5/31/11

Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit


VISITING PRIVILEGES

"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit." -Luke 1:41

On this feast of the Visitation, the Lord reveals to us that even infants in the womb can receive the Holy Spirit by the Lord's sovereign power (Lk 1:15). Old women can receive the Spirit merely by hearing the greeting of a Spirit-filled person (Lk 1:41). Teenage girls will also receive the Spirit as they let it be done unto them according to the Lord's word (Lk 1:38). "The Spirit is moving all over this land."

The prophecy of Joel continues to be fulfilled: "I will pour out My Spirit upon all mankind. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; even upon the servants and the handmaids, in those days, I will pour out My Spirit" (Jl 3:1-2).

Mary is praying in heaven for you as she prayed for Jesus' disciples in the upper room (Acts 1:14). Repent. Give your life to Jesus. Thirst for the Spirit (Jn 7:37). Ask for the Spirit (Lk 11:13). "Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. It was to you and your children that the promise was made" (Acts 2:38-39

Prayer:- Father, stir into flame the gift of the Holy Spirit (2 Tm 1:6).

Promise:- "The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty Savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in His love, He will sing joyfully because of you." -Zep 3:17

5/30/11

We must bear witness as well.


NEXT WITNESS

"You must bear witness as well." -John 15:27

The Holy Spirit witnesses on Jesus' behalf (Jn 15:26), and we must do the same. The world is wrong about Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is calling us to the witness stand to prove this (Jn 16:8). Our testimony will convict the world on three counts - that it is wrong about sin, justice, and condemnation (Jn 16:8). Because the world is guilty and our witness will prove it, the world will pressure us not to witness to the truth. It will make sure that if we witness for Jesus, we will be persecuted, rejected even at church, and possibly put to death (Jn 16:2).

Nevertheless, we must witness, for we are the evidence that Jesus is innocent, and the world guilty. We are not going to let people continue to reject Jesus. We are not going to let a rebellious, sinful world get off because of a mistrial. We will give our witness with power so that they can have no doubt about the truth (see Acts 4:33). We must repent of our false witness due to compromising with the world. We have to back up our words with a life of total commitment to the Lord. We need power from the Holy Spirit; then we will be Jesus' witnesses (Acts 1:8). The world will then be proven wrong and challenged to repent and believe in Jesus.

Prayer:-- Father, give me the opportunity to correct any false impressions I've given others about Jesus because of my lukewarmness and apathy.

5/29/11

Revelation from Saint Sister Maria Faustina


Revelation:

Today the Lord said to me, Daughter, when you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it. Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself entirely in My mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul. When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity. The torrents of grace inundate humble souls. The proud remain always in poverty and misery, because My grace turns away from them to humble souls.
Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1602

The Medjugorje Web Cam on Apparition Hill is back in Service.

Apparition Hill

The Medjugorje Web Cam is back!

People all over the world can now see a live image of Medjugorje's Apparition Hill, the sacred place where Our Lady first appeared, still appears, and has promised to leave a permanent, miraculous sign.

http://www.chapelenterprises.com/emailmarketing/lt.php?c=212&m=255&nl=10&s=a9ae32c6442b2339ff90a43b4477601e&lid=1749&l=-http--www.medjugorjevideo.com/webcam/bigcam.html

5/26/11

The Story of Father Zlatko Sudac

Fr. Zlatko Sudac


Uploaded by VisionFilmsTV on May 24, 2011
 "The Story Of Father Zlatko Sudac"
http://www.visionfilms.tv/sudac/

5/25/11

Daily Grace: Not as the world gives.......


Daily Grace: Not as the world gives.......: "Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. John 14:27 H..."

