10/31/15

The Medjugorje Message: My hands will hold you to the very end

The Medjugorje Message: My hands will hold you to the very end: When I think ‘I have lost my foothold’, your mercy, Lord, holds me up. Psalm 93 Dear children, By God’s will I am here with you in this...

UNBREAKABLE BONDS OF LOVE


"For I am certain that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor powers, neither height nor depth nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord." -Romans 8:38-39

Some of you are in prison. You've been separated from your loved ones. Some of you are divorced or separated from spouses. You too have been separated from your loved one. Some of you have been separated from a loved one because of their death. It's an awful, unceasing pain to be separated from love. Here is some wonderful news for you! There is Someone Who loves you; nothing can separate you from His love.

Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you. Absolutely nothing can stop Jesus from loving you. He loves you when you don't love Him. He loved you first, before you loved Him or if you've never loved Him (1 Jn 4:19). Jesus loves you in your sinfulness. He loved you before you turned to Him, even when you sinned against Him (see Rm 5:8). With age-old love He has loved you (Jer 31:3). Stop everything. Be still and know that Jesus is God (Ps 46:11). Know in the core of your being that Jesus loves you and nothing can separate you from His love.

"If God is for us, who can be against us?" -Rm 8:31

10/27/15

Fixing our eyes on the future glory

COMPARED TO WHAT?

"I consider the sufferings of the present to be as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed in us." -Romans 8:18

We must never compare ourselves with others. Nor should we compare the present with the past and idealize the "good old days." Nevertheless, we should compare the present sufferings with the future glory. When we do this, our sufferings seem like nothing. We are filled with hope and become able to endure anything, even the burdens and boredom of everyday life.

When we fix our eyes on the future glory, we do not escape from present realities. In fact, this gives us the strength to enter into the present sufferings and trials with no reservations. This kind of religion is not the "opium of the people," as Marx alleged. Rather, a religion of hope is the only thing that is not the opium of the people. Communism, unbridled capitalism, and secularism are the real opium of the people, and the effects of these "drugs" are starting to wear off. We need hope to live, not mind-games, ideologies, or petty pleasures. We need Christ in us, our Hope of glory (Col 1:27).

 Father, may I smile and rejoice even in adversity.

 "In hope we were saved." -Rm 8:24

Medjugorje a place of peace, prayer, and love

„Not a single person cannot remain the same once he feels this great love, grace and peace poured out at this holy place”

date: 21.10.2015.
Fifty-one members of the prayer group „Merciful Jesus” from Đakovo came on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje recently. It was only a few years ago that they started to organise pilgrimages to Medjugorje. The participants of this pilgrimage took part in the evening prayer programme and they also climbed hills of Medjugorje. „On our way back from Medjugorje we continue to pray and praise God in the bus. Most of the pilgrims give public testimonies then about all they experienced in their hearts while in Medjugorje, as not a single person cannot remain the same once he feels this great love, grace and peace poured out at this holy place”, members of this prayer community shared with us. This community meets every Sunday and they have 25 permanent members. Daria Veverec said that her conversion began in Medjugorje eight years ago when she began to walk with the Lord in her life. „It was this beautiful peace in my heart and the spirit of prayer that imbued my whole being with the gratitude towards our mother Mary and our Lord Jesus, for all those things they did and are still doing in my life. Immediately upon returning home, I joined the prayer community ‘Merciful Jesus’ in Đakovo”, said Daria.
http://www.medjugorje.hr/en/

10/25/15

Medjugorje: Our Ladys message of October 25, 2015

Dear children! Also today, my prayer is for all of you, especially for all those who have become hard of heart to my call. You are living in the days of grace and are not conscious of the gifts which God is giving to you through my presence. Little children, decide also today for holiness and take the example of the saints of this time and you will see that holiness is a reality for all of you. Rejoice in the love, little children, that in the eyes of God you are unrepeatable and irreplaceable, because you are God’s joy in this world. Witness peace, prayer and love. Thank you for having responded to my call.

10/24/15

The Medjugorje Message: Do not wait...

The Medjugorje Message: Do not wait...: Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but found none. He said to the m...

