12/31/14

Have no love for the world


"Have no love for the world, nor the things that the world affords." -1 John 2:15

"If anyone loves the world, the Father's love has no place in him" (1 Jn 2:15). If we are set on the things of the world, we are enemies of the cross (Phil 3:18-19). "A man is marked out as God's enemy if he chooses to be the world's friend" (Jas 4:4). Therefore, it is a matter of everlasting life or death that we both have no love for the world and be crucified to the world and the world to us (Gal 6:14).

What does the Lord mean by the "world"? "Carnal allurements, enticements for the eye, the life of empty show - all these are from the world" (1 Jn 2:16). Another translation is: "The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world" (1 Jn 2:16
"Who, then, is conqueror of the world?" (1 Jn 5:5)
   * "the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 Jn 5:5),
   * the one who receives the Holy Spirit, Who proves the world wrong about sin, justice, and condemnation (Jn 16:8), and
   * the one who is at the foot of the cross where the Spirit crucifies us to the world (see Gal 6:14).

"The world with its seductions is passing away but the man who does God's will endures forever" (1 Jn 2:17).

 Father, make me a light to the world of darkness (Mt 5:14).

"She was constantly in the temple, worshiping day and night in fasting and prayer. Coming on the scene at this moment, she gave thanks to God and talked about the Child to all." -Lk 2:37-38


Medjugorje Message of September 2, 2011
"Dear children; With all my heart and soul full of faith and love in the Heavenly Father, I gave my Son to you and am giving Him to you anew. My Son has brought you, the people of the entire world, to know the only true God and His love. He has led you on the way of truth and made you brothers and sisters. Therefore, my children, do not wander, do not close your heart before that truth, hope and love.

 Everything around you is passing and everything is falling apart, only the glory of God remains.

Therefore, renounce everything that distances you from the Lord. Adore Him alone, because He is the only true God. I am with you and I will remain with you. I am especially praying for the shepherds that they may be worthy representatives of my Son and may lead you with love on the way of truth. Thank you.





12/30/14

The Holy Innocents


The Loss of Holy Innocence

Every year in late December, emotionally hung over from the solid months-long celebration of commercial Christmas (I know, I know … it starts on the 25th. But try living in a house with small children and keeping Advent purely anticipatory) the Church presents to us a beautiful feast, fresh on the heels of the newborn Savior and filled with meaning.
The Holy Innocents.
Those small ones who gave their lives for His, in a very real sense, before He gave His life for us all.
It’s a chilling story, but not an unfamiliar narrative; a government drunk on power, enraged by the perceived threat of a competing power, lashing out senselessly and mercilessly against those without any power.
It’s also an apt metaphor for our modern day epidemic of death and destruction in the womb.
King Herod couldn’t stomach the thought of his slave population rising up against him, rallying around a prophesied messiah who would save his people and set them free. He read the prophesies literally, and he acted accordingly. The baby in question would destroy his perfectly planned and flawlessly executed plans, threaten his quality of life, and leave his very claim to the throne in question.
So he did the next logical thing, for someone operating out of fear (and perhaps no small amount of rage): he had all the babies who met the specs of the prophecy killed.
All male Hebrews, from birth to 2 years old. Slaughtered. Taken from their mothers and fathers and destroyed, because their very presence threatened his position, and because his lust for power and control was insatiable unto the point of blood. Rivers of blood.
It’s not a perfect analogy, but there are some definite similarities. And the victims are identical. Innocents, holy and blameless, made to suffer for the fear and choices and failings which are not their own.
Catholic tradition has a special place for these protomartyrs, held in such high esteem as to be considered to have died not only with Christ, but in His stead, by St. Augustine.
Think of the audacity of such a claim…and the truth of it. These little children did, in a real way, die in place of the Christ child, the newborn King. Safely en route to Egypt, shielded from Herod’s wrath by His foster father and His loving mother, Jesus lived that He might one day die in our places.
The Church still recognizes, perhaps in a way no other institution can equal, the humanity and the profound dignity of the unborn child, today’s martyr of choice.
Let us join our prayers this year on the feast of the Holy Innocents with the millions upon millions of child martyrs whose little voices were silenced by premature death, but whose souls rest in the loving gaze of a Father who desired them from the beginning of time, regardless of the length of their earthly stays.
All you Holy Innocents, pray for us.

12/29/14

THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT


THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT encourages Catholics to apply the power of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit to their lives. Produced by Catholic Faith Productions. 
To purchase the full length DVD visit http://www.catholicfaithproductions.com

12/25/14

Our Lady's Medjugorje message to Marija of December 25, 2014

“Dear children! Also today, in my arms I am carrying my Son Jesus to you and I am asking from Him peace for you and peace among you. Pray to and adore my Son for His peace and joy to enter into your hearts. I am praying for you to be all the more open to prayer. Thank you for having responded to my call.”


A Little Reflection  (by Sr. Isabel)
 
There is only one true source of real peace, and that is the Infant of Bethlehem, Jesus Christ.
Jesus does not force Himself upon us, but rather He responds to the openness of our heart to welcome Him and accept the graces He has for us. Our Lady wisely invites us to pray and adore Jesus because she knows the more we do that, the more open we will be. 