Our Lady's Medjugorje Message to Marija of May 25, 2011


Dear children! My prayer today is for all of you who seek the grace of conversion. You knock on the door of my heart, but without hope and prayer, in sin, and without the Sacrament of Reconciliation with God. Leave sin and decide, little children, for holiness. Only in this way can I help you, hear your prayers and seek intercession before the Most High. Thank you for having responded to my call. Medjugorje message, May 25, 2011

5/22/11

Ivan Now in Medjugorje - Apparition and Message of Our Lady

At sunset on top of Apparition Mountain, tonight, May 20, 2011. Oh how beautiful to return to Medjugorje, to her sunrises and sunsets, to her rock-strewn mountains and the dirt pathways that lead to them, to the sounds of singing and praying day in and day out, the birds chirping, the bells ringing…and to the deep silence of the apparitions of Our Lady when She appears, even when tens of thousands of people are gathered, all grow silent for Her coming. How beautiful, after 30 years of apparitions, She is still with us.


Ivan Now in Medjugorje - Apparition and Message of Our Lady

May 20, 2011 A.D.

Our Lady appeared to Ivan on top of Apparition Mountain tonight at around 10:00 p.m. Pilgrims began to climb the mountain at around 7:00 p.m., finding a quiet spot to sit and pray, preparing for the time that they will be before our Mother. It was a beautiful evening, as pilgrims gathered, admiring the beauty of God’s creation through the beautiful sunset this evening. Pilgrims continued to climb and find a vacant spot to sit or kneel, up to the moment of the apparition. After over a half an hour of singing, Ivan began the Rosary. We prayed one mystery of the Rosary and began a second one. At the end of the second decade, all grew silent, as Ivan knelt and prepared to receive Our Lady. Our Lady appeared to Ivan around 10:00 p.m., and the apparition lasted for several minutes. The following is Ivan’s description of the apparition:

Today, as always, after every meeting with Our Lady, I desire to also describe to you what is the most important. Our Lady came very joyful and happy and at the beginning, as always, She greeted us all with Her Motherly greeting, “Praised be Jesus, my dear children.” Then Our Lady said:

***
"Dear children,
 Today more than ever I desire to call you to prayer. Dear children, satan wants to destroy today’s families, therefore I desire to call you to a renewal of family prayer. Pray, dear children, in your families with your children, do not permit access to satan. Thank you, dear children, for also today responding to my call.”

Our Lady then for a while, with Her arms extended, prayed over all of us here. She prayed over the sick present and She blessed us all with Her Motherly blessing. She also blessed the religious articles brought for blessing. Then Our Lady prayed for a while especially for peace, for peace in the world. I recommended also all of you, your needs, your intentions, your families and especially the sick. Our Lady then continued to pray over all of us. She left in that prayer, in an illuminated Sign of the Cross with a greeting, “Go in peace, my dear children.”
source-Medjujorje.com

5/20/11

Medjugorje: Testimony of Fr. Bernard Garratt


Mother Of Every Vocation

Fr. Bernard Garratt from Warwickshire, England – May 18, 2011

My name is Fr. Bernard. I come from the diocese of Birmingham. That is not Birmingham, Alabama. That is Birmingham in England. My parish is in Warwickshire. As you enter into Warwickshire, you see a sign that says “Welcome to Shakespeare Country.” So if ever you are in England, come to Shakespeare Country.

I asked Father how long the sermon had to be this morning, and he gave me an indication. I will never forget having an African Bishop to preach one day, and he said that he was going to begin by quoting to you an old African proverb. “Those who think by the inch, that speak by the yard, should be kicked by the foot.” (laughter) So I am going to bear that in mind.

I want to begin by telling you a story, a story of the three balloons: Mr. Balloon, Mrs. Balloon and their teenage son, Bobby Balloon. One day they all went out together. Bobby got bored and he was in a mischievous mood. So he stuck a pin in his father and deflated him. He thought that was a good way, so he stuck a pin in his mother and deflated her too. Then seeing the pair of them in such a state, he felt sorry for what he had done, so he stuck a pin in himself as well. When they got home, young Bobby got a real telling off by his dad. “Bobby,” he said, “You should be ashamed of yourself. Your behavior today was an absolute disgrace. You let me down. You let your mother down. And you let yourself down.” (laughter) But you know in a way, each one of us here today is a little bit like Bobby Balloon. Why? Because when we sin, and all of do sin, we let our Heavenly Father down. We let our Blessed Mother down. And of course, we let ourselves down too. That is why we come here to this holy place. Together we all come on a journey, whether it be from Birmingham, Alabama or Birmingham England. Mary has called us home. We come home to where Jesus and Mary are. Mary is standing with the Risen Christ. He is standing with God the Father, pouring out in the Holy Spirit, His love on all of us. Here in Medjugorje, we just stand for awhile and we receive that love. There is a story about a very famous Protestant preacher. He died and went to Heaven. And the Lord Jesus welcomed him. And He said, “It is great to have you here. There is someone here that I want you to meet. May I introduce you to my Mother.” We are all here today because we have met His Mother. We have come to know and love His Mother. In many ways it is She who has introduced us to Her Son.