10/22/15

Pope John Paul II: Do not let your hearts be troubled


Uploaded on Oct 29, 2007
Pope John Paul II is my Secular Franciscan name sake. Bringing Christ's message of truth and hope in a world of despair, his voice resonates still. I pray that we are wise enough to listen.

10/19/15

The Fruit of Faithful Prayer of Two Mothers



Patrick Latta
The Fruit of Faithful Prayer of Two Mothers
By June Klins
     In June of 2012, our pilgrimage group visited the “castle” in Medjugorje to hear the testimony of Patrick Latta. Patrick began his testimony by introducing himself as a businessman from Canada. He began, “I quit going to school when I was 16 to go wash cars in a car lot….10 years later I bought the company. I was a super salesman. I bought my own Honda dealership. I bought my own BMW dealership. We were the top gun in Western Canada. Nobody could outsell us.”
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   Patrick’s wife, Nancy, popped in as he was speaking. “This is my wife, Nancy –  this is my treasure."  Nancy says the story he is telling is not their story, but the fruit of 48 years of prayer by Patrick’s mother – an orphan raised by sisters of St. Joseph – and the faithful prayer and perseverance of her own mother, who was praying for her for 30 years. “The story you are about to hear is a story of God's mercy and grace. We have never seen Our Lady. We have had no mystical experiences. We have no special gifts. This story is a result of the faithful prayer of two mothers.”
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   Patrick continued his story. “I had nothing to do with God, church, marriage, sacraments, school. I had a horrible time in Catholic school." One day, when Patrick was on the football field, the head coach yelled in front of everyone, “Hey, Latta, you can't play because you don't pay to come here." Patrick did not know he did not pay. "That was the end of my school – that was the end in believing in God."
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    "I have four children [from two previous marriages]. My children never saw the inside of the church – ever."  He used to say to his children, "This is god," and would hold up money. “When you have enough of this, you have all the god you want." Patrick lamented, “That's a father speaking to his children.” He said that one day his youngest son came home from school and announced he had been baptized Anglican. Patrick said to his son, “You're supposed to be Catholic." "Dad, you never took me inside a church." Patrick again lamented, “Wasn't I a great father? And that's how I lived – no God, no prayer, no church. But my business was fantastic, so I have a huge successful business and I don't need God. It was I, I, I …”
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   After his second divorce, Patrick met Nancy. Within two months they were living together. “No God, no prayer, no church, no marriage, no sacrament – nothing – living in mortal sin. We lived together six years.”  One day, Nancy said that they should get married. Patrick agreed, and they got married the next day in a helicopter on top of a mountain. He hired a JP and asked the pilot to be the best man. He didn't even know his name. When he came home from work the next day, Nancy was crying. She said, "I don't feel married." She wanted to get married in a church. Patrick said, “Nancy, do you know how much that helicopter cost?" She said, “I don't care about your helicopter. We have to get married in a church." Patrick reminded her that he had two previous divorces.
   Nancy went to see the bishop, who had documentation on Patrick's annulment from his first marriage. Patrick did not even know the marriage was annulled! The second document said that Patrick’s second marriage was never valid. The next day Nancy went to a church called “Immaculate Heart of Mary” to ask the priest to marry them. The priest agreed, but said to Nancy, “You’re out of your mind to marry this guy in church. He'll never change. He's the worst case I've ever seen. You are not going to make a success of this marriage –  there's no chance." Patrick agreed to attend marriage preparation classes and he made many promises – go to Mass, Confession, etc. – but admits he is a “professional promiser” since he is a car dealer. They did get married in the church, but Patrick said it didn't mean anything, and he broke every promise he made. That's how they lived… until one day when Nancy's brother sent them a book of messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje.
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   When they received the book, Patrick was not interested, so he handed the book to Nancy, but she gave it back to him and said, "Here, my pagan husband, you throw them away and it's on your conscience." The word “conscience” wouldn't let Patrick throw the book away. He opened it and looked for the shortest message in the book. It said, “I call you to conversion for the last time." Then something happened. The tears just started and they wouldn't stop. He asked Nancy, "Why didn't you tell me about these messages? Why didn't you tell me they were true?"  Patrick confessed, “I saw myself for the first time – I'm Catholic and lived in mortal sin for 30 years. And it came back to me in one second – boom! In one minute everything changed in my life.”  He warned, “The day you see yourself as you live on this earth and you are Catholic and you are living in mortal sin – it's the worst day of your life, because reality hits you so hard and it's the truth."  
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   Patrick began to read the messages – they became his whole life. He and Nancy even traveled to Oregon to attend a conference about the messages. Patrick was very touched when a priest at the conference suggested that everyone consecrate their children to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
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   At this point in the talk, Patrick decided to do some audience participation. There was a group of high school boys there from Boston, so he chose three of them to role-play as his sons. He said to the first boy that the school called and said he was expelled for using drugs and possibly dealing drugs. Patrick said – as he held up some money – that the principal had told him that this was the problem. “Your kids have too much." Patrick said that his son, who had dreadlocks at the time, replied, “This is my life. Leave me alone." Then Patrick called over the boy who was to play another of his sons, and said this kid was a super rugby player, but had a drinking problem. He mentioned the time that this son could not find his yellow Barracuda in a parking lot because he was so drunk.
