Sister Muriel of Medjugorje

Sister Muriel is from Boston, MA and is a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Cenacle from New York, USA.    "After forty years of doing retreat work, I had a longing desire to do mission work with the poor and destitute.  My congregation gave me permission.  In the midst of the Bosnia War in 1992 I arrived in Medugorje. During these years, things were very hectic. I found myself and pilgrims (volunteers) aiding the victims of the war. The people of this country were in desperate need of everything (medical supplies, food, clothing and shelter). Many pilgrims from Europe, United States, Australia and Canada were arriving to assist in the war effort. For many of them, I became their contact, the worker in the field. Mostar at that time was in shambles. I lived in Medugorje but did most of my work in Mostar. At the end of the war, many refugees and returnees were coming back only to find their homes completely destroyed. They needed roofs, stoves, food and clothing which I provided through the generosity of pilgrims. Our ministry is totally supported through donations from pilgrims and a few private donations from the States. The people of Ireland have been very supportive of my work. I base my ministry on Divine Providence, knowing that the good lord will provide for the work he wants me to accomplish.

http://www.saintjosephtheworker.org/

 

Anka, Medjugorje Interpretor for Fr. Jozo 1989 her personal conversion

Published on Aug 9, 2013

Anka was born in a Communist family and was raised as an Atheist. She had an inner desire for love and an understanding for her purpose in life. She traveled the world searching for an answer. She studied Eastern philosophy, spirituality, and still wasn't satisfied. Then one day.... God performed a miracle of conversion in her life. Anka understood that Jesus was real; that she needed Jesus and that miracle led her to become a Catholic.

Two Dramatic Conversion Stories

Vicka

 

Two Dramatic Conversion Stories

By Cathy Nolan

 

   "Dear children, with motherly love and motherly patience anew I call you to live according to my Son –  to spread His peace and His love – so that, as my apostles, you may accept God's truth with all your heart and pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you. Then you will be able to faithfully serve my Son, and show His love to others with your life. According to the love of my Son and my love, as a mother, I strive to bring all of my strayed children into my motherly embrace and to show them the way of faith. My children, help me in my motherly battle and pray with me that sinners may become aware of their sins and repent sincerely. Pray also for those whom my Son has chosen and consecrated in His name. Thank you." (December 2, 2012 Mirjana)

 

   Our Lady continues to call on us to "get our act together!" She is patient, but persistent! We need to live according to Her Son, to be Her apostles, to accept God's truth with all our hearts and to pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance. We need to do these things so that we will actually be living examples of Jesus' love for others. She needs us to carry the love of Her Son to our families, neighbors, cities, work places, and parishes! That is what She needs from us.

 

   She also needs us to shape up, because She needs our prayer power for the sake of sinners. She needs intercession so that the conversion graces She desires to pour out on them will be won. And She is the master at conversion graces. I want to share the accounts of two dramatic conversion stories that we have aired on "Fruit of Medjugorje" last fall. In both cases, the person did not want to be in Medjugorje, did not think they needed to change, and were not open to Our Lady's presence in Medjugorje. But through the graces won by Our Lady's apostles, and the witness of Vicka, they both were given the illumination of conscience, in a moment, and were forever changed!

 

   Barry MacCarthy from Ireland - June 1990 (Barry and his wife Ann went to Croatia for a vacation and just took a quick side trip to Medjugorje...)

   “When I arrived in Medjugorje, I wasn't impressed with the place...But Ann said that since we were here, we might as well go to the place of the first apparitions. And so, just to make her happy, we got a taxi to Podbrdo. And the taxi stopped outside this house. I didn't know where we were, but as soon as I got out of the taxi, I looked and I saw this girl standing in the courtyard with an old woman. And I knew who she was. I knew her name, even. I said, ‘Ann, quick, there is Vicka.’ To this day I don't know how I knew her. I ran up to her garden and I was just spellbound looking at her. I was mesmerized by her. The best way to describe her was that she didn't seem human; she was like an angel. There was this presence about her. So she came over, and she laid hands on me and prayed over me, and just like that – in an instant, my whole life flashed in front of me. Everything I had done wrong, the way I was living, it all just flashed by me, and I just knew from that instant on that I had to change my life. And we went up Apparition Hill and I got to the top and I just cried. I sat there for maybe an hour or so, I don't know, but I just sat there and I cried. I cried like a baby. I got rid of all this rubbish, this garbage I was carrying. I felt this peace, a peace I had never known before....I only spent three hours in Medjugorje and it changed my whole life, thank God. I don't know where I would be if I hadn't come at this stage of my life.” ("Fruit of Medjugorje," Episode 6 at www.marytv.tv )

 

   Joanne Ronallo- June 1989 - (Joanne went to Medjugorje with a youth group, not believing in the apparitions. She arrived in the middle of the night and the next morning...)

   “I got up out of bed and went outside and said, ‘Oh my gosh, this town is so remote, so dusty. I don't want to be here.’ So I'm thinking in my head, as we are walking through Biakovici, and the chickens are running in front of us, ‘I'm going to get out of this town, and wait for the group in Rome. I'll do some sightseeing, whatever!’ So I ran into the group leader and he said, ‘This is Vicka's house; the group is down at Ivan's and will be up soon.’ At this time the visionaries would talk in front of their homes. So I said, ‘I'll just wait here at Vicka's for you.’ So I got in her little courtyard and then the kids came, and then Vicka came down. She started her talk, and we looked at each other, right in the eye, and all of a sudden I had an illumination, and I could see everything I ever did right in my life, and everything I ever did wrong. And there was no justification, no ‘Well, I picked this flower...’  No, I just knew...Dear Lord, I'm going to hell! And it was such a...not even a fear...such a disappointment that I had hurt Jesus so much...that He was real, and He was ready there with His mercy...and His love, and I was just like Ivan –  I wanted to run!!! So I did, I bolted out of the area, started running down the street in Biakovici, and where are you going to go??? There was nowhere else to go, so I sat down on a stone wall and started to cry and cry and cry. The kids said, ‘What's wrong with you?’ So I just said, ‘I have to go to Confession.’ I hadn't been to Confession in 20 years. I had lived in Aspen Colorado, hung with the Eagles, did sex, drugs and rock and roll... Two hours we spent [in Confession], and we went through everything...I felt so refreshed. (Fruit of Medjugorje, Episode 39 at www.marytv.tv )