*Let me tell you my own little miracle. I first came to Medjugorje several years ago. Like that Protestant preacher, I came as a non-Catholic. I was for 37 years a minister in the Anglican Church. But I am certain that our Blessed Mother was with me all the while. She wanted more from me. It was here in Medjugorje, some years ago, that She called me closer to Her Son. I felt Her say to me, “Bernard, come closer.” She gave me the grace to become a Catholic priest. Almost while the oil of consecration was still dripping from my hands, I had to come back and say thank you. I have been back every year since. Mary said of this place, “I am happy to be here.” All of us can echo that comment, “we are happy to be here.” But we are more than happy, we are blessed. We are cleansed. We are lifted up in prayer and in peace. Each one of us has a chance of a new beginning in our discipleship of Mary’s Son. We need that renewal so much because our Blessed Mother tells us that we have a wonderful work to do. Not just for ourselves, but for the world, She told us that “I have come because I wish to be with you to convert and reconcile the whole world.”

Here in Medjugorje, we know Her as Gospa, Queen of Peace, but that is just one of Mary’s many titles. I was struck recently when reading some sermons and addresses by our Holy Father Pope Benedict, to see how many of those different titles he uses. He calls Her the Heavenly Mother of priests, the Mother of every vocation. So many priests have found their vocations or had them renewed in this place. I keep hearing from fellow priests whose priesthood has taken on a whole new lease on life after their time here at Medjugorje. He calls Her the Mother of Mercy, Our Lady of Grace, Our Lady of Trust, the Refuge of Sinners. Mary, says Pope Benedict, is our permanent comfort, and Her joyful love shows us God’s own love for us. Here in Medjugorje, many thousands of pilgrims have answered Her call to the sacrament of pardon. In that great sacrament of peace, Her Son’s priests and his instruments of God’s merciful love for every sinner, and not a single one of us can do without that love, without that forgiveness. Do you know something, by going to Confession, you are ministering to your priests, just as they minister to you. In all these ways, Mary shows us the way to open our hearts and our minds to the power of the Spirit to come and fill our lives. The punctured balloon of our lives can be healed and refilled. Because where Mary is, the breath of the Holy Spirit is there. There is new beginning, and renewal. And where Mary is, there is real self-offering, true Christian Discipleship. So let me end with just a little quote from my patron saint, my namesake, St. Bernard of Clairvaux. He wrote this nine hundred years ago, but it is as true today as when he wrote it.

*"Call upon Mary. In danger, distress or doubts, think of Mary. May Her name never be far from your lips or from your heart. If you follow Her, you will not stray. If you pray to Her, you will not despair. If you think of Her, you will not error. If She holds you, you will not fall. If She protects you, you need not fear. And if She guides you, you will not tire. If She is gracious to you, you will surely reach your destination.”

And that destination is, of course, Her Son. And He is Jesus Christ, our Lord and God. And in this Easter season, we can all say Alleluia.     http://www.medjugorje.com/

I am going to prepare a place for you





" I am going to prepare a place for you. " John 14:3 "

Many times throughout our lives we have told people: "Do not let your hearts be troubled" (Jn 14:1). We've followed this word of encouragement with such words as: "Cheer up," "Things will get better," or even "I'll pray for you." After Jesus told us not to be troubled, He said something different. He commanded us to have faith (Jn 14:1) that He has prepared a place for us. If we have faith that Jesus has prepared a place for us in His Father's house (Jn 14:3), we will not be troubled. This may mean that we will not be troubled on earth if we know we have a place in heaven. However, the more likely meaning of this passage is that we won't be troubled if we know our place in our Father's house, the Church.