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   Then Patrick called over a young woman from our group to play his 17 year-old daughter who wanted to get married. When she was divorced at age 19, Patrick gave her his car and his credit card and told her to go to California and find someone else. That's exactly what she did, and two years later she was divorced again.
   “Drugs, alcohol, divorce – a fourth kid I can't even talk about. His immorality is so off-the-wall. Why that lifestyle?” His son told him, “Because I never had a father.” Patrick looked at the young people who were playing his kids. “These are my four children that I never baptized. I never said a prayer with you from the day you were born. I never took you inside a church… You had everything money could buy. Your cars were $70,000.”
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   Referring to the priest at the conference, Patrick said, “And the priest said to consecrate these kids to the Mother of God. Well, they’re the most helpless situation you could have with four children. These words ‘consecrate them to the Mother of God’ hit me so hard.” Patrick didn't know how to do the consecration. So he looked at the statue of Our Lady at the conference and said, "Blessed Mother, take my kids, and, Blessed Mother, You be the parent that I never was, because I'm a total failure.” 
  Patrick and Nancy spent two days at this conference and learned all about the messages. He said the number one message of Our Lady is to pray the Rosary, because when you do, you’ll see miracles in your family. The second message of Our Lady is to go to Mass – minimum of Sunday. Patrick started to say the Rosary and go to Mass.
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   The third message Patrick said is the most difficult. Our Lady said She wants us to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. Patrick looked up all the messages on fasting, and found that Our lady said, "When you pray and fast you can stop wars."  Patrick thought, “What war am I going to stop?”  Then the light went on – “I got a war on drugs, I got a war on alcohol, I got a war with divorces, I got a war on immorality you can't even talk about. My house is a war zone!”  He repeated, “Fasting stops wars." So they learned to fast every Wednesday and Friday. “When you fast you have no fear of the future.” Patrick admitted he had a hard time fasting. “It's the hardest message because we think fasting is for somebody else, but if you don't listen to the coach he can’t help you.”
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   The next message is reading the Bible. They didn't even own a Bible, so Nancy had to buy one. Patrick said the fifth message is the big message of Medjugorje. “You can't start conversion without Confession.” Patrick had not been to Confession for 30 years and had lots to confess." You know what the priest did? He said, ‘I absolve you.’ I broke into tears. ‘I absolve you.’ Who can say that? Nobody has that power – only a priest. I'm shocked at the mercy of God and I'm shocked at the power the priest has in Confession. 30 years of mortal sin went down the drain in one Confession!”
   Speaking about the “castle” Patrick and Nancy built, Patrick said, “This is why this is a house of prayer for priests –  because the priest in Confession saved my life. Everything changed with that Confession.”  They have 300-400 priests a year come there, and also look after the religious, sisters, and seminarians and young men looking for vocations.
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    Patrick went back to talking about his kids. He asked the youngest son if he’d like to pray a Rosary with them and he declined for months before he finally agreed. Today, 19 years later, that son is a Catholic, married, with two beautiful kids. He is a teacher at a Catholic high school, and one year he even took 52 kids from his school to Medjugorje.
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   The second son went to Medjugorje once, and Patrick gave him a rosary. He went back to Canada and later called Patrick to tell him he quit drinking, quit rugby, and became a fireman.  Patrick said, “How is that possible?” And the son said, "The rosary you gave me in Medjugorje." Today he is married and has two beautiful kids. Patrick paraphrased, “Our Lady said if you do this (holding up the rosary), I'll show you miracles in your family.”
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   For 10 years, Patrick did not hear from his daughter. In February of 2012, he got a phone call from her. She said she was in Canada and wanted to come to Medjugorje."Daddy, I want to start again. Daddy, I don't want to be separated from the family anymore."  At this point, she had been through three divorces.  She came for two weeks to Medjugorje. She got a healing of her problem with alcohol and went back to the University for a nursing degree. Her life completely changed. “The divorce is gone – the alcohol is gone – the drugs are gone – from someone who started to pray.”  Patrick asked for prayers for his oldest son who still lives an immoral lifestyle. Our Lady said that when you consecrate your kids to the Immaculate Heart, they will be saved. For 48 years, as Patrick's mother prayed, she saw nothing; but then he went home to Canada one time, and took his mother to Mass. She cried, "The black sheep is home; the prodigal son has come home!" 
   This year Patrick and Nancy will celebrate their 25th anniversary. Patrick held up his rosary as he recalled how the priest said their marriage would not work. Patrick sold his car dealerships, boat, house, cars, and everything to move to Medjugorje without even knowing where it was. Why? He quipped, “The Mother of God lives here and I want to be Her neighbor.” Patrick said that Our lady appeared 17 times on their property, since Marija lives next door. During an apparition, Marija consecrated their property to Our Lady and Her Son. Our Lady smiled and said, "I'm joyful that you consecrated this place to me. Those who come here I will bless and protect." Patrick beams, “A real message from the Mother of God to a guy who did everything wrong – 30 years of mortal sin. Can you imagine the mercy of God?”  Holding up a rosary, he concluded, “This is the answer to every problem. This is the answer to your marriage. This is the answer to your kids."