Medjugorje: Annual Apparition to Jakov


 

ANNUAL APPARITION TO JAKOV ON DECEMBER 25TH 2014

25.12.2014
At the last daily apparition to Jakov Colo on September 12th, 1998, Our Lady told him that henceforth he would have one apparition a year, every December 25th, on Christmas Day. This is also how it was this year. The apparition began at 2:40 pm and lasted 8 minutes. Afterwards Jakov transmitted the message:

Dear children! Today, on this day of grace, I desire for each of your hearts to become a little stable of Bethlehem in which the Savior of the world was born. I am your mother who loves you immeasurably and is concerned for each of you. Therefore, my children, abandon yourselves to the mother, so that she may place each of your hearts and lives before little Jesus; because only in this way, my children, your hearts will be witnesses of God’s daily birth in you. Permit God to illuminate your lives with light and your hearts with joy, so that you may daily illuminate the way and be an example of true joy to others who live in darkness and are not open to God and His graces. Thank you for having responded to my call.

12/23/14

O Come O Come Emmanuel


Tajci Cameron - The Christmas Concert Special

The Medjugorje Message: Confessional of Europe

Photo by Bernard Gallagher
http://crownofstars.blogspot.com/
The Medjugorje Message: Confessional of Europe: Cardinal Puljic claims Medjugorje is the largest confessional in Europe In a pre-Christmas interview with the Anadolija   news agency, ...

12/20/14

THE SCHOOL OF MARY


"The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." -Luke 1:35

Mary is a model disciple. She is worthy of being imitated.
   * Mary did God's will, no matter what it entailed as the servant of the Lord.
   * She welcomed and received the Holy Spirit. Then she ministered with the Spirit's power and the gifts during her visit to Zechariah and Elizabeth.
   * She gave her body to the Lord. So many these days will not let the Lord have their body. Often in today's me-first culture, we hear: "It's my body, and my choice of what I do with it."
   * Mary regarded her body as a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19-20), and lived a holy lifestyle. In essence, she said to the Lord: "This is my body, to be given up for You."
   * She was pure and holy. Her Child was "holy" (Lk 1:35). We disciples of Jesus are to likewise be pure (1 Jn 3:3) and holy (1 Pt 1:16).

As Christmas approaches, enroll in Mary's school of discipleship. Learn a lesson from the model disciple.

 Father, may I follow You as did Mary.

 "The Lord Himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with Child, and bear a Son, and shall name Him Immanuel." -Is 7:14

"O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at Your will the gate of heaven: come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead Your captive people into freedom."

The Medjugorje Message: Medjugorje: an answered prayer?

The Medjugorje Message: Medjugorje: an answered prayer?: Did the prayer of Pope John Paul ll lead to the visitation of the Mother of Jesus to Medjugorje? When the Angel Gabriel appeared to Zecha...

12/19/14

Power of the Eucharist.....

A touching story of the Power of the Eucharist.....
Sr. Briege & the Eucharist from The Curate's Diary,  by Fr. T. Doyle:

Today Sister Briege McKenna's healing ministry is totally centered on the Eucharist.

During a special retreat for sisters a few years ago, she shared a remarkable story of how Jesus led her to this Eucharistic centering.

She said, "I had a big problem. After my own dramatic healing and then receiving the gift of healing others, I was worried because so many people were coming to me.

Many Healings
"In less than one year, so many healings were taking place, that the people wanted to make a saint out of me, even asking for relics...cloth
from an old habit, my hair trimmings, etc. I was astounded and disturbed by it... and then there was the way that some people wanted to touch me, as if they would be healed or graced by doing so.

"I loved the people, but I did not like what was happening. There was a danger that, instead of directing people to the Lord or to the Mass, they had come just to see me.  "I certainly knew that, of myself, I had absolutely no power, and that it was Jesus Who was doing the healing; that I was only His chosen instrument. However, even to be chosen by Him was itself an extraordinary gift. Pride could step in, and one could begin to believe that one is better than other people. "In a certain way, I felt that I was becoming a celebrity, and I knew that it was neither true, nor good for my soul.

"I went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes , and begged Our Lady for help. I asked Her, to please keep me in the heart of the Church, and to show me how to integrate this healing ministry into the life of  the Church. "I remember sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament in Exposition one day, just praying to Our Lady.  Then I went down to the Grotto." A  pilgrimage was taking place of mentally handicapped children, and as I  watched them being assisted from Mass, I remember thinking and knowing that Mary will show me the way.
Come to El Passo
Sr. Briege came back to America , and three weeks later she got a phone call from Fr. Rick Thomas. He had a special ministry across the border in Mexico. He said to her, "I would love to have you come and visit the poor at the garbage dump and pray with them.  You can help
with the healings. Their need is so great."

She explained that given her existing commitments, she had only an evening and a morning available, and he responded, "That's fine. God doesn't need a long time.  On your way back from California , stop off and stay overnight."