 

    Both Joanne and Barry came to Medjugorje expecting nothing, and left having received everything –  conversion, faith, forgiveness, joy, hope, and love!! All because of the intercession of Our Lady and Her apostles who won the graces, and the witness of Vicka who carries the life of Jesus in her. This is Our Lady's battle plan for the world! She wants us to help Her obtain conversion graces for all of Her lost children. This is a great task given to us! Wow!
                                                                                                                                                                      www.marytv.tv

Source http://www.spiritofmedjugorje.org/

 

Divine Mercy in Surmanci

The girl, later that week, was at the Divine Mercy gift shop and pointed to a picture of Saint Faustina exclaiming "that is the lady I saw.
 Who is she.

 

Divine Mercy in Surmanci last month, Father Petar (Peter G.), a Polish priest comes each year with a family to celebrate the healing of their epileptic son (seizures of as many as 100 times a day) seven years ago here in Medjugorje as Father was praying over him.  Father is from Jersey Island in the English Channel.   A few months ago, Father Petar celebrated the Divine Mercy Mass and prayer at the church in Surmanci and , during the services, prayed over each of the attendees.   One pilgrim, a 13 year old girl on crutches, was physically healed at this time.
  The girl says that she saw an image with a dark veil, felt warmth, saw a light, then was physically healed.  She says that she heard Jesus tell her "stay close to me".
  The documentation was left at the parish of Medjugorje (Surmanci is in the Medjugorje parish)..
Posted by http://www.medjugorjecalls.org/index.html in November 2009

Dear Family of Mary

 
    
  Mirjana's apparition at the Blue Cross(c)Mary TV 2013

 

J.M.J.

October 29, 2013

 

Dear Family of Mary!

 

"Dear children! Today I call you to open yourselves to prayer. Prayer works miracles in you and through you. Therefore, little children, in the simplicity of heart seek of the Most High to give you the strength to be God's children and for Satan not to shake you like the wind shakes the branches. Little children, decide for God anew and seek only His will - and then you will find joy and peace in Him. Thank you for having responded to my call." (October 25, 2013)

 

Prayer works miracles in you and through you...

 

Fr. Dominic Towey, from Scotland has been to Medjugorje over 40 times. He shared some of the miracles he has seen during those trips on "Fruit of Medjugorje, Episode 87:

 

Over the years we have brought umpteen people here. This year alone, and over the past few years our numbers average about 380 people coming from Scotland, organized by my own parish...which is incidentally is the parish of St. John the Baptist. Of course there is always a great connection between Our Lady, St. John the Baptist and his mother, St. Elizabeth. And in that time I have seen many, many miracles take place.

 

As a priest, hearing confessions is as wonderful experience. I would think that any priest that would have any doubts about what is happening in Medjugorje if he just came and sat in the confessional for an hour I think he would see the tremendous grace that is given to people to turn away from sin, to repent, and to start again.

 

I have also seen great conversions take place. For example, a few years ago we had a young girl come with us. She was the care giver for a very handicapped lady. And she came here, screaming and shouting. The last place she wanted to come was Medjugorje. She was involved in the Orange Lodge, and she would go to Ireland every year and take part in the 12th of July celebrations there. And we went to Cenacolo to hear a witness of one of the boys there. And the next day was Mirjana's apparition. And I remember, we went there again (to the Cenacolo meeting tent where the apparition took place) and she thought we were going to hear another witness. And she saw this girl come in, and she thought to herself, "What a shame, that poor girl. She must be so embarrassed." But it was Mirjana, and then Mirjana started praying, and the apparition happened. The change that took place in Linda (the girl I am sharing about) was amazing. She just knew that something very special, very unique was happening. And she changed her life completely. She came back to Scotland, and she lives within the boundaries of my parish. She joined the RCIA. She was received into the Catholic Church the following Easter. And just a few months later I had the joy of celebrating her marriage. And she took the name of Mary for her confirmation name because she found the Mother here in Medjugorje!

 

Another example would be a gentleman who had no faith, absolutely no faith. He was kidded along to come to Medjugorje by his wife who said he could just relax at the pool and read the daily newspaper. Of course when he came here there wasn't any pool in Medjugorje, and there weren't any daily newspapers. And it was amazing, because you could see a change was happening in him. And again, at Mirjana's apparition...this was a different year than Linda...he was outside the canvas (of the Cenacolo tent where the apparitions took place) and there was a hole in the canvas, and during the apparition he found himself staring at Mirjana. And during the apparitions he knew Our Lady was there. He just knew it. And when he returned to Scotland, he became a Catholic and he is a very, very active member in the parish now. Ready to do anything. A very humble guy. He is someone who is well known in Mary's Meals, because he gave up a very good job to take smaller pay, and do something worthwhile. He had found God; he had found Mary, through being here.

 

That is just two examples. At our parish we have every month a Medjugorje evening. We try to follow the program as it is here in Medjugorje, Rosary, Holy Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and prayers for healing. We get about 500 or 550 people every month. It is a tremendous blessing for the parish, because people come and want to pray and they want to experience a deeper relationship with God. One of the things that has happened is that there is a greater number of people going to the Sacrament of Confession, an increase in the number of people going to daily Mass. And a beautiful fruit of Medjugorje is that there are people wanting to spend time before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. We are very blessed to have an oratory in the church, dedicated to soon-to-be Saint John Paul II, where we have 12 hours of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. And people find so much comfort and so much joy to just be able to come and sit in the presence of Jesus and unburden themselves. As a result of this people are more involved in the prolife movement. People are more involved in life issues. They want to express their faith. In Medjugorje you really are renewed, and when you go back that renewal is something you want to keep but you also want to share. That is why every year so many people come to Medjugorje. Really about half of the people we bring each year are returning, some of them for the umpteenth time. But the other half is new people who have been touched by what they have heard.