The castle retreat house for priests and religious

  Source of this article  http://www.spiritofmedjugorje.org/

10/16/15

Miracle At Fatima Portugal

Fatima: The Miracles of October 13, 1917


The Visionaries -- Lucia, age 9, Francisco, 8, and Jacinta, 6

By Jean M. Heimann

On Sunday in October 13, 1917, at midday, a crowd of approximately 100,000 spectators gathered on a rainy day in a wet, soggy field to witness the miracle that was about to take place. The people had gathered there because three shepherd children had predicted that at high noon Our Lady who had appeared to them several times would perform a great miracle in a field near Fatima, Portugal called Cova da Iria.

“Silence, Silence, Our Lady is coming!” Lucia shouted out, over the din of the crowd, as she saw the bright flash of light in the sky over the holm oak tree. Everyone grew quiet; a holy hush came over the crowd as they instantly fell to their knees. It was as if there was an electrically charged current running through the crowd, as they waited in eager anticipation of the miraculous appearance of the Mother of God.

Suddenly, she appeared. Our Lady was dressed all in white with brilliant beams of bright light emanating from her. She rested her luminous white feet upon the small evergreen tree, adorned with flowers and ribbons.

Lucia asked: "What does Your Grace wish of me?"

Our Lady answered: "I wish to tell you that I want a chapel built here in my honor. I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue to pray the rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their homes."

Lucia: "I have many things to ask you: if you would cure some sick persons, and if you would convert some sinners..."

Our Lady: "Some yes, others no. They must amend their lives and ask forgiveness for their sins." Growing gloomier, she added, “Let them offend Our Lord no more for He is already much offended.”

Then, as Our Lady opened her hands, they began glowing, and as she stood up, her own radiant rays bonded with the bright blaze of the sun.

At that moment, Lucia cried out, "Look at the sun!"
                               