She arrived in El Passo to be met by this very colourful charismatic priest, a man who witnessed to the faith in everything he did. On the one hand, he was normally wearing a Texan hat and Texan boots. On the other hand, "Alleluia" was his favourite word, which he regularly repeated with gusto.

When Sr. Briege arrived, he started jumping up and down with delight, and introduced her to his dog and his donkey. Sr. Briege did not know  what to expect next!

The Unforgettable Dump
That evening, they drove directly out to the dump, and he told her, "They do not have a clue as to who you are, and it does not matter. When the time comes, I will just get you to say a prayer with them, and God will do the rest." When they arrived at the dump, Sr. Briege witnessed scenes she will never forget.
On the Texan border with Mexico , there is the Rio Grande , the river which Mexicans try to cross to get into the U.S.  They are driven back by border police. These are poor Mexicans, who squat and live at the garbage dump, and their children are born there. As Fr. Rick showed Sr. Briege around, she was horrified by the sheer squalor. She had given retreats in South America , but she had never seen anything like this. 
When Fr. Rick told her that he was going to celebrate Mass there for them the next morning, she was somewhat taken aback, wondering how Mass could be celebrated with any dignity in such an environment. What would the people know or understand?  The children were running
around wild like little animals. She was horrified at thinking that, in that place with those people; they will not be able to comprehend what  happens during Mass.   Anyway, the next morning, she, a small group of young Mexican Americans, and Fr. Rick set out for the dump. He brought a little table and all the Mass requirements.
When they arrived, already up to 1000 people were there, and more were coming!  She remembered standing there looking over this crowd of poor miserable people.  Clearly visible in the distance, not even fifteen minutes away, were beautiful homes and a big Mexican Seminary.
But these people had no church, and indeed, they had nothing. Fr. Rick had taken it upon himself to go out there and to begin evangelizing and ministering to them. He was trying to break down the hatred through speaking of God's love, and then seeking to get them into groups to do works toward that end.

The Mass
The Mass started, and although Sr. Briege has been a daily communicant since she was 12 years old, she said that that Mass had changed her life!
Before the Mass began, she watched an old woman coming in, carrying a bundle on her shoulder.  At first, Sr. Briege thought that it was some form of a gift for Fr. Rick.  But, when the old woman opened up the cloth, in it there was a little child, completely burned from head to foot, filthy, dirty, and screaming!   The woman looked at Fr. Rick, and with great compassion, she said, "Please bless him.  I found him smouldering when I was coming across the mountain." She had picked him up, put him into this cloth, and carried him to Fr. Rick.  The child was practically skinless!  Fr. Rick looked at the little boy, got Sr. Briege to join with him in a prayer, and then suggested that he be placed under the table on which the Mass was to be celebrated.
Sr. Briege related that once the Mass had begun, she felt and saw the presence of Jesus. When Fr. Rick said, "Let us the Gloria," praises to God came forth from the tops of their voices.   She had come from across the border from comfort.   She had everything that she needed,
but they had nothing, and yet they praised God loudly and whole heartedly.  She heard the Lord speaking to her, saying, "If my people do not praise Me, the stones will cry out!"

Here were the poorest of the poor and they were radiant with praise to God. When the consecration came, she had her head down. Then she looked up and saw that Fr. Rick had one of those large hosts. For a moment, everybody was prostrate on the ground.   It was then that  she had the most beautiful image of Jesus with His two hands out.   He was smiling, and within herself, she heard the words of the Gospel,
"Come to Me all you who are weary, and I will refresh you."   Just as she was seeing that, the people lifted up their faces and started  shouting, "Viva Cristo Rei" ....long live Christ the king!   At that moment, she truly knew that Jesus was in the Host... that it is not just a piece  of bread, but truly Jesus, Himself.  For these people, in the midst of their poverty, they had the King of Kings. They clapped, cheered, and cried, "Viva Cristo Rei" ...long live Christ the king!

She found herself weeping as she saw the great faith of these people, and she asked herself,  "Is my faith as strong as theirs, that I may always realize that a Consecrated Host is really Jesus'

The Little Children
Mass ended and the burned little boy, who had been placed under the Mass table, had long since stopped crying. Sr. Briege went to look for him, and she was overwhelmed when she saw him. He had crawled out from under the table, was totally healed, and was playing in the sand!

She went over to the old woman, and said to her, "What happened to him?"  With hindsight, she realized that it was a stupid question. The old woman looked at Sr. Briege, and said,  "What do you mean what happened? Didn't Jesus come?"  As Fr. Rick put his hands over the bread and wine and called upon the Holy Spirit, as the bread and wine were changed, the little boy was changed. He was given new skin!
Not only that, before the Mass, Sr. Briege saw a mother bringing in a Down Syndrome baby. The mother was a young girl, and she had this beautiful little baby in her arms, but it had all the appearances of having Down Syndrome. She and Fr. Rick prayed over the child. At the end of the Mass, the child's mother came running up to her, saying, "Look at my baby!"  Her baby was now perfect.

