times when your past will catch up with the present, and you'll feel too low to keep walking, too low to keep having these important conversations with your kids... Don't stop.
Parents, we're in this together. Saint Peter, pray for us!
DIVINE MERCY
In the 1930's Jesus shared a powerful message of His Divine Mercy with a nun named Sr. Faustina. Jesus asked Sr. Faustina to meditate on His sorrowful passion for the mercy of the world.
Praying for and sharing Christ’s Divine Mercy bears witness to the dignity of the human person and God’s perfect, merciful love for each of us.
While we can say the Divine Mercy Chaplet each day the Divine Mercy Novena is prayed together as a Church from Good Friday (April 7) to Divine Mercy Sunday. Find the prayer here!
Don’t forget this week’s Pray, Grow, and Serve devotional!