Once Our Lady had vanished, three visions followed in succession, which symbolized the joyful, sorrowful, and glorious mysteries. Lucia alone viewed all three visions; Francisco and Jacinta saw only the first.

First, Saint Joseph appeared by the sun with the Child Jesus and Our Lady of the Rosary. It was the Holy Family. The Virgin was dressed in white with a blue mantle. Saint Joseph was also dressed in white, and the Child Jesus in light red. Saint Joseph blessed the crowd, making the Sign of the Cross three times. The Child Jesus did the same.

Second, there was a vision of Our Lady of Sorrows and of Our Lord overwhelmed with sorrow on the way to Calvary. Our Lord made the Sign of the Cross to bless the people.

Finally, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, crowned queen of heaven and earth, appeared in a glorious vision holding the Child Jesus near her heart.

While these three visions transpired, the crowd of 70,000 spectators witnessed the miracle of the sun. It had rained throughout the apparition. At the end of the discussion between Our Lady and Lucia –Lucia cried out, "Look at the sun!"


The crowd stood up and looked up at the sky, entranced by an amazing array of visions. The clouds parted, exposing the sun as an enormous silver disc, shining with extreme intensity. Then, the huge disk started to "dance." The sun spun swiftly like a revolving ball of fire. Then it stopped abruptly for a moment, only to start spinning again. Its outer edges turned scarlet red; spinning, it scattered its fiery flames across the sky. The reflection of the flames changed the colors of everything around them– the trees, the people, the earth, and even the air.  Shimmering shades of yellow, blue, and white colors painted the environment. Finally, the ball of fire trembled, shook, and then plunged in a zigzag pattern toward the terrified crowd.

Fearing that this was the end of the world, the people dropped to their knees and cried out in unison, weeping and praying, begging God to have mercy on them.

All this lasted about ten minutes. Finally, the sun zigzagged back to its original spot in the sky and returned to normal.

Surprisingly, people noticed that their clothes, soaking wet from the rain, had dried.

The miracle of the sun was also seen by several witnesses up to twenty-five miles away from the apparition site.

The Portugal news and other newspapers at that time reported the miraculous event.



On October 13, 1930 at the Cova da Iria, before a crowd of over 100,000 pilgrims, the Bishop of Leiria read his pastoral letter which ended with the following declaration:

"We deem it well: 1. to declare worthy of belief the vision of the shepherds at the Cova da Iria, in the Parish of Fatima, of this Diocese, on the thirteenth day of the months from May to October, 1917; 2. to give official permission for the cult of Our Lady of Fatima."

What does our Lady ask of us today?  She continues to plead with us to pray the Rosary daily. The Rosary is one of the most powerful weapons in our arsenal for spiritual warfare. It is a grace-filled contemplative prayer that aids us in bringing about a more fruitful spiritual life for not only for our own souls, but for the souls of others. It is a powerful way to bring souls to conversion. Some of the most hardened sinners will turn back to God when we pray the Rosary, asking for Our Lady's intercession. Praying the Rosary is one of the most effective ways of putting an end to the greatest evils of our time.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdkvQzfYl5o

Sources:
The True Story of Fatima: A Complete Account of the Fatima Apparitions
Fatima.org