More Healings
There were many more healings. Sr. Briege had spent eight hours with the people, and she did not remember which ones she prayed with, but it was certainly not all of those who were healed. It was as if God had put on a display of miracles. Fr. Rick usually did not pray with the people.  All he did was celebrate the Mass.

Power Of The Eucharist
Sr. Briege spent eight hours on the mountain dump, and she went back to El Passo so overwhelmed that she could not sleep. Finally, at three a.m., she heard Jesus tell her, "Get up and pray."   She knelt at the side of the bed, and the Lord said, "You asked My Mother to help
you, and to show and teach you, She brought you here.  People come and seek signs and wonders.  They go looking for healers and for something to help them, and they will go to anybody!   Yet, I am on the altars of the world and in the tabernacles of the world, and they pass  Me by. I brought you here because I have a mission for you. I want you to go to the world and speak on the power of the Eucharist. As you begin to lead people to the Eucharist, I will show you what I can do...  and, He is doing just that!

This occurred in 1972. Since that time, Sr. Briege has been travelling all over the world to speak about the power of the Eucharist. In Ireland, as in many parts of the world, they have a history of men and women who knew that the Mass was worth living and dying for.
                         

12/17/14

Pray for Priest

Featured article from December's Spirit of Medjugorje
Pray For Priests
By Dianne Yochim

     My husband and I have been blessed to know some very holy priests over the years, but one stands out among the rest. I’ll call him Father G. He was particularly close to our family. As Mom lay dying in the hospital, this priest knelt down on the hard tile floor beside her bed and led the family around her in the Rosary and then in the Litany of the Blessed Mother. What was so remarkable was the fact that not only did he recite the entire Litany completely from memory, but that he was 93 years old!

     Years earlier, we had been invited to a special dinner celebrating Father G.’s 50th Anniversary as a priest. He told us how grateful he was for all the people who prayed for him over the years. He assured us that it was through those prayers that he was able to remain faithful to the priesthood that God had chosen him for. Then he shared a personal story with us that he said not many people knew. He said that when he was a young priest, he went through a very dark and troubling time. For months he contemplated leaving the priesthood. He didn’t tell anyone, but prayed and prayed for guidance. One day, he found his answer in a painting that he would never forget. In the foreground of the painting, a poorly dressed man sat on a park bench looking forlorn and dejected. On his shoulder sat a devil. Then in the background, high up on a hill, the artist had painted a monastery. All around and in the monastery, the monks were busy about their chores. There were many devils hovering over the monastery, and each monk had several devils attacking him individually. When Father G. saw this painting, he understood why he had become so confused about the priesthood; he was being severely tempted by many devils. At this understanding, his darkness vanished. 
     When Father G. shared this personal story with us, I remembered hearing before that, when we are tempted, we have one devil on our back, but when a priest is tempted, he has ten devils on his back. 

     Why are priests under such heavy attack? They are God’s ministers to us. Through them, we receive the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist and the forgiveness of our sins. We receive God’s grace and, hopefully, one day salvation and union with Him. Through the ministry of one priest, thousands of souls can be saved. We need priests. 

     As much as we need priests, they need our prayers and support. The Second Vatican Council states: “The Christian faithful, for their part, should realize their obligations to their priests…Sharing their cares, they should help their priests by prayer, and work insofar as possible so that their priests might more readily overcome difficulties and be able to fulfill their duties more fruitfully” (Presbyterorum Ordinis, 9).

Priests concelebrating Mass in Medjugorje
     Along with the call to pray for priests, the Congregation of the Clergy, on Dec. 8, 2007, sent letters to all diocesan bishops in the world, asking for “Eucharistic Adoration for the sanctification of priests and spiritual maternity after the example of Mary, Mother of the Eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ.” We do well to take Mary as our model in this endeavor. She is a powerful intercessor with our dear Lord. She knows exactly what each of Her priest-sons needs to fulfill his call to holiness and succeed in his mission to gain souls for God and His Church. God cannot refuse Mary’s requests for anything. All graces come through Her. Let us also become spiritual mothers for our beloved priests, interceding through Mary for their sanctification and work on earth. We can do this by our prayers and sacrifices, by offering all our sufferings and sorrows for them, by offering Masses and Eucharistic hours of Adoration for them. 

     The Opus Sanctorum Angelorum (Order of the Holy Angels), under the guidance of the Order of Canons Regular of the Holy Cross, has sponsored a spiritual Crusade of Prayer and Reparation for Priests for many years. They offer free bi-annual meditations on the priesthood and ask for commitment to pray on behalf of priests, remembering them especially on Thursdays, the day of the institution of the priesthood.

     They also offer a program in which you can spiritually adopt a specific bishop, priest, seminarian, or young man discerning a vocation. Upon request, they will send a free Crusade packet with a suggested daily prayer for priests, the Litany of Jesus Christ, Priest and Victim, and a copy of the booklet, “Chalice of Strength,” containing many prayers for priests. 