All Christians are members of Christ's body, the Church (1 Cor 12:12). We are disturbed unless we are in our place in the Church and functioning properly (Eph 4:16) so as to build up the body of Christ (Eph 4:12). Whether our place in the Church is to witness for Jesus on our jobs, disciple our children, build our marriages in Christ, pastor our parishes, pray in adoration, serve the poor, teach the Bible, or be missionaries - we will not be troubled if by faith we have taken our God-given place in the Church.

 Father, may I be at home in Your house, the Church.

5/18/11

Fatima: The Sun Danced


The Sun Danced. A Portuguese friend went to Fatima for the great celebrations of May 13, the anniversary of the 1st appearance of Mary in 1917. But this year, Fatima also celebrated the Beatification of John Paul II. Giant screens were used to transmit the images of the Beatification, and 20,000 pilgrims were gathered close to the basilica. Our friend told us that at about 1:30PM, when the images of John Paul II appeared on the screens, a very broad luminous circle formed suddenly around the sun, it was like an arc in the sky which projected rays of all colors. The sun started to dance in the sky as if joining the celebration. The media of Portugal broadcasted this same information.


As we know, John Paul II was very linked to Fatima! Following the attempted assassination of May 13, 1981, he always attributed his protection to Our Lady of Fatima. “A hand shot, he said, a maternal hand guided the bullet's path”. Did the pope of Totus Tuus (totally yours Mary) want to give us a sign? Already, on October 13, 1917, at the time of 6th and last appearance of Mary in Fatima, 70,000 people saw the sun dance! Interesting, isn't it?      www.childrenofmedjugorje.com

Medjugorje, Where two or three are gathered in My Name, there I Am in the mist of them.


MEDJUGORJE. "Where two or three..." from Natasha Beliaeva on Vimeo.
We are ("two or three"), friends from Russia, Ukraine and Hungary made this documentary film about famous pilgrimage place Medjugorje (Bosnia & Hercegovina), where since 1981 pilgrims are coming because of the apparitions of Saint Mary. But this story is about "not pilgrimage", because girl going to this small town is going not as a pilgrim, believer or like that, but just as a curious person with a question "what does it mean - the apparitions of Saint Mary? how people feel it? why they coming here?"
Name of the film partly tells about it "Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there I am in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20)     Made in 2010
* Interview with Nancy Latta of Medjugorje begins at time line 3127...

5/14/11

HEARTS CHANGE AT MEDJUGORJE

Statue of Mary the Mother of God

HEARTS CHANGE AT MEDJUGORJE

• There are some places and some people in life that ‘mark’ you forever. Once you have come in contact with them, they revive in you everything that seemed buried within your heart forever. Then you recapture a life full of joy, serenity, and purpose. You understand the reason you are living, where you have come from, and where you are going. You take your life back into your hands with vigour. You rediscover a design of love in your life that trials and difficulties have buried. Then you feel like a new person, and even others are aware that something has changed your life.

The place that has ‘marked’ me and millions of other people is called Medjugorje. It is different from other places because there is a ‘Presence’ there that you do not see but whose effects and benefits you gather. It is a Presence that speaks to our hearts and manifests itself in a personal manner for each one of us. This presence is Mary the Mother of God.

In Medjugorje we discover that this mother, the Queen of Peace, wants to enter our lives. That is the reason she says to us: “Dear Children, accept me in your lives, because I desire to bestow my love upon you.”

• Father Luigi Ferrari

5/13/11

The signs remain at Medjugorje.


Uploaded by    on Dec 5, 2009
Words by Fr Jozo Zovko ofm, parish priest of St James in Medjugorje when the claimed apparitions of Our Lady first began in June 1981. 