10/15/15

Weeping, growing Virgin Mary statue

Weeping, growing Virgin Mary statue inspires Subang Jaya church parishioners

The statue of Virgin Mary at the Church of St More in Subang Jaya is said to have transmogrified from polyresin to porcelain and to have grown three inches taller. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, October 15, 2015.The statue of Virgin Mary at the Church of St More in Subang Jaya is said to have transmogrified from polyresin to porcelain and to have grown three inches taller. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, October 15, 2015.A parishioner avers that he saw the statue of the Virgin Mary at the Church of St Thomas More in Subang Jaya shed tears and smile.
The Star Online also reported claims that the polyresin statue had transmogrified into porcelain, and grown three inches taller in the process, too.
It would seem that the statue had grown so that it could better fit into the grotto that had been specially built to house the mother of Jesus Christ. According to a widely-circulated WhatsApp message, the statue had been placed in a box when it was found to be too small for the grotto. However, when the parish priest took it out to be blessed last week, he found the polyresin statue miraculously transformed into porcelain and a good three inches taller, to boot.
“Her eyes were moving very slowly, all of us were there and we saw it.
“The father (the priest) was saying, ‘Look at her, she’s looking at us. She was full of life, she had a lot of tears in her eyes’.
“When we started singing ‘Ave Maria’, she started smiling and her lips were moving. It has touched all of us.
“The father had told us that he actually spoke to her. She will come more often, she also told father that she wants all of us to pray to her,” the man proclaims in the video.
The report said Father Raymond Pereira was unavailable for comment. – October 14, 2015.- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/citynews/greater-kl/article/weeping-growing-virgin-mary-statue-inspire-subang-jaya-church-parishioners/weeping-growing-virgin-mary-statue-inspire-subang-jaya-church-parishioners#sthash.JkxNWdPp.dpuf

Ronald Reagan against abortion for Personhood.com


Reagan's wording is from his "Address to the National Religious Broadcasters Convention",
delivered 30 January 1984 @ Sheraton Washington Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Emancipation Proclamation of Preborn Children January 14, 1988
NOW THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim and declare the unalienable personhood of every American, from the moment of conception until natural death, and I do proclaim, ordain, and declare that I will take care that the Constitution and laws of the United States are faithfully executed for the protection of America's unborn children. Upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind and the gracious favor of Almighty God. I also proclaim Sunday, January 17, 1988, as a national Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon the citizens of this blessed land to gather on that day in their homes and places of worship to give thanks for the gift of life they enjoy and to reaffirm their commitment to the dignity of every human being and sanctity of every human life.

10/13/15

The Medjugorje Message: The Medjugorje secrets... Fr Petar or the Pope?

The Medjugorje Message: The Medjugorje secrets... Fr Petar or the Pope?: The Medjugorje visionary Mirjana has spoken about recent speculation suggesting that Fr Petar Ljubicic (pictured above) may no longer be he...

10/9/15

The 30 Franciscan Martyrs of Siroke Brijeg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVfeW28c26gYdW1CJrzSzoh8axLzdBkBMIpgBvXQzM3QyQ5LCMFgkauAxmUhWSpYiDl4oxfHbANVDxbuPl-VaXX6_BaMmpGNuoFjMe0DXtntcBncFLFkECA2GUDZT6vDIqtdbnfE_IY9T/s1600-h/SirokiBrijegChapel.jpg
Thousands of pilgrims visit the Franciscan Monastery in Široki Brijeg every year, about one hour distant from Međugorje.

 On 7th February 1945 the Communist soldiers arrived and said “God is dead, there is no God, there is no Pope, there is no Church, there is no need of you, you also go out in the world and work.”The communists forgot that the Franciscans were working, most of the Franciscans were teaching in the adjoining school. Some of the Franciscans were famous professors and had written books.
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 The communists asked them to remove their habits. The Franciscans refused. One angry soldier took the Crucifix and threw it on the floor. He said, “you can now choose either life or death.” Each of the Franciscans knelt down, embraced the Crucifix and said, “You are my God and my All.” The thirty Franciscans were taken out and slaughtered and their bodies burned in a nearby cave where their remains lay for many years. Today they are buried inside the Franciscan church. In our Gospel today Jesus said, “if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven.” The thirty Franciscan martyrs of Široki Brijeg are a powerful example of declaring oneself in the presence of others for Jesus. They lived something else Jesus also said in the Gospel, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell.”
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Witnessing to Jesus and following God’s way helps others who are lacking courage to follow Jesus. 

One of the soldiers in the firing squad at Široki Brijeg later said, “Since I was a child, in my family, I had always heard from my mother that God exists. To the contrary, Stalin, Lenin, Tito had always asserted and taught each one of us: there is no God. God does not exist! But when I stood in front of the martyrs of Široki Brijeg and I saw how those friars faced death, praying and blessing their persecutors, asking God forgive the faults of their executioners, it was then that I recalled to my mind the words of my mother and I thought that my mother was right: God exists!”

