Donkey's Don't Suffer Anxiety

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What is coming is the single greatest opportunity for the New Evangelization. In the long game, times of uncertainty and trial are the opportunity for a great number of souls to come to Jesus. We are just beginning. This is it. This is the time we have been waiting for since St. John Paull II told us to get ready for the New Spring-Time in the Faith. It was precisely for this time and these circumstances that God placed you in the world. Now, uncertainty can lead to anxiety and anger. You may be tempted to be absorbed by the media waiting for the election to be resolved. If you do that there is a good chance you will succumb to anxiety and self-destructive anger. The best antidote to uncertainty and anxiety is to get busy as a Donkey of Mary and carry Mary and Jesus to someone else.

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At the Annunciation, God, through the Angel Gabriel invites Mary to become the Mother of the Son of God. Mary consents and the Holy Spirit falls upon her and she conceives Jesus in her womb at that moment. What follows next is a great time of uncertainty. No woman has ever conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. How is this going to turn out. There was plenty for Mary to be anxious about. She could have become self-absorbed by all the myriad of bad possible outcomes.  Instead, she went with haste to the hill country of Judah to help care for the human and emotional needs of Elizabeth and Zechariah and to bring Jesus to them. Mary picked some lucky Donkey to Carry her and Jesus to others. Imagine if that Donkey knew what the mission was and who he was doing it for. What joy and dignity he would have felt! Mary and Jesus want to go on mission again and they need Donkey’s. Mary cannot continue to fulfill the mission of the Visitation now unless some Donkey is willing to carry her and Jesus. Will you do this for Our Lady? Will you carry Mary and Jesus to someone else?  

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The Angel revealed to Mary who was in need, her elderly cousin Elizabeth. Mary responded immediately and went to her. To be a Donkey of Mary we first ask the Holy Spirit,

“To whom should I go?”

“Mary who do you want to go to?”

There are some obvious people, those you live with, your spouse, your kids, grandkids, roommates.

There are different ways to approach them. No matter the circumstance or the relationship or the history – the first step is to ensure that we really know, understand, love and care for them. At the least we must demonstrate that we value their dignity as a human person who has a story, has goodness, insights and ideas. By our genuine interest in them we communicate that God made them, they are of great value, they have some essential role in His plan. The bottom line is this: If you know me, understand me and value me as a person; then I give you the trust and permission to ask and invite me to spiritual things I’m not used to, because I trust you – that you want good for me.

Have I demonstrated this to my spouse, kids, grandkids, roommates, others? If not – that is the place to start.

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This is a Movement of friendship, good conversation and the Rosary. But it may not come easy to you to talk to others about spiritual things or maybe you don’t have someone you can talk to about God and faith. That is not unusual. Start small and with those who want to. Share the rosary podcast with others until you find someone who does it, likes it and wants to talk about it. You may need to share it with 10 before you get one. Then maybe number 11 gives you 2. Now you have two other friends to share friendship and good conversation and the Rosary – wow – now you are living the simple way of life.

How do you go about the conversation? Get to know, understand, love and care for them on the natural level and then ask them – “What has caught your attention during the Rosaries recently?” Why did that strike you? Tell me more about that.  

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This takes no additional time

Just do what you normally do and do it with others, those who live with you and beyond. Share a meal, go for a walk, have a coffee or a beer or a donnut – I guess you could do beers and donnuts together…watch a game, lift weights, heck I don’t know – just do what you do and invite others to do it and while you are doing it, talk, get to know them, delight in their lives. Now you are sharing life together, talking about what matters to them. Now your in the perfect position to do one of two things: share the Rosary podcast with them or invite them to pray the Rosary with you. Then ask them what caught their attention during the meditation and talk about that. You were going to do what you were going to do and you were going to pray the rosary and you want to have good conversation about important matters anyway – see this is not in addition to your life – this is your simple way of life!