Venerable Pope John Paul II nurtured a deep devotion to Our Lady of Fatima


Venerable Pope John Paul II nurtured a deep devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, frequently saying that it was her protection that saved his life when he was shot by a would-be assassin on May 13, in 1981.Venerable John Paul II was hit by four bullets fired at him by Mehmet Ali Agca of Turkey on May 13, 1981 in St. Peter's Square. Agca, was later forgiven in jail by the Pontiff. When John Paul II visited the shrine he offered Mary one of the bullets that struck him in the 1981 assassination attempt. The bullet was returned to Fatima after the pope's recovery and is now enshrined in the crown of her statue.  http://www.straphaeloil.com/

Today Is The 94th Anniverary Of Fatima!

Angel of Fatima

Today Is The 94th Anniverary Of Fatima!


Pray and Do Penance!
By: Deacon Mike Bickerstaff

www.integratedcatholiclife.org with slight editing.

Today, May 13, 2011, marks the 94th anniversary of the first apparition of Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary, to the three young seers at the Cova da Iria in Fatima, Portugal. The children were Lucia de Jesus dos Santos (age 10), Blessed Francisco Marto (age 9) and Blessed Jacinta Marto (age 7). Francisco and Jacinto died within a few years of the apparitions and were beatified in 1983. Lucia (Sr. Maria Lucia) died in 2005 and the cause for her beatification is in progress. Together, the three children were to witness a total of six apparitions of Our Lady in 1917. In 1916, they had witnessed three apparitions of the Angel of Portugal.

Among the messages they received, they were taught five prayers by the angel and Our Lady. Many of us who pray the Rosary are familiar with the prayer that ends each decade, “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins…” (the Decade Prayer), but we need to recall and offer the other prayers as well. Anyone who reads the following will readily agree.

*My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You. (First apparition of the Angel of Portugal)

*Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. And by the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners. (Third apparition of the Angel of Portugal)

*“Oh, Holy Trinity, we adore You. My God, my God, I love You in the Blessed Sacrament.” (First apparition of Our Lady)

*O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. (Second and third apparitions of Our Lady)

*Oh my Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. (Third apparition of Our Lady)

A thread runs through these prayers that we need to recall in these days of sin and immorality: in mysterious ways that we can understand only partially, it is beneficial for us to pray and make acts of self-denial for the reparation of sin and the conversion of sinners. Not only do these good habits of mortification and prayer help us grow in holiness, the merits of these prayers become graces for the conversion of others. As we pray the Rosary and recite the Decade Prayer, allow its words and import to cover your very soul with meaning and lead you to greater understanding of the importance of your own holiness in the spiritual battles of our time.

5/12/11

5/9/11

What Our Lady of Fatima said in May of 1917


The First Apparition - May 13, 1917

Our Lady: Do not be afraid; I will not harm you.

Lucia: Where is Your Grace from?

Our Lady: I am from heaven. (Our Lady raised her hand and pointed to the sky.)

Lucia: And what does Your Grace wish of me?

Our Lady: I have come to ask you to come here for six months in succession on the thirteenth day of each month at this same hour. Later I will tell you who I am and what I want. Afterward, I will return here a seventh time.

Lucia: And will I go to heaven, too?

Our Lady: Yes, you will.

Lucia: And Jacinta?

Our Lady: Also.

Lucia: And Francisco?

Our Lady: Also, but he must say many Rosaries.

Lucia: Is Maria das Neves already in heaven?

Our Lady: Yes, she is.

Lucia: And Amélia?

*Our Lady: She will be in purgatory until the end of the world. Do you wish to offer yourselves to God to endure all the sufferings that He may be pleased to send you, as both an act of reparation for the sins with which He is offended and an act of supplication for the conversion of sinners?

Lucia: Yes, we do.

Our Lady: Well then, you will have much to suffer. But the grace of God will be your comfort.