 That soldier converted and now he has a son a priest and a daughter a nun. As I said, witnessing to Jesus and following God’s way also helps others in the crowd who are lacking the courage to follow Jesus.

10/8/15

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE BEST GIFT


"How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" -Luke 11:13

I received the Holy Spirit at my Baptism as an infant and at my Confirmation as a thirteen-year-old. As a young adult, I participated in a Life in the Spirit seminar and was baptized in the Holy Spirit. This experience transformed my life. The Spirit opened my mind to understand the Bible (Lk 24:45). After receiving the Spirit in this new way, Scripture jumped off the page for me. God's Word became so real that it was as if I could see everything along with the original biblical authors. In the decades that followed, the Holy Spirit has given me gifts, such as prophecy and teaching, which help change others' lives. I praise and thank God, the Holy Spirit, for dwelling in me and in so many others in the Church!

Matthew's Gospel reads, "how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to anyone who asks Him!" (Mt 7:11) Luke, however, replaces "good things" with the "Holy Spirit" (Lk 11:13). The Holy Spirit also:
   * convicts us of our sins (Jn 16:8), fights against our flesh (Gal 5:17), and leads us to holiness, if we are docile to Him,
   * guides us to all truth (Jn 16:13),
   * overcomes sin (Gal 5:16) and fear (2 Tm 1:6-8),
   * leads us to pray (Rm 8:26), praise, and worship the Lord in power and awe,
   * brings unity with our families and the Church (Eph 4:3).

"Receive the Holy Spirit" (Jn 20:22) and "do not stifle the Spirit" (1 Thes 5:19). "Since we live by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's lead" (Gal 5:25). Come, Holy Spirit!

 Holy Spirit, lead the Church to a new Pentecost.

 "For you who fear My name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays." -Mal 3:20

10/3/15

Disastrous

"He Who has brought disaster upon you will, in saving you, bring you back enduring joy." -Baruch 4:29

 Most people have suffered disasters in their lives. Some of these have been caused by their own sins. If we would seek the Lord ten times more zealously than we strayed from Him, He would save us from disaster and bring us back a joy that this time will last (Bar 4:28). The Lord turns all things, even disasters, to the good for those who love Him (Rm 8:28). If we repent and seek the Lord, we will understand that the sufferings of the present are "nothing compared with the glory to be revealed in us" (Rm 8:18).

We may go forth weeping, but we'll come back rejoicing (Ps 126:6). The Lord will change our mourning into dancing, our sackcloth into robes of gladness (Ps 30:12), and our darkness into dawn (Ps 30:6). The Lord turned Job's many disasters into double blessings. "The Lord even gave to Job twice as much as he had before" (Jb 42:10). Moreover, the Father turned the ultimate disaster of His Son's death on the cross to the ultimate joy of His resurrection from the dead. Disaster, sin, and death are not the final words. Rather, joy, salvation, and life reign supreme for those who have given their lives to Jesus

  Father, I trust You even in the worst circumstances of my life. Promise: "Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said: 'I offer You praise, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because what You have hidden from the learned and the clever You have revealed to the merest children.' " -Lk 10:21

10/2/15

Fr. Peter Rookey-Pilgrimage of Love


Published on Sep 9, 2015
Fr. Peter Rookey passed away one year ago on 9-10-14. We remember him in a special way at this time. He traveled to the Holy Land in 2010, and this documentary of his pilgrimage there was produced in his honor by Chuck Neff and Our Sorrowful Mother's Ministry. Annie Karto sings the theme song in this film. I hope you will be very blessed by viewing it. Father is now with the Lord and Our Lady. We pray for his intercession before God's throne for our intentions. He was truly a gift from above for all of us who knew him. We love you, Fr. Peter!!!