 

Medjugorje is described as a school of prayer and that is very much what it is. It is a place where Mary gathers us as a mother gathers her children around the dinner table or around the desk to study. She gathers us to instruct us and to point us to Jesus. That is the beautiful thing about any Marian shrine. Mary doesn't seek glory for herself, she is always pointing to Jesus, as she did in Cana of Galilee, when she said, and "Do whatever he tells you." Mary is still pointing us to Jesus.

 

There is one phrase I love in the Magnificat, "My soul magnifies the Lord." Mary makes God more visible, easier to recognize. And that is what each of us is called to do, to make God more easily recognizable. That is something that happens here in Medjugorje. And it is happening all over the world, as a result of the number of people who have come here. Over 30 million people since the apparitions started over 32 years ago. We have been blessed to have Maria once and Ivan three times in our own church, to have the apparitions. Wonderful to have Our Lady visit, to have Our Lady come and bless us, and know that she is interceding for us.

 

In Medjugorje, miracles happen daily. They happen through Our Lady, because she is one who prays constantly. And they happen through Our Lady's children who are beginning to pray constantly as well. Prayer really does work miracles.

 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan

© Mary TV 2013 

 

 

 

 

 "Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world!"   

Blessed John Paul II  -

Be connected! 

www.marytv.tv

 

DAILY GRACE BLOG - Strengthen Me Oh Lord

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Strengthen Me Oh Lord

It started as a tiny thought,

I would not let it go.

Then I started to nurture it,

 and it began to grow.

It followed me with every step,

It wouldn’t go away.

Like wild winds of a tempest storm,

I was battered night and day.

 I threw myself onto my knees

And I began to pray:

Forgive me Lord for the wrong I've done,

I long to start anew;

To live each day with joy and peace,

To live each day for you.

Heavenly Father, thank you for my being able today to decide for You in all my thought, feelings and actions. Now, too, I decide for You as Your Son Jesus Christ decided for You and as His and our Mother decided for You. Strengthen me this day my Lord, that if I am shaken like the branches of a tree in a tempest storm, that I cling to the vine that gives life to the branches, Your Son Jesus Christ.  Amen

“Dear children! Today I call you to open yourselves to prayer. Prayer works miracles in you and through you. Therefore, little children, in the simplicity of heart seek of the Most High to give you the strength to be God’s children and for Satan not to shake you like the wind shakes the branches. Little children, decide for God anew and seek only His will – and then you will find joy and peace in Him. Thank you for having responded to my call.” Message to Marija , BVM, Medjugorje 10/25/2013

GOING HOME FROM CHURCH

"Believe Me, this man went home from the temple justified but the other did not." -Luke 18:14

When you walk out of church today, will you be justified? Or will you walk away sad? (see Mk 10:22) We are justified, forgiven, and free when we serve God willingly (Sir 35:16). It is our Sunday obligation to attend church, but we must go beyond this and serve God willingly if our petition is to reach the heavens (Sir 35:16). Is your Sunday obligation also a Sunday Privilege? If not, you will not leave church justified.
 
We will go home from church justified and our prayer will pierce the clouds if we are lowly (Sir 35:17). Jesus, God Himself, was lowly in emptying Himself and becoming a human being (see Phil 2:7). He was so lowly as to die on the cross for love of us. He is so lowly as to come to us in Holy Communion under the appearance of bread and wine. If we humble ourselves, admit we are sinners, and cry out for God's mercy (see Lk 18:13), we become lowly and justified.
The willing and the lowly go home from church and go home to heaven justified.

 Father, do whatever You must in me so that You may do whatever You will through me.

 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on a merited crown awaits me." -2 Tm 4:7-8

 Alleluia! Jesus has risen and will raise me from the dead! Alleluia!

Women Healed by Pope John Paul II Visits Mexico's Guadalupe

Floribeth Mora Diaz speaks with host Pepe Alonso during an interview on the show 'Nuestra Fe en Vivo' on EWTN Español. Credit: EWTN.

Mexico City, Mexico, Oct 25, 2013 / 01:12 pm (CNA/EWTN News).
 The Costa Rican woman healed of a brain aneurism by the intercession of John Paul II visited Mexico City to pray before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, giving thanks for a second chance at life with her family.

According to the Archdiocese of Mexico City’s news service, Floribeth Mora Diaz was invited to attend a Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of  Guadalupe on Oct. 22, feast day of Blessed John Paul II, and to share the testimony of her miraculous healing, which paved the way for his canonization, scheduled for April 27 of next year.

Accompanied  by her husband Edwin Arce and two of her daughters for the more than 1,300 mile trip, the 50 year-old Mora was visibly moved as she prayed before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and toured the shrine.

“For me it is an honor to be in Mexico,” Floribeth said. “I am very thankful to God for the privilege of being near Our Lady of Guadalupe. I bring so many petitions with me from my country, which is very devoted to her.”

“During Mass now I spoke to her in silence to ask that she hear the prayers that I bring in my heart from each sick person, from each person who needs her intercession in my country.”

The story of her healing began in April, 2011, when she was diagnosed with a serious brain aneurism and given a month to live.

“It was something horrible to see my children and my family suffer, and I was suffering because I was not going to see them. Even though I have always had faith in God, the human side of me was afraid of death.”

That faith led her to cling to John Paul II, whom she called “my saint.”

“You are so close to the Lord, tell him not to let me die,” she told the late Pope.