     For more detailed information, or to sign up to join this Crusade, you can visit their website at opusangelorum.org or email them at contact@opusangelorum.org. As we pray for our beloved priests, may we also remember to thank God for this precious gift of priesthood! On October 2, 2014, Our Lady said, “My dear children, as your shepherds offer you the Body of my Son with their blessed hands, always in your hearts give thanks to my Son for the sacrifice and for the shepherds that He always gives you anew.” Mary Immaculate, Mother of Priests, intercede for us!
Editor’s note: Dianne is from Erie, PA and is on our mailing staff. I was touched when she told Father G.’s story at one of our mailings and asked her to write it up to share. What a great gift this would be to give Baby Jesus – to spiritually adopt a priest, bishop, seminarian, or young man discerning the priesthood.
http://www.spiritofmedjugorje.org/index.php

12/16/14

The Medjugorje Message: Medjugorje dossier “on the Pope’s desk”

The Medjugorje Message: Medjugorje dossier “on the Pope’s desk”: Eleven months have passed since Fr Federico Lombardi, Director of the Holy See press office, announced on January 18, 2014 that the work of ...

12/14/14

Mary Did You Know - Kathy Mattea


This beautiful Christmas song with words written by Mark Lowry and music written by Buddy Greene. Words and music came together about 1990.
This exceptional performance is by Kathy Mattea, done "live" before a large audience in December 1994.

HE wil restore everything

"Elijah is indeed coming, and he will restore everything." -Matthew 17:11

Jesus said that Elijah would restore everything. What a statement! Everything? How could someone restore everything? Jesus said that the restoration of everything was begun by John the Baptizer (Mt 17:13), who came "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Lk 1:17). The Power for this universal restoration is the Holy Spirit. Consequently, John was "filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb" (Lk 1:15). John began the restoration of everything by turning "the hearts of fathers to their children" (Lk 1:17).

This universal restoration is still in process. When we complete it, the world will end and Jesus will come back. Until then, "Jesus must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration which God spoke of long ago through His holy prophets" (Acts 3:21). So Jesus is waiting for us to finish the job. We may feel overwhelmed at this responsibility, since universal restoration seems no less monumental now than at Jesus' time, despite all the Lord has been doing in the meantime. However, all we have to do is what Elijah and John did - be filled with the Spirit, obey the Lord, and focus on turning the hearts of fathers to their children. If we do this much, we will do our part to bring about universal restoration and hasten Jesus' final coming (2 Pt 3:12). You are another Elijah and John. Work and live accordingly.

 Father, may this Advent and my life's work follow in the tradition of Elijah and John.

 "You are destined, it is written, in time to come to put an end to wrath before the day of the Lord." -Sir 48:10

12/12/14

Mirjana`s apparition December 02, 2014 HD



Published on Dec 3, 2014
“Dear children, Remember – for I am telling you – that love will win. I know that many of you are losing hope because around you, you see suffering, pain, jealousy, envy... but, I am your mother. I am in the Kingdom but am also here with you. My Son is sending me anew to help you. Therefore, do not lose hope; instead, follow me – because the victory of my heart is in the name of God. My beloved Son is thinking of you as he has always thought of you. Believe him and live him. He is the life of the world. My children, to live my Son means to live the Gospel. This is not easy. This means love, forgiveness and sacrifice. This purifies and it opens the Kingdom. Sincere prayer, which is not only words but is a prayer which the heart speaks, will help you. Likewise fasting (will help you), because it is still more of love, forgiveness and sacrifice. Therefore, do not lose hope but follow me. I am imploring you anew to pray for your shepherds so that they may always look to my Son who was the first Shepherd of the world and whose family was the entire world. Thank you. ”


CHRIST WITHIN


"Thereupon Mary set out, proceeding in haste into the hill country to a town of Judah, where she entered Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth." -Luke 1:39-40

When we think of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we think of her miraculous image on the tilma, the miracle of the roses, the great basilica, and especially the millions of conversions. The cause of all these wondrous works is symbolized by the black sash at the center of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This sash is a sign that Mary was pregnant with Jesus. Jesus, Who was in Mary, has done and continues to do countless miracles through Our Lady of Guadalupe. Jesus through Mary continues to convert millions to new life in Him.
On this great feast day, let us accept God's grace to be like Our Lady of Guadalupe. Let us be filled with Jesus. Let us be like Mary and visit all the Elizabeths and Johns in our lives (Lk 1:39ff). Christ in us is our Hope of glory (Col 1:27). "There is One greater in you than there is in the world" (1 Jn 4:4). As we are conscious of Jesus living within us (see 2 Cor 13:5), Jesus will do miracles through us and give salvation to countless thousands.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us to be like you. May we let Jesus within us transform the world around us. We are servants of the Lord; let it be done to us according to His word (Lk 1:38).

 Jesus, during Advent prepare us to be full of Life this Christmas, for You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn 14:6).