Medjugorje: Our Lady's message to Mirjana of October 2, 2015

Today, October 2, 2015, Our Lady appeared to the visionary Mirjana at the Blue Cross in Medjugorje and delivered the following message:

"Dear children, I am here among you to encourage you, to fill you with my love and to call you anew to be witnesses of the love of my Son. Many of my children do not have hope, they do not have peace, they do not have love. They are seeking my Son, but do not know how and where to find Him. My Son is opening wide His arms to them, and you are to help them to come to His embrace. My children, that is why you must pray for love. You must pray very, very much to have all the more love, because love conquers death and makes life last. Apostles of my love, my children, with an honest and simple heart unite in prayer regardless of how far you are from each other. Encourage each other in spiritual growth as I am encouraging you. I am watching over you and am with you whenever you think of me. Pray also for your shepherds, for those who renounced everything for the sake of my Son and for your sake. Love them and pray for them. The Heavenly Father is listening to your prayers. Thank you."

10/1/15

The Holy Spirit, is "God reminding us


05/13/2013

VATICAN

Pope: the Holy Spirit, the "unknown of our faith," is "God reminding us" of our salvation.

 Francis reflects on the remarks of a group of Christians from Ephesus: "we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." Even today, "many Christians do not know who the Holy Spirit is, what the Holy Spirit is." The Spirit is "God active in us," a "God who helps us remember" who "awakens our memory." Jesus himself says to the Apostles before Pentecost: the Spirit that God will send in my name, "will remind you of everything I have said."
http://www.asianews.it/files/img/F___S._Marta_4.jpgVatican City (AsiaNews) - The Holy Spirit is "God who helps us remember," who invokes in us the "memory" of salvation history and the gifts we have received and without which Christians risk slipping into idolatry. This was the lesson that Pope Francis drew from the Acts of the Apostles during the Mass celebrated this morning at the Casa Santa Marta. The Pope was reflecting on the episode which recounts the remarks of a group of Christians of Ephesus: "we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.

This, said the Pope - according to Vatican Radio - is not just "something from the early community",  "the Holy Spirit has always been somewhat the 'unknown' of our faith." "Even now, many Christians do not know who the Holy Spirit is, what the Holy Spirit is. And you sometimes hear: 'But I get on well enough with the Father and with Son, because I pray the Our Father to the Father, I have communion with the Son, but I do not know what to do with the Holy Spirit. . .' Or people say, 'The Holy Spirit is the dove, the one that gives us the seven gifts.' But in this way the poor Holy Spirit always comes last and finds no place in our lives"

Instead, the Holy Spirit is a "God active in us", "God who helps us remember," who "awakens our memory." Jesus himself explains this to the Apostles before Pentecost: the Spirit that God will send in my name, "will remind you of everything I have said." The opposite, he said, would lead the Christian down a dangerous path. "A Christian without memory is not a true Christian: he or she is a prisoner of circumstance, of the moment, a man or woman who has no history. He or she does have a history, but does not how to enter into history. It is the Spirit that teaches us how to enter into history. Historical memory ... When in the Letter to the Hebrews, the author says: 'Remember your fathers in the faith' - memory; 'remember the early days of your faith, how you were courageous' - memory. A memory of our life, of our history, a memory of the moment when we had the grace of meeting Jesus, the memory of all that Jesus has told us."

"That memory that comes from the heart, that is a grace of the Holy Spirit," Pope Francis vigorously repeated. He said remembering, "also means remembering one's own misery, that which makes us slaves, and together with them, the grace of God that redeems us from our miseries".

 " And when a little vanity creeps in, when someone believes themselves to be a winner of the 'Nobel Prize for Holiness," then memory is also good for us: 'But ... remember where I took you from, the very least of the flock. You were behind, in the flock.' Memory is a great grace, and when a Christian has no memory - this is a hard thing, but it's true - he is not a Christian, he is an idolater. Because he is before a God that has no road, that does not know how to move forward on the road. Our God is moving forward on the road with us, He is among us, He walks with us. He saves us. He makes history with us. Be mindful of all that, and life becomes more fruitful, with the grace of memory.". "

Pope Francis then concluded with an invitation to Christians to ask the grace of memory, so that they will never be a people that forgets the paths that have been taken, "that they will not forget the graces of their lives; that they will not forget the forgiveness of their sins; that they will not forget that they were slaves and the Lord has saved them. "

Catholic Charismatic Renewal and Pope Francis - HOSSANA

Charismatic Catholics pray over Pope Francis