Her prayers were heard on May 2, 2011, a day after the Roman Pontiff's beatification; Mora had been able to follow the ceremony on television.

“The next day was the most wonderful day of my life,” she explained, “when I heard that voice in my room that said to me, ‘Get up, be not afraid’.”

It was then that her recovery began.

When the doctors confirmed that she had been healed, Mora decided to share what had happened and to write down her testimony. Weeks later she contacted the Vatican and underwent further evaluations in Costa Rica and Rome to verify her miraculous recovery.

Mora says sharing her testimony has become her “number one priority” in life.  In Costa Rica, she visits the sick, speaks at parishes, and goes wherever she is invited to share her story.

“Everything that I do now is for the glory of the Lord,” she reflected.

“I am an instrument that he used to do his work, but nothing that happened to me would have occurred if my family did not have faith. We need to have a lot of faith, because a life without God is no life at all.”

Rosary: Powerful weapon with amazing results

Category: Faith

19 Oct 2013

Written by Corazon Damo-Santiago, PhD

AB-29 Superfortress bomber, Enola Gay, which took off from the Pacific island of Tinian, dropped an atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan.

At 8:15, the deadly atomic bomb exploded with “blinding flash of bluish-white light, which seared the sky,” reached a temperature of 9,000°F (around 5,000°C) and “leveled almost everything within a radius of more than 3 kilometers.”

The bomb’s “explosive force of 20,000 tons of TNT” killed outright 78,000 people.

The article “When, Where, Why and How It Happened” by Readers Digest estimated that 250,000 had either been killed outright or died of radiation within five years.

But the deadly blast which ushered the atomic age did not affect the church of Our Lady of Assumption near the center of the blast.

Seven Jesuit priests also survived the blast without suffering any major injury and radiation effects. Among them were Frs. Hubert F. Schiffer, Hugo Lassalle and Kleinsorge.

Two-hundred scientists made investigations for several years in search for scientific explanation about the phenomenon experienced by the Jesuit priests.

Father Schiffer, during the 1976 Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia, said their house is different. They recited the rosary every day for special protection.

The Hiroshima bombing occurred on August 6, 1945, while that of Nagasaki followed on August 9. The priests in the Franciscan Friary established by Saint Maximillan Kolbe were also unharmed.

 

‘Rosarium’ of special graces

THE Blessed Virgin Mary made 15 promises to those who pray the rosary, to Saint Dominic and Blessed Alan de la Roche, OP.

Saint Louis de Montfort, OP, emphasized that there is no limit to the power of the rosary for it is “man’s crown of merit during lifetime, a crown of peace during death and a crown of glory in heaven.”

In the 12th century, the religious orders recited together the 150 Psalms in the Bible every day. The non-readers who wanted to pray, too, made a string of 150 knots to pray the Psalms to honor Jesus and His Mother. It was called the Psalter.

To greet Our Lady, the episodes in the Anunciation and the Visitation, Hail Mary (Luke 1:28, 42) is recited.

The salutations were considered as roses (rosarium) of spiritual graces the Virgin Mary bestows on her children.

Each Hail Mary is a salutation equivalent to a rose to form a crown for the Lady which the Blessed Mother returns as a crown of spiritual graces to those who pray the rosary fervently.

The rosary was revealed to Saint Dominic in 1214, when he went into a forest near Toulose, France, for three days of prayer and penance on how to convert sinners and the heretical sect of Albigenses, who believed the “duality of good and evil and Jesus as a rebel against the cruelty of an omnipotent God.

The Blessed Mother accompanied by three angels appeared to Saint Dominic, and told him to preach the Angelic Psalter.

Saint Dominic, with burning zeal, went straight to the cathedral. Unseen angels rang the church bells to gather the people.

During his Homily, a storm broke out, the earth shook and the sun darkened, accompanied by thunder and lighting.

The picture of the Blessed Mother came to life and she raised her arms thrice toward heaven.

The people of Toulose were converted and “renounced their false beliefs.”

Saint Dominic preached about the rosary and instituted the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary in his entire lifetime. However, after a century, the rosary was “like a thing buried and forgotten.”

In 1460 Blessed Alan restored devotion to the rosary after a reproach from Jesus.

While saying Mass, Jesus spoke to him in the Sacred Host. “How can you crucify me again so soon.... You have all the learning and understanding that you need to preach my Mother’s rosary and you are not doing so.”

 

Power of the rosary

DURING the pontificate of Pope Pius V, the naval forces of Turkey threatened to invade Europe. Alarmed by the impending danger, the pope prayed for enlightenment, then called all European leaders to unite and form an army. He gave every soldier a rosary.

On September 30, 1571, a fleet of about 5,000 men went to battle against the mighty 30,000 Turkish fleet in the Battle of Lepanto, which was won by the Church on October 7, 1571.

Saint Pius V, to honor the Blessed Mother, established October 7 as a commemorative feast for Our Lady of the Rosary.

The victory of Lepanto is just one of the many glorious battles attributed to the power of the rosary.

The defeat of the Dutch in the Philippines in 1646 is also recognized in Church history as a “victory for the rosary.”

On March 15, 1646, a “formidable flotilla” of Dutch Protestant ships arrived in the port of Manila. This brought anxiety to Spanish and Filipinos who had only two merchant ships.

Fr. Jean de Conca, OP, taught the sailors how and why they should pray the rosary in choruses during the encounters.

From March to October they did, and what was humanly impossible happened: The Protestant fleets were destroyed and only 15 of the 200 Christian men perished.

The victory was considered important because it saved Catholicism in the Philippines.

 

Mystery of Light

IN 2003, Year of the Rosary, Pope John Paul II added the Mystery of Light or Luminous Mystery on the public life of Jesus and Mary.

Thus, there are now four mysteries; the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and Luminous.

When we pray the Rosary, we pray with our Blessed Mother to honor the life of Jesus. And Mary is the only one in heaven and earth to whom Christ, our Lord, cannot say “no.”

 

15 promises of Our Lady to those who pray the rosary:

 

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the rosary shall receive signal graces.

2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the rosary.

3. The rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell. It will destroy vice, decrease sin and defeat heresies.

4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Souls would sanctify themselves by this means.

5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the rosary shall not perish.

6. Whoever shall recite the rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice. He shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.

7. Whoever shall have a true devotion to the rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.

8. Those who are faithful to recite the rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death, they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.

9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the rosary.

10. The faithful children of the rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.

11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the rosary.

12. All those who propagate the holy rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.

13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.

14. All who recite the rosary are my sons and brothers of my only Son Jesus Christ.

15. Devotion to my rosary is a great sign of predestination (of going to heaven).

Our Lady's Medjugorje message of October 25, 2013

Dear children!
 Today I call you to open yourselves to prayer.
Prayer works miracles in you and through you.
Therefore, little children, in the simplicity of heart seek of the Most High to give you the strength to be God’s children and for Satan not to shake you like the wind shakes the branches. Little children, decide for God anew and seek only his will – and then you will find joy and peace in him. Thank you for having responded to my call.

The Medjugorje Message: No one can close God’s mouth

The Medjugorje Message: No one can close God’s mouth: by Fr Ljudevit Rupcic OFM, RIP The term “private” revelations has already for a long time become customary in theology. In contrast to i...

Pope Francis Kissing and Caressing Jesus' Wounds

 

The image of St Francis kissing the leper has been consistently in my mind since last Thursday's celebration of Francis' Transitus. In a reflection on St Francis I gave at our celebration of the Transitus here at Bellarmine University, I mentioned how moved I've been to see Pope Francis emulate St Francis in his interactions with people, often embracing and kissing the ill and marginalized.

Last July, during one of his last morning masses before his summer vacation, Pope Francis gave a homily on the apostle Thomas and his need to touch the wounds of Christ.  I didn't notice this homily back in July, but it has since been brought to my attention.  Exceptionally beautiful, but also very challenging.  Francis here puts a mirror up to all of us, and asks us how willing we are to kiss and caress the wounds of Jesus in our wounded brothers and sisters.

Mary and Martha: A Short Comparison

 

by Greg Sousa
 October 22, 2013

In a society filled with time commitments, fast-approaching deadlines, and schedules that don’t seem to fit within a twenty-four hour time frame, where does one find the time needed to accomplish all of their tasks at hand and still maintain a hospitable social life? How does one stop from being distracted with details and simply recognize the reasons for his/her actions? These are some of the questions and conflicts that Mary and her older sister Martha faced when Jesus and His twelve apostles were guests at their house in Bethany.

We first meet Mary and Martha in the Gospel of Luke. Although they are mentioned in each of the four Gospels, it is the story of Luke 10: 38-42 that has been studied for centuries by biblical scholars.  Mary, Martha, and Lazarus had become cherished personal friends of Jesus during His earthly ministry. He had a profound love for their family, and it's clear from Luke's account that Jesus made Himself at home in their house.  Although the passage is short, it is very poignant. Luke writes:

 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”  And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10: 38-42 NKJV).

Jesus had apparently been invited into the home by Martha, signifying that she was the one in charge and the master of ceremonies of this house. She tried to do everything that she could to make sure that all of the details of the visit were perfect – and as the oldest sibling – she may have feared the shame of her home not measuring up to the desired expectations. While much of Martha’s behavior is commendable, she fussed over the hostessing duties too much. As a result, she was not able to enjoy any quality time with her guest, Jesus, and found it impossible to accept her sister’s lack of cooperation in all of the preparations.

 In contrast to her sister, Mary felt it was important to give more attention to Jesus rather than focus on the details of the visit. Mary felt that it was more important to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His words rather than focus on the details of serving her guest’s needs. Mary’s actions irritated Martha so much that she bought it to the attention of her guest, Jesus. Jesus didn’t become angry with Martha. He was the perfect house guest. He understood her anguish, but loved her enough to tell her what she needed to hear. He tactfully stated that Mary’s choice was the most appropriate. Jesus' reply must have utterly startled Martha. It probably never occurred to her that she might be the one in the wrong, but the little scene earned her the gentlest of admonitions from Jesus.

Ironically, in a later incident recorded in the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of John, we find Mary, once again, sitting at the feet of Jesus while she anoints Him with expensive oils and perfumes and wipes His feet with her hair. This time Judas Iscariot is the one to quickly rebuke Mary for her actions stating, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor” (John 12: 5 NIV). Once again Jesus comes to Mary’s defense and rebukes Judas saying, “Leaver her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial” (John 12: 7 NIV). Mary seemed to be able to discern Jesus’ true meaning even better than any of His twelve disciples.

 

Rochester author gives voice to substance abusers

 

By Georgia Sparling | Oct 20, 2013

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Courtesy of: Alberta Sequeira Alberta Sequeira says her latest book is the conclusion of her previous memoirs on alcoholism in her family.

Rochester — As a young bride, author and speaker Alberta Sequeira was blindsided by her husband Richie Lopes’ addiction to alcohol early in their marriage.
“I couldn’t understand what was happening. I didn’t want anyone to know,” said Sequeira.
By keeping his alcoholism and abuse a secret, she said she helped him go deeper and deeper into the disease that eventually claimed his life in 1985.
More heartache followed for Sequeira and her family when her daughter, Lori Cahill, also succumbed to alcoholism in 2006 at age 37.
“I didn’t even think of it as being hereditary,” said Sequeira, who is remarried and lives in Rochester. “I thought Lori would straighten out.”
With her memoirs “Someone Stop This Merry-Go-Round” and “Please, God, Not Two,” Sequeira wrote about her family as their loved ones were ravaged by addiction.
Now, with “What is and isn’t Working for the Alcoholic and Addict,” Sequeira has returned to the topic of substance abuse, this time giving addicts the opportunity to speak for themselves.
Counselors, family members, friends, and substance abusers wrote about what did and didn’t help them or their loved ones overcome addiction.
Sequeira reached out to recovering alcohol and drug addicts across the country and Canada and asked them to write their stories and what gave them the strength to overcome dependence.
“We really want to reach, not just the substance abusers, but the whole family,” said Sequeira of herself and her co-authors. “I thought if I had a lot of writers…someone will connect with one writer.”
Twenty-four people contributed to the book, some of whom began abusing alcohol at an early age.
An entrepreneur from Alberta, Canada, who used the initials K.B., struggled with substance abuse from age 12.
“The bottom line is that if you think that, even remotely, your consumption or use is a problem, then it is very much a problem,” wrote K.B. “You need to understand the person before you can really help them with their addiction.”
Sequeira hopes the book will help struggling addicts get help and that it will be a resource for counselors and doctors.
In many ways, the book is a tribute to Sequeira’s daughter, Lori Cahill. Like Sequeira, who also has a daughter named Debbie, Cahill was a mother two.
Her addiction went unknown for many years. When it did surface, Cahill didn’t want to talk to anyone about it, even during her stays in rehabilitation centers.
Years of abuse eventually shut down Cahill’s liver. She eventually went into a coma.
Sequeira said the most difficult part of the experience for her was seeing Cahill’s 17-year-old daughter sit by her mother’s bedside just as Cahill had sat by her dying father’s hospital bed when she was 17.
“I will always say, ‘Why couldn’t I have saved her?’” said Sequeira. “Nothing is going to take the empty hole out of my heart.
But she said, “This book is going to help others not become another Lori or Richie.”
To learn more about Sequeira’s books and her work with substance abusers, visit her website http://albertasequeira.com. “What is and isn’t Working for the Alcoholic and Addict” is available on Amazon.com.

Dear Family of Mary!

 
 

 

J.M.J.

October 22, 2013

Blessed John Paul II

 

Dear Family of Mary!

 

Today we honor our dear Pope John Paul II and turn to him for intercession. He will be canonized on April 27, 2014, the Feast of Divine Mercy. What a fitting day for his canonization! Blessed John Paul II championed this feast, proclaiming it in 2000, when he also canonized St. Faustina Kowalska! With great joy we await this wonderful canonization.

 

Blessed John Paul II wrote a beautiful letter on the Rosary that I wish to quote today. He spoke of the Rosary as a way to stay close to Our Lady's memories of Jesus. And in those memories, we can find our way to holiness and salvation. Our Lady, herself, has said the same thing, through Jelena Vasilj in the early days. So simple and yet so profound:

 

Saturday, June 1, 1985 - To Jelena:
"Always have the love of God in you, because without this love, you are not able to convert yourselves completely. Let the rosary be in your hands in memory of Jesus. Dear children, strive to deepen your knowledge of the Mass as you should."

 

Blessed John Paul II wrote:

 

Mary's memories

11. Mary lived with her eyes fixed on Christ, treasuring his every word: "She kept all these things, pondering them in her heart" (Lk 2:19; cf. 2:51). The memories of Jesus, impressed upon her heart, were always with her, leading her to reflect on the various moments of her life at her Son's side. In a way those memories were to be the "rosary" which she recited uninterruptedly throughout her earthly life.

 

Even now, amid the joyful songs of the heavenly Jerusalem, the reasons for her thanksgiving and praise remain unchanged. They inspire her maternal concern for the pilgrim Church, in which she continues to relate her personal account of the Gospel. Mary constantly sets before the faithful the "mysteries" of her Son, with the desire that the contemplation of those mysteries will release all their saving power. In the recitation of the Rosary, the Christian community enters into contact with the memories and the contemplative gaze of Mary.

 

The Rosary, a contemplative prayer

12. The Rosary, precisely because it starts with Mary's own experience, is an exquisitely contemplative prayer. Without this contemplative dimension, it would lose its meaning, as Pope Paul VI clearly pointed out: "Without contemplation, the Rosary is a body without a soul, and its recitation runs the risk of becoming a mechanical repetition of formulas, in violation of the admonition of Christ: 'In praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think they will be heard for their many words' (Mt 6:7). By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to the Lord. In this way the unfathomable riches of these mysteries are disclosed"

 

It is worth pausing to consider this profound insight of Paul VI, in order to bring out certain aspects of the Rosary which show that it is really a form of Christocentric contemplation.

 

(APOSTOLIC LETTER ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF
JOHN PAUL II TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY AND FAITHFUL ON THE MOST HOLY ROSARY )

 

"By its nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life as seen through the eyes of her who was closest to the Lord." We are invited into the most beautiful relationship in all history, that of Jesus and Mary, through the Rosary. What love we are receiving each time we pray the Rosary, what intimacy and inclusion in the life of heaven!!

 

Friday, June 1, 1984 - To Jelena:
"May the love of God be always in you, because without it, you cannot be fully converted. Let the rosary in your hands make you think of Jesus."

 

May we hold our Rosaries close and think of Jesus!

 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan

©Mary TV 2013

 

 

 

 

 "Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world!"   

Blessed John Paul II  -

Be connected! 

www.marytv.tv

Come Holy Spirit

Rome Singled Out Medjugorje For Honor

by Jakob Marchner

As the only non-recognized Marian sanctuary and place of apparitions, Medjugorje was invited to send representatives for the Marian Day of Prayer and Pope Francis’ consecration of the world on October 12-13. Despite the unofficial status, the Medjugorje group got front row seats.