"See, I am coming to dwell among You, says the Lord." -Zec 2:14

12/6/14

Fr. Pietro Paterlini, many fruits of conversion in Medjugorje


Fr.Pietro Paterlini: „I was especially impressed by the hills of Medjugorje”

date: 03.12.2014.
Fr. Pietro Paterlini, the Italian priest from the Diocese of Reggio Emilia Guastalla came to Medjugorje. He heard about Medjugorje for the first time in the 80's  and his first visit was in December of 2009, when Fr. Pietro visited Medjugorje with one small group of pilgrims from his parish. „I wanted to come sam to Medjugorje, because I visited before Our Lady's shrines in Italy and France. I found a very profound atmosphere of prayer here in  Medjugorje. Once you come here, you begin to pray simpler way. In a special way, I was really impressed by Apparition Hill where we pray Rosary and by Cross Mountain with the devotion of the Way of the Cross. I would call Medjugorje the great school of prayer "– said Fr. Pietro and added that he witnessed many fruits of conversion in Medjugorje.
http://www.medjugorje.hr/en/

12/4/14

Vicka Speaks


            
(c)Mary TV 2014
Vicka speaking on 12/03/14


J.M.J
St. John Damascene

Dear Family of Mary!

Yesterday, Mary TV filmed Vicka speaking to pilgrims at the orphanage, as she usually does!  Here is the transcript of her beautiful talk so expertly translated by Miki Musa.  Her words give peace!

December 3, 2014 talk by Vicka in Medjugorje
(Vicka spoke for 24 minutes....and then prayed in silence with everyone for more than 25 minutes)

First of all I would like to greet all of you. I'm very happy to be standing among you here.... But I'm even happier that with all my heart and all my love I can share with you Our Lady's main messages that she has been giving to all of us. Our Lady's main messages are: prayer, peace, conversion, confession and fasting.   And Our Lady recommends to us to pray every day all three parts of the Rosary and fasting on every Wednesday and Friday on bread and water. But a beautiful thing Our Lady invites us to pray for is to pray for our strong faith.

When Our Lady recommends us to pray she doesn't want us to just say the words, to move our lips.   Our Lady would like for us from day to day to open our hearts so that the prayer can really become a joy for us and that we may succeed to pray with the heart.

Our Lady gave us a beautiful example and she says:  "All of you in your homes have a flower pot, and if every day you put just a few drops of water into this flower, you will see it grow and become a beautiful rose." Well, the same example is with our heart. If we put a few drops of prayer in our hearts every day we'll see it growing becoming just as beautiful as that rose.   And if just for a few days we don't put the water in for this flower, we will see it vanishing as if it never existed before.

Our Lady says it may happen to us very often, when the time of the prayer arrives that we say, "I'm tired, I can't pray, I'll pray tomorrow." Then when tomorrow comes we find another excuse. So then day by day we distance ourselves from prayer and our hearts gets influenced only from a bad side.  But Our Lady said the same as a flower cannot live without water, we cannot live without God's grace.   And Our Lady says that prayer with the heart you cannot read, write or study. Prayer with the heart you can only live in order to be able to go forward day by day.

Talking about fasting, Our Lady says those people who are sick, they do not have to fast on bread and water, but those two days a week they can give up something they like the most.   But when healthy people complain about headaches, stomachaches or find different kinds of excuses not to fast, Our Lady says: "If you do fasting out of love towards God me, there is only one thing really missing, and that would be your own strong will."

Our Lady invites us to our total, complete conversion, and she says: "Dear children, whenever you have a problem or an illness, in those moments all of you think that Jesus and I are far away from you." But Our Lady says, "No: we are always very close to you! But you, open your heart. And then you will be able to see how much we love you!"

Our Lady would like us to do a little sacrifice. But she would be most content if we would give up sinning, and not sin anymore. And Our Lady says, "I'm giving you my peace and my love.   And you bring it to your families, to your friends."Our Lady gives the blessing to all of us and she prays for all of us.

But Our Lady says, "I will be happier to see you in your families, in your communities, praying the rosary together. Especially to see parents praying with their children, children praying with their parents.   Because united in a prayer like this, Satan cannot do any harm to you."

Our Lady says Satan always tries to disturb us. Satan wants to destroy our prayers and our peace. Therefore Our Lady invites us to pray a little bit more.   And the best weapon we have is the Rosary in our hands against Satan.   Therefore Our Lady recommends us to have with us always a little blessed religious article... whether it's a little medal, a little cross, a little something to help resist Satan better.

Our Lady recommends us to put the Holy Mass in the first place, because that's the most important, the holy moment, because it is at the Holy Mass that the living Jesus comes among us.   Therefore Our Lady would like from us when we go to Church to accept Jesus without any fear, without any excuse.

Our Lady recommends to us once a month holy Confession and she says: "Do not go to confession only because you have a sin. But go to confession in order to ask an advice from your priest who can help you to go one step forward."

And Our Lady is so preoccupied for all the young people in the world.   Because young people are going through a very, very difficult time.   And we can help them, but only with our love and prayer with the heart.... And Our Lady says: "Dear young people, what today's world is offering to you is passing, is of a passing value." Through this we can see that Satan is trying to use every free moment we have wanting to destroy us.   And today obviously working through young people wanting to divide our families.

But Our Lady says these moments are moments of great graces.   Our Lady would like us to accept her messages and to live them.   Our Lady would like from us to be the carriers of her peace and to pray for the peace in the entire world.   But in the first place Our Lady invites us to pray for the peace in our own hearts. And then for peace in our families, in our communities, and then with that peace to pray for the peace in the entire world. And Our Lady says if you pray for peace in the world and you have no peace in your own heart, that prayer doesn't go that well....

Even in this very moment Our Lady invites us to pray a little bit more, to pray for her intentions, for her plans.   To take the Holy Bible every day, to read that and to try to live that during the day.   Our Lady invites us to pray for the Holy Father, the Pope, for our bishops for our priests. In fact she invites us to pray for our entire church - it is in need of our prayers.

In a special way Our Lady invites us to pray for one of her plans that is supposed to be fulfilled; realized.   But especially recently Our Lady is so much preoccupied - what she's is suffering for - when she talks about our young people and our families that are going through a very, very difficult time.

Our Lady says she prays for peace.   Therefore Our Lady asks us to pray for the same intentions - to help her with our prayers.   Even tonight when Our Lady comes to me [Vicka says] I will recommend all of you, pray for all of you - your intentions, your families, but you, also, at 5:40 pm*, you pray, open your heart, and you present to Our Lady all of this.

I believe that many of you know that Jacov and I received this beautiful gift - this beautiful grace - that during an apparition Our Lady took us by the hand in order to show us paradise, purgatory and hell.   In those three spots we stayed twenty minutes.

We were in Jakov's family home. Our Lady appeared and she said, "Now I will take you with me!"   At that very moment little Jakov said, "Our Lady, take Vicka! She has many brothers and sisters. I'm the only one in the family!" Jakov thought they were leaving and never, ever coming back again. Personally [Vicka says] I thought in that moment, how many hours, how many days, are we going to go up or down? But Our Lady simply took my right hand, Jakov's left hand. She was in front of us and she took us with her.   A ceiling opened above us just enough for us to be able to go through it.   Practically within a second we found ourselves in Paradise.  

It was enormous space. And I saw a kind of light that doesn't exist here on earth. And I saw a lot of people, and all of them more or less the same...no fat, no thin, and they had all three colors of their dresses, grey, yellow and rose....all of them walking around, singing, praying, and little angels flying over.   And Our Lady said,"Look at how joyful, how content are all these who are in paradise - joy that you cannot explain with words...joy that doesn't exist here on earth."

Purgatory is also an enormous space.   But in Purgatory you cannot see persons because of the dense fog. But you can feel and hear that there are people who are inside who are suffering. Our Lady said, "Those who are in Purgatory are waiting for our prayers to be able to go to Paradise."

The first thing that I saw in Hell was a big fire. Then I saw normal people entering in the fire.   And the deeper they were going into fire they were being transformed into wild beasts and they would curse more and more against God. Our Lady said,"Those who are in Hell, they ended up there according to their own will. So all these people living on earth doing everything against God, they are already experiencing Hell, they just continue when they die." And Our Lady said there are many people who live on earth who believe that once you die everything is over. Our Lady says that's a big mistake because here on earth we are just passing through, but the true life continues.

I know that everyone of us here came with different issues, problems, difficulties....but most of all those people who are sick.... [Vicka said]: I would like you to know that every evening when Our Lady comes my first words addressed to her are always for and about those people who are sick, praying that God through Our Lady can give them strength to be able to endure that gift of the cross they were given - but to carry that with love.

Now [Vicka says] we will remain united in a silent prayer.   So please remain silent. That's very important.   Our Lady has said silence can do so many beautiful, great things. Do not be afraid of silence! Especially, recently, Our Lady said that we people of today talk too much and we do not pray enough.   And Our Lady would like for us to change this attitude, and to start to pray more and to talk less.

If during the silent prayer you hear someone shouting, screaming, yelling, whatever, trying to disturb - do not pay attention to it.   Be focused in your prayer. Because with our prayer in silence we can defeat any possible evil that might be circling around...And after this silent prayer we'll finish our meeting with one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for all your intentions....

*You can do as Vicka asks also by joining in Silent prayer at <www.marytv.tv> with those praying in Medjugorje as the bells of St. James ring during the time of Our Lady's apparition...

 May we learn to pray with the heart, like Vicka, by doing it! 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
(c)Mary TV 2014

PS. The Video of Vicka's talk is on the home page at www.marytv.tv  




"Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world."
Saint John Paul II
Be connected!
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12/2/14

Our Lady's Message to Mirjana of December 2, 2014

Dear children,
Remember - for I am telling you that love will win. I know that many of you are loosing hope because around you, you see suffering, pain, jealousy, envy... But, I am your mother. I am in the Kingdom but am also here with you. My Son is sending me anew to help you. Therefore, do not lose hope, instead, follow me - because the victory of my heart is in the name of God. My beloved Son is thinking of you as He has always thought of you. Believe Him and live Him. He is the Life of the world. My children, to live my Son means to live the Gospel. This is not easy. This means love, forgiveness and sacrifice. This purifies and it opens the Kingdom. Sincere prayer, which is not only words but is a prayer which the heart speaks, will help you. Likewise fasting (will help you), because it is still more of love, forgiveness and sacrifice. Therefore, do not lose hope but follow me. I am imploring you anew to pray for your shepherds so that they may always look to my Son who was the first Shepherd of the world and whose family was the entire world. Thank you.

11/28/14

Pope: don't be depressed – despite our ugly reality, we have hope


Pope Francis gives the Wednesday general audience in St. Peters Square Oct. 2, 2013. Credit: Elise Harris/CNA.
Pope Francis gives the Wednesday general audience in St. Peters Square Oct. 2, 2013. Credit: Elise Harris/CNA.
.- In his homily on Thursday Pope Francis said that although sin and corruption often seem to win out over good, Jesus gives us a promise of hope which enables us to keep “our heads held high.”

“Do not give way to depression: Hope! Reality is ugly: there are many, many cities and people, so many people who are suffering; many wars, so much hatred, so much envy, so much spiritual worldliness and so much corruption. Yes, it's true, (but) all of this will fall!” the Pope said on Nov. 27.

The Roman Pontiff offered his reflections to those present in the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse for his daily mass. He began by turning to the day’s readings, which recount the ill fate of the biblical cities of Babylon and Jerusalem.

Both cities fell for different reasons, he said, explaining that Babylon “falls because of its corruption” and warned that when sin accumulates, “you lose the ability to react and you start to rot.”

Corruption gives a person a certain level of happiness, so they feel that they have power and that they are satisfied with themselves, the Pope said, however it leaves no room for God or for conversion.

“(The) word 'corruption' says a lot to us today: not only economic corruption, but corruption with many different sins; the corruption of that pagan spirit, that worldly spirit. The worst (form of) corruption is the spirit of worldliness!”

A corrupt culture makes you feel like you are already in heaven, however the truth is that “the corrupt culture is rotten.” Babylon, the Bishop of Rome said, is an example of every person and society who have distanced themselves from God, leading to corruption that eventually gives way to rot.

Jerusalem, on the other hand, falls because she fails to welcome her Bridegroom, the pontiff said. The city was “distracted,” and because of this it fails “to welcome the Lord who comes to her rescue.”

Pope Francis noted that although Jerusalem had the writings of Moses and all the prophets, “She did not feel in need of salvation. She left no room for salvation: her door was closed to the Lord!”

Although the Lord was knocking on Jerusalem’s door, her people were not willing to let him in, listen to him or be rescued by him, the Roman Pontiff observed, so she falls.

He then took the fate of the cities to a personal level, and asked those present which city they identified with: the “corrupt and self-sufficient Babylon (or the) distracted Jerusalem?”

Pope Francis continued, alluding to how the coming end of the Church’s liturgical calendar is a reminder of the end of times and of the Lord’s second coming.

Despite the fate of the two cities in the day’s reading, the pontiff stressed that “the message of the Church in these days does not end with destruction: in both texts, there is a promise of hope,” and Jesus urges us to lift our heads and not to be afraid.

“When we think of the end of time, with all of our sins, with our history, let us think of the banquet which will be freely offered us and let us lift up our heads,” he said, noting that while the world is still full of suffering and hatred, we know it will come to an end.

The Pope explained that the different evils and trials that we face “have their time,” which is now, and that we must endure this time with patience, like Jesus endured his passion and death.

He concluded his homily by praying that the Lord would give to all “the grace to be prepared for the banquet that awaits us, always with our heads held high.

11/27/14

George Washington's Prayer for the Nation.



George Washington's prayer for the nation:


O eternal and everlasting God, I presume to present myself this morning before thy Divine majesty, beseeching thee to accept of my humble and hearty thanks, that it hath pleased thy great goodness to keep and preserve me the night past from all the dangers poor mortals are subject to, and has given me sweet and pleasant sleep, whereby I find my body refreshed and comforted for performing the duties of this day, in which I beseech thee to defend me from all perils of body and soul. Direct my thoughts, words and work, wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the Lamb, and purge my heart by thy Holy Spirit, from the dross of my natural corruption, that I may with more freedom of mind and liberty of will serve thee, the ever lasting God, in righteousness and holiness this day, and all the days of my life. Increase my faith in the sweet promises of the gospel; give me repentance from dead works; pardon my wanderings, and direct my thoughts unto thyself, the God of my salvation; teach me how to live in thy fear, labor in thy service, and ever to run in the ways of thy commandments; make me always watchful over my heart, that neither the terrors of conscience, the loathing of holy duties, the love of sin, nor an unwillingness to depart this life, may cast me into a spiritual slumber, but daily frame me more and more into the likeness of thy son Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time attain the resurrection of the just unto eternal life. Bless my family, friends and kindred unite us all in praising and glorifying thee in all our works begun, continued, and ended, when we shall come to make our last account before thee blessed Saviour…