"It was upon saying these last words, 'the grace of God...' that for the first time she opened her hands, which emitted a most intense light that penetrated our breasts, reaching the innermost part of our souls and making us see ourselves in God, Who was that light, more clearly than we can see ourselves in the best of mirrors. Then, driven by a deep inspiration, we knelt down and repeated inwardly: 'O Most Holy Trinity, I adore Thee! My God, my God, I love Thee in the Most Blessed Sacrament'.

"A moment later, Our Lady added, 'Pray the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war.' "She immediately began to rise serenely toward the east until she disappeared far into the distance. The light that surrounded her was, so to speak, opening her way through the starry firmament."
Source--america needs fatima.

5/8/11

Jesus, gives us his Mother.


"When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. (John 19:26, 27) This tender scene speaks to us of the depth of the Love which inspires, informs and transforms all human love, the Love Incarnate who gives us His Mother.

5/7/11

Daily Grace: Say "Yes" to The Father With The Heart....


Daily Grace: Say "Yes" to The Father With The Heart....: "God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved. (John 3) Thick clouds gather..."

Miracle Project in Medjugorje


Nancy & Patrick Latta Have a Dream:
  uploaded May 6, 2011
Dear visitor. My name is Robert Nanasi. I am the architect, who designed a wonderful place for Nancy and Patrick Latta. This castle is offered up to the LADY of Medugorje. If you would like me to design your dream project for you, please do not hesitate to contact me: m_nanasi@eircom.net . Please, enjoy the presentation. This video had been put together by Nancy's cousin, Jadranko.

5/4/11

A secret of sanctity and happiness


I am going to reveal to you a secret of sanctity and happiness. If every day during five minutes you will keep your imagination quiet, shut your eyes to all the things of sense and close your ears to all the sounds of earth so as to be able to withdraw into the sanctuary of your baptized soul (which is the temple of the Holy Spirit) speaking there to the Holy Spirit saying:

" Come, Holy Spirit "
 O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore thee. Enlighten, guide, strengthen and console me. Tell me what I ought to do and command me to do it. I promise to be submissive in everything that thou shalt ask of me and to accept all that thou permits to happen to me, only show me what is thy will.

If you do this, your life will pass happily and serenely. Consolations will abound even in the midst of trouble, for grace will be given in proportion to the trial, as well as strength to bear it, bringing you to the gates of paradise full of merit. This submission to the Holy Spirit is the secret to sanctity.

(Cardinal Mercier)

Catholic Charismatic History


Long Live the Charismatics, Pope John Paul

From Darkness to Light


DARKNESS TO LIGHT

"He who acts in truth comes into the light, to make clear that his deeds are done in God." -John 3:21

The apostles, when released from prison, didn't run away in order to save themselves from future danger and legal trouble. No, they placed their trust in God and obeyed His command to teach in the Temple (Acts 5:20-21). Many heard the Good News as a result of their obedient faith and trust.
Paul and Silas were set free from prison (Acts 16:26), but they didn't run away to try to save themselves from future danger. Instead, they placed their trust in God and obeyed His command to minister the Good News of salvation to the jailer and his household (Acts 16:31ff). If they had run away, there would have been a dead jailer, a grieving wife and household, and unattended wounds all over the bodies of Paul and Silas. But by taking their place and teaching the Good News, there was a saved jailer, a saved household (Acts 16:31-34), and a new church formed in Philippi, which resulted in the letter to the Philippians. Paul and Silas knew Jesus was their Savior, so they trusted in His saving help and carried out His wishes instead of fleeing to "save themselves."

*Where are you in danger? Is Jesus calling you to stand firm in the midst of the present danger and trust in Him as your Savior? Is He calling you to take your place and announce the Good News? (Acts 5:20).

Prayer: Jesus, may we live no longer for ourselves, but for You (2 Cor 5:15; Gal 2:20)

Promise: "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him may not die but may have eternal life." -Jn 3:16

5/3/11

After I have been with You all this time, you still do not know Me?