Medjugorje parish priest Fr. Marinko Sakota in St. Peter’s Square last weekend. Photo: Zoran Sego

Medjugorje was treated like no other place when the Vatican arranged and sent out invitations for last weekend’s Marian Day of Prayer and Pope Francis’ consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The representatives from Medjugorje were invited to be present though Medjugorje is still not offically recognized, neither as a shrine, nor as a place of apparitions. This did not happen to representatives from any other such place. Furthermore, the group were seated very close to the Pope on both days.

Pope Francis smiles and greets the Medjugorje delegation during his consecration of the world to Mary on October 13. Photo: medj.fr

“It is noteworthy that among the Marian shrines officially recognized, like Fatima, Lourdes, Banneux, Guadalupe, etc., the Pope also wished for the presence of the representatives of Medjugorje! In fact, Medjugorje was the only Marian shrine unrecognized (or “not yet recognized”) among all these shrines with a glorious past!” the Medjugorje-based nun Sr. Emmanuel Maillard writes in the October bulletin of her organization, Children of Medjugorje.

“Besides, according to Ivan Ivankovic – in prison with (then parish priest, ed.) Father Jozo in 1981 for having said that he had seen the Cross dance on Cross Mountain – the small group was surprised to have been offered choice seats in St Peter’s Square for both days. Indeed, our friends got some of the best places, behind the bishops and cardinals, quite close to the Pope” Sr. Emmanuel reports.
source http://www.medjugorjetoday.tv/

WE MUST PRAY ALWAYS

Jesus "told them a parable on the necessity of praying always." -Luke 18:1

Most people believe in praying, but how many believe in praying always? Even those who believe that praying always is a good idea don't always believe it's a necessity, but Jesus does.
Does your life say you believe in "the necessity of praying always"? Do you pray the first thing in the morning? Do you try to center your day on the Mass? Do you pray the Angelus? Do you pray not only for people, but with them? Do you pray daily with your spouse, family, and co-workers? Do you pray on the phone, before you go to bed, etc? With these many times of formal prayer, you will be in touch with Jesus all day even when you're busy with the day's activities and can't give Him undivided attention. Thus you will be praying always.
Praying always is a necessity, for some battles are won not only by prayer, but by praying always. For instance, Moses had to keep praying, or Joshua would not have defeated the Amalekites (Ex 17:11ff). Prayer is good, but may not be good enough. There is "the necessity of praying always."

 Father, may I not lose heart (Lk 18:1), but have the faith (see Lk 18:8) to consider it a privilege to pray always. Holy Spirit, help me to pray always.

Dear children! Today also I want to call you all to prayer. Let prayer be your life. Dear children, dedicate your time only to Jesus and He will give you everything that you are seeking. He will reveal Himself to you in fullness. Dear children, Satan is strong and is waiting to test each one of you. Pray, and that way he will neither be able to injure you nor block you on the way of holiness. Dear children, through prayer grow all the more toward God from day to day. Thank you for having responded to my call. Medjugorje message, September 25, 1987

October 18, 2013   Dear children of Medjugorje, praised be Jesus and Mary!   1 - On October 2, 2013, Mirjana received her monthly apparition at the Blue Cross, surrounded by a big crowd. After the apparition, she gave us the following message:   "Dear children! I love you with a motherly love and with a motherly patience I wait for your love and unity. I pray that you may be a community of God's children, of my children. I pray that as a community you may joyfully come back to life in the faith and in the love of my Son. My children, I am gathering you as my apostles and am teaching you how to bring others to come to know the love of my Son; how to bring to them the Good News, which is my Son. Give me your open, purified hearts and I will fill them with the love for my Son. His love will give meaning to your life and I will walk with you. I will be with you until the meeting with the Heavenly Father. My children, it is those who walk towards the Heavenly Father with love and faith who will be saved. Do not be afraid. I am with you. Put your trust in your shepherds as my Son trusted when He chose them, and pray that they may have the strength and the love to lead you. Thank you."   2. Saints are truly alive! Sister Briege McKenna just spent a few days in Medjugorje, which was a great joy for us (See PS1). The last evening of her stay, October 1st, was Little Flower's feast day. Sr. Briege told us a very touching fact about her connection to Little Flower that can help us better profit from the help of Heaven, especially now that All Saints Day is near.  "One day", she said. "Jesus spoke to my heart and told me, 'Go and talk to the priests and bishops'. My answer was, 'Come on Lord, I am a first grade teacher'. A few months later I met a Jesuit priest who told me, 'You know, Briege, the Lord put something in my heart - to invite you to give a priest retreat.' I replied to him, 'you didn't hear right. You know I teach first grade'. 'Don't worry,' he said. 'These priests are like children, they are very open and charismatic.' I had to lead that retreat for about 60 priests, without him, because he had to be hospitalized the next day. Never in my life had I stood before priests. They couldn't see but my knees were shaking. So I prayed St Therese, and to make a long story short, the retreat was very blessed. "Not long after that a bishop from California who had heard about the retreat invited me to preach another one in San Diego. I felt a little bit more secure, seeing that the Lord had worked well during the first retreat. As soon as I arrived at the 2nd retreat, one priest of the retreat said to me, 'There are only 50 parish priests on the retreat. They do not want to be here, their bishop forced them to come. They are absolutely mad that there is a nun coming, and they want to tear you apart.' Then, there was a fight in me and I said: "Jesus, YOU got me here!" "The next day, I learned that this Trappist brother had to leave so he put me in charge of all the conferences! Then I recalled all the horrible things these priests had said about me. On the morning of the retreat, I got up very early and prayed for several hours. Then knowing that there was a statue of St Therese in the campus grotto, I bought for her the biggest candle I could find, and I went to pray to her: 'Listen, Saint Therese!  For me, leading this retreat is worse than going into the lions' den. Please help me, please come with me, and you help me talk to these priests!"   "When I walked into the conference room, all these priests had their arms folded, and you could see by body language that they were not very happy to be there. Anyway I started to give my 1st talk. I gave 3 talks that day and I knew I had them because you could see a transformation. After super I went back to the grotto with another candle that I lit in front of St Therese and I said to her, 'I really want to thank you for being with me today.'   "Later I met an Irish Monsignor who told me, 'I never in my life listened to a nun. I was very resentful. You know, this morning, when you were talking to us, you told us to close our eyes, but I did not close my eyes. I had my head down for a moment and then I looked up to see what you were doing.' Then he asked me, 'Do you have a devotion to St Therese?'  I asked 'why?' 'Because, you know, I don't see visions, but St Therese was standing by your side before us. I realized at that moment that Therese was here to help you.'"    Sr. Briege continued, "It taught me something about the saints! I often tell this story to parents when they are choosing a name for their child. I tell them, 'Ask that saint to give your child his own gifts, so that your child can continue to glorify Jesus in the manner that this saint glorified Him! When you have the name of a saint, that saint loves to accompany you. He helps you to accomplish what you have to do in your life to be a saint. When we invite the saints, they actually will come and accompany us in our work and in our ministries!"   This testimony from Sister Briege, corroborates with the urging invitation from the Gospa to read the lives of saints and pray with them. On the spiritual side, most Catholics live below their means and miss huge graces offered to them by the elected ones in Heaven. So before Halloween, rather than collect pumpkins, let us devour the life of a saint and ask him to come and help us, either our patron saint or another one of our choice. Of course it is not about watching for a vision like the one the bishop had of St Therese; but we can be assured of the effective response from the saint, because in Heaven, angels and saints love us with the very love of God.   3. Medjugorje in Rome! We have good news! For the Marian days of October 12-13, Pope Francis, honoring the program prepared by Pope Benedict XVI before his departure, invited the representatives of the Marian shrines, officially recognized by the Church (see PS2). At the same time, Father Marinko Sakota, Medjugorje's parish priest, received an invitation from Rome to attend these Marian Days with 30 parishioners who were there in the beginning days of apparitions in Medjugorje.  The small group left Medjugorje on October 10th, making a first stop at the Loretto shrine, near Ancona.   It is noteworthy that among the Marian shrines officially recognized, like Fatima, Lourdes, Banneux, Guadalupe, etc., the Pope also wished for the presence of the representatives of Medjugorje! In fact, Medjugorje was the only Marian shrine unrecognized (or "not yet recognized") among all these shrines with a glorious past! Besides, according to Ivan Ivankovic (in prison with Father Jozo in 1981 for having said that he had seen the Cross dance on the Krizevac), the small group was surprised to have been offered choice seats in St Peter's Square for both days. Indeed, our friends got some of the best places, behind the bishops and cardinals, quite close to the Pope.   Even if this is not equivalent to an official recognition from the Church, this tacit initiative from the Pope may still be considered a significant act regarding Medjugorje. The 'Medjugorje file' is going along positively and we give thanks to God for it.   Let us pray that the results of the Commission created by Pope Benedict for Medjugorje will be published without delay.   Dearest Gospa, you said in Fatima: "At the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph." Thank you! In this way, you announce a beautiful future for the world. We beseech you, may you hasten to crush the serpent's head and help us hasten the triumph of your Heart in living your messages and in consecrating our lives to you! Sister Emmanuel +  (Translated from French)

PS 1. Sister Briege McKenna is a well-known Irish nun. Very gifted by God, she travels the world, helping Religious and lay people to be centered on Christ in the Eucharist. In this way, she has drawn so many souls back to God! Jesus entrusted to her His priests in a special way, and she has for them powerful words, increasing their faith and often obtaining healing of soul and body. prayer@sisterbriege.com - www.sisterbriege.com  You may watch this testimony on line: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5B96ObmF5A   PS 2. Way before he left, Pope Benedict had planed to entrust the world anew to the immaculate Heart of Mary, on the anniversary of the last apparition of Mary at Fatima, on October 13, 1917. Pope Francis has happily fulfilledthis most inspired and needed plan!In reality, rather than a consecration, the words« Affidamento a Maria » mean that the Pope has entrusted the world to Mary, as Pope John Paul II did already on October 8, 2000.   PS 3.  Children of Medjugorje Inc announces our new and improved website! Please check us out at www.childrenofmedjugorje.com and let us know what you think. We will continue to add content including new video clips from Sister Emmanuel, as well as more books and other materials for purchase. Also, please keep our ministry in mind as you plan for your end of year tax-deductible donations. Children of Medjugorje, Inc is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and will provide a receipt for all donations. PS 4.  Back to School!  October brings us back to our school days. Return to the "School of Our Lady" each day with Sr. Emmanuel's teachings. Discover what Our Lady says about topics such as prayer, fasting, suffering, death, peace, etc. Sr. Emmanuel brings Gospa's messages alive with real experiences and ways to live the messages! Pick up your CDs and DVDs now! Sister Emmanuel's latest teachings are AVAILABLE on both CD and DVD format! Visit www.childrenofmedjugorje.com and click on Shop COM to order your CD's today. PS5. From your house, spend the night with us in Medjugorje live! Click http://www.medjugorje.hr/en/multimedia/live-streaming and sign up by clicking en/user/sign-up/.    PS6. Our Lady loves to receive mail! She responds in the heart during prayer. Send your letter to Children of Medjugorje, PO Box 18430, Denver, CO 80218. Outside of USA send your letter to: "Reine de la Paix", BP 2157, F-06103 Nice Cedex, France. We will entrust them to a visionary who will place them at the feet of Our Lady.   PS7. Sign up Today! Receive the news from Medjugorje by Sr. Emmanuel each month. French: Gospa.fr@gmail.com English and German: commentscom@gmail.com Italian: info@vocepiu.it Spanish: gisele.riverti@gmail.com Croatian: djeca.medjugorja@gmail.com Portuguese: medjugorjeport@yahoo.com Chinese: teresamedj@gmail.com Dutch: gclaes@scarlet.be (New!)