ONLY PENTECOST

"After I have been with You all this time, you still do not know Me?" -John 14:9

Philip and James followed Jesus for years but abandoned Him in His hour of need (Mk 14:50). Even after seeing the risen Jesus on several occasions (see 1 Cor 15:7), they remained locked up because of the weakness of their faith (Jn 20:26). Eventually, they strongly believed in Jesus, became His witnesses even to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8), and did works far greater than Jesus did (Jn 14:12).

What years with Jesus and several resurrection appearances did not do was done by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Throughout this year, Lent, and Easter season, we may have been treading water. We may be going nowhere fast and have even less of a faith-commitment to the Lord than years ago. He has done great things for us, but we haven't responded in faith and love.

However, we have hope; Pentecost is soon to come. The Spirit will convict (Jn 16:8), free, and heal us. He will be stirred up in us and send us out from behind the locked doors of the upper room to all creation to be Jesus' witnesses. The glory and victory of Easter are still available for those who will repent, believe, and receive the Holy Spirit of Pentecost.

Prayer: Father, stir into flame the Spirit I received at Baptism and Confirmation (2 Tm 1:6).

Promise: "I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and in which you stand firm. You are being saved by it at this very moment." -1 Cor 15:1-2

Praise: After receiving the Holy Spirit in the upper room, both St. Philip and St. James boldly followed the footsteps of Jesus, even to death as martyrs.

*Pentecost is coming. Prepare for a spirit-filled Pentecost by praying the Pentecost Novena.

5/2/11

They were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's word with Confidence.


CHURCH MILITANT OR CHURCH DEFEATED?

"They were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's word with confidence." -Acts 4:31

The apostles were thrown into prison by the Jewish leaders for healing a crippled man and then "teaching the people and proclaiming the resurrection of the dead in the person of Jesus" (Acts 4:2). They were then threatened by the leaders to never mention the name of Jesus again (Acts 4:17) and were released. The apostles returned to the other disciples and prayed for complete assurance when they proclaimed the Word of God (Acts 4:29-30). After this prayer, they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They continued to speak God's Word with confidence. (Acts 4:31).

Like the first believers in the risen Jesus, we must not be alarmed that the powerful of the world rage and conspire against us (see Acts 4:25). The Church and its members have been attacked for centuries. God in heaven simply laughs (Ps 2:4). He has eternal, almighty power. The powerful of the world wield their power for but a moment in time.

Therefore, we must pray for that same confidence, assurance, and boldness that the apostles possessed. God wants us to confidently know that if He is for us, no one can be against us (Rm 8:31). "He Who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." We are more than conquerors in Jesus (Rm 8:37). Persevere in spreading the Word of God. We are invincible when we are rooted in Jesus and stand securely in the center of His will.

Prayer: - May we stir up the Holy Spirit in the world, Lord Jesus. Raise up many teenagers and adults to accept holy, confident, and bold religious vocations and to speak God's word with confidence.

Promise: -"No one can enter into God's kingdom without being begotten of Water and Spirit." -Jn 3:5

Our Lady's Medjugorje message to Mirjana of May 2, 2011


Dear children, God the Father is sending me to show you the way of salvation, because he, my children, desires to save you and not to condemn you. That is why I, as a mother, am gathering you around me, because with my motherly love I desire to help you to be free of the dirtiness of the past and to begin to live anew and differently. I am calling you to resurrect in my Son. Along with confession of sins, renounce everything that has distanced you from my Son and that has made your life empty and unsuccessful. Say “yes” to the Father with the heart and set out on the way of salvation to which he is calling you through the Holy Spirit. Thank you. I am especially praying for the shepherds, for God to help them to be alongside you with a fullness of heart. Medjugorje message, May 2, 2011

5/1/11

Blessed Pope John Paul II


The Official Prayer for John Paul II's Intercession

O Blessed Trinity,

We thank You for having graced the Church with Pope John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your Fatherly care, the glory of the cross of Christ, and the splendor of the Holy Spirit, to shine through him.

Trusting fully in Your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd and has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you.

Grant us, by his intercession, and according to Your will, the graces we implore, hoping that he will soon be numbered among your saints.

Amen

With ecclesiastical approval CARDINAL CAMILLO RUINI
the Holy Father’s Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome