11/25/16

Medjugorje: Our Lady's message of November 25, 2016

November 25, 2016 Message through Marija:
 

"Dear children! Also today, I am calling you to return to prayer. In this time of grace, God has permitted me to lead you towards holiness and a simple life - that in little things you discover God the Creator; that you fall in love with Him; and that your life be a thanksgiving to the Most High for everything He is giving you. Little children, in love, may your life be a gift for others and God will bless you; but you, witness without interest - out of love for God. I am with you and intercede before my Son for all of you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

11/21/16

Medjugorje, 16th death anniversary of Fr. Slavko Barbaric

date: 20.11.2016.
On Thursday, November 24, 2016, parishioners of Medjugorje parish and all pilgrims will commemorate Fr. Slavko’s 16th death anniversary by climbing Cross Mountain at 2 pm, and by celebration of the Holy Mass at 6 pm in the parish church. Fr. Slavko died on Cross Mountain on Friday, November 24, 2000, at 3.30 pm, after having completed the Way of the Cross for the parish.
Fr. Slavko Barbaric was born on March 11, 1946. When he was 19, he entered into the Franciscan Order and he was ordained as a priest in 1971. He had Ph.D. thesis in the field of religious pedagogy and gained the title of psychotherapist. Fr. Slavko tirelessly worked with pilgrims in Medjugorje, ever since he finished his studying in 1982. His books were translated in more than twenty languages and printed all over the world. He had true passion when he gave talks to the pilgrims, he led many Eucharistic Adorations of the Blessed Sacrament, prayers before the Cross, led prayers of Rosary on Apparition Hill as well as the Way of the Cross on Cross Mountain.
He organised and led annual international meetings for priests and youth, initiated seminar for married couples and led seminars of fasting and prayer in “Domus pacis”. He founded “Mother’s Village”, institution for care and education of children who were left orphans after the homeland war in our country. His psychotherapeutic education enabled him to work with addicts in the community Cenacolo, established by sister Elvira. He also founded similar community called “Merciful Father” for all young people with difficulties of addiction. Help of many benefactors from all over the world was directed towards foundations for young talents and war orphans.
 Fr. Slavko Barbaric travelled all over the world spreading Our Lady’s messages of peace and reconciliation. He was known for excellent virtues of speaking many languages, having great communication skills, education, simplicity, care for those in need, inexhaustible energy, hard work, and above all that he had devotion, humility and love. He prayed and fasted unceasingly, and loved Our Lady with childlike love. The purpose of his life was to bring souls to God through Mary, the Queen of Peace, by fasting and prayer.

11/17/16

St. Gertrude’s Love for the Sacred Heart Overflows Into Purgatory
St. Gertrude the Great, whose feast day is Nov. 16, was especially devoted to the holy souls in purgatory.
I recently came across the prayer for souls in purgatory that is attributed to St. Gertrude, and I became curious about her life. I discovered that she is a fascinating thirteenth-century mystic who experienced visions of Christ that transformed her life.
Born in Germany in 1256, Gertrude was educated in a monastery in Helfta. By the age of 24 Gertrude was convinced she had built a “tower of vanity and curiosity” rather than seeking to love God above all things. During Advent of 1281, she received her first vision of Christ, with the words: “I have come to comfort you and bring you salvation.” This brought about a focus on the study of Scripture and theology. She spent hours in prayer and meditation, and began writing spiritual treatises for the benefit of her monastic sisters. Many of Gertrude's prayers were miraculously answered, including the healings of serious diseases of other sisters. Along with her friend and teacher St. Mechtild, she practiced a spirituality known as "nuptial mysticism," seeing herself as the bride of Christ.
Only a few of St. Gertrude's writings survive today, but what we have is beautiful and profound. Her Spiritual Exercises were written in Latin around 1289. This arrangement of prayers, hymns, and reflections was intended for the nuns of her community and was used by Gertrude herself for her own yearly spiritual renewal. With themes of baptism, conversion, commitment, discipleship, union with God, and preparation for death, these Spiritual Exercises are still useful today for anyone seeking to deepen their spirituality through prayer and meditation. In 1289, Gertrude heard Christ ask her to write an account of the many graces she had received. She wrote a short spiritual autobiography, The Herald of God's Loving Kindness, to which the Helfta community later added what they had experienced with her. In it Gertrude describes her transformation as so real she was able to overcome all resistance within herself and surrender unconditionally to God's love.
Gertrude had a special devotion to the holy souls in purgatory. At every Communion she asked God for mercy upon them. He once showed her a table of gold on which were many pearls representing prayers for the holy souls. At the same time Gertrude saw souls freed from purgatory and ascending to heaven. In another vision, our Lord told her that he longs for someone to simply ask Him to release souls from purgatory. "I accept with highest pleasure what is offered to Me for the poor souls, for I long inexpressibly to have near Me those for whom I paid so great a price. By the prayers of thy loving soul, I am induced to free a prisoner from purgatory as often as thou dost move thy tongue to utter a word of prayer."
In another vision she was said to be given the following well-known prayer: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus Christ, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, those in the Universal Church, in my home, and in my family.”
On his own feast day, St. John appeared to Gertrude and placed her by the wounded side of Jesus, where she could hear His beating Sacred Heart. "Why is it, O beloved of God", she asked him, "that you who rested on His bosom at the Last Supper have said nothing of what you experienced then?" St John told her "It was my task to present to the first age of the Church the doctrine of the Word made flesh which no human intellect can ever fully comprehend. The eloquence of that sweet beating of His Heart is reserved for the last age in order that the world grown cold and torpid may be set on fire with the love of God."
Our Lord then showed her His Divine Heart, saying:
"Behold, I manifest to the gaze of thy soul My deified Heart, the harmonious instrument whose sweet tones ravish the Most Adorable Trinity. I give It to thee, and like a faithful, zealous servant, this Heart will be ready, at any moment, to repair thy defects and negligences . . . Make use of It and thy works will charm the eye and ear of the Divinity."
Gertrude was stunned by this gift of Our Lord because she thought it too great a condescension. Jesus encouraged her:
If thou hast a beautiful and melodious voice, and takest much pleasure in chanting, wilt thou not feel displeased if another person whose voice is harsh, wishes to sing in thy stead, and insists on doing so? Thus My Divine Heart, understanding human inconstancy, desires with incredible ardor to be continually invited, either by words or signs, to operate and accomplish in thee what thou art unable to accomplish thyself. Its omnipotence enables My Heart to act without trouble. Its impenetrable wisdom enables It to act in the most perfect manner. And Its joyous and loving charity makes It ardently desire to accomplish this end.
St. Gertrude encouraged others to pray to the Sacred Heart for graces. Jesus told her: "They may draw forth all they need from My Divine Heart." 
These visions continued until the end of her life. As she was dying, Jesus said to her: "Come, my chosen one, and I will place in you My throne."
The Feast of St. Gertrude was extended to the universal Church by Clement XII in 1738 and today is celebrated on Nov. 16, the date of her death in 1301 or 1302. Pope Benedict XIV gave her the title “The Great” to distinguish her from another St. Gertrude, Abbess Gertrude of Hackeborn, and to recognize her spiritual and theological insight.
source  National Catholic Register

11/14/16

Let us prepare our hearts!

Reflection on the Message of November 25, 2001 
LET US PREPARE OUR HEARTS
"Dear children! In this time of grace, I call you anew to prayer. Little children, pray and prepare your hearts for the coming of the King of Peace, that with His blessing He may give peace to the whole world. Peacelessness has begun to reign in hearts and hatred reigns in the world. That is why, you who live my messages be the light and extended hands to this faithless world that all may come to know the God of Love. Do not forget, little children, I am with you and bless you all. Thank you for having responded to my call." Message of November 25, 2001

In the message of the last month, Our Lady told us: “Little children, you are chosen to witness peace and joy”, and today she tells us about restlessness in hearts and hatred in the world.
Everyone seeks joy. Everybody wants to be happy and seeks joy. We all want to be happy. The good and the bad are equal in their desire to be happy. The good ones are good to be happy, and the bad ones would not be bad if they would not hope to become happy in such a way. In his Confessions, the great St. Augustin told us: If we all love joy, it is because we have already known it in a mysterious way. If we had not come to know it – if we were not created for it - we would not love it. The one who knocks at the door of a church – even it he does it with violence and anger – does so because he seeks joy. However, we see that the world around us is mostly sad. Sadness and restlessness strangle our throats and almost suffocate us. There are less and less joyful people and joyful Christians. Nietsche has already criticised Christians because their faces were too gloomy frowning.
Sadness and restlessness walk on our streets, in our villages and in our cities. Sadness has even sneaked into our families. Sadness and restlessness infect even our children to whom, instead of joy, we give things to eat, bigger and bigger and more and more ugly toys to destroy. Joy does not come from things, from toys, from food, from cars, motors, techniques, money or pleasure. Our heart and our soul seek the real food. You cannot cheat your soul while giving it things. If you don’t feed it with God and His Word, it will rebel and seek vengeance. Your soul gives you signs like emptiness, lack of meaning, nervousness, aggressiveness, anger against everything and everybody. You have to recognize these signs, you have to learn again to enjoy in little things and to recognize so many things around us - that everything is given, and that we hove not earned or merited anything.
Gospa, our Mother, walks with us for more than twenty years now. By this message, she prepares us for the time of Advent, which is approaching, and she puts in front of our eyes the King of Peace. Restlessness and hatred govern the world, our Mother tells us in this message, and we know and see that very well. And not only in the world, but they sneaked also into human relationships, families, amongst nations. Our Lady shows us the way, she puts into our hands a powerful means with which we can reach peace, if only we want it and seek it. It is not enough to see and to understand the state of your heart and your soul, of your family. It is not enough to know it, as it is of no use to a hungry man to know that bread is good. It is of no use for us to know that God is love, of no use to know that Our Lady is here out for love for us. We have to follow her words, to make the decision, to start today. We need the encounter and the experience of the God of Love. It is useless to curse darkness; let us light a lamp instead, and darkness is already gone. Sometimes it is enough to lift our eyes just a bit above the mud of this world, above our heads, to pronounce a good and positive word, and darkness is already gone. We have to heal our negative, black, tragic thoughts and pronounce pure words, so that God’s health and peace may reach us. It is not enough to say that there is no prayer in my family, that we can never get together, that every one goes his own way and after his own business. If nobody wants, then you start, have the courage to say to God a word of prayer and a cry, so that through you the light may come down, little by little, on those who are with you.
There are many hearts that follow Our Lady’s messages, which she gives to us still today. Our Lady counts on us, who want to hear her messages; she counts on our perseverance, even when we do not see immediately the fruits and successes. Our security is her presence, her words that she is with us in spite of everything. Let us be and let us remain with Her. Peace and good to you.
Medjugorje, November 26th, 2001
Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic

11/13/16

Bishop Thomas J. Tobin celebrates a Mass for Peace and Reconciliation in our Nation

Bishop at Election Mass: ‘Without God, a nation has no soul’

Posted: 
PROVIDENCE — On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin celebrated a Mass for Peace and Reconciliation in our Nation, at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul. More than 150 gathered at the noon Mass to turn to prayer, asking God to grant to the nation moral virtue as well as gifts of peace, harmony and reconciliation.
Wearing her “I voted” sticker, Diane Cardillo felt called to attend the Mass to pray for the country, regardless of the outcome of the election.
“We need to pray for our government no matter who wins today,” she said. “We need to pray that there will be peace, dignity and respect for our nation. I thought that the Mass was beautiful.”
After more than a year-and-a-half, the often tense and divisive presidential campaign between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton has come to a close. As of press time Tuesday, the election results had not been announced.
Regardless of the winner of the election, Bishop Tobin shared that his concern will still be the great deal of division, anxiety and fear in the country and in the state. He explained that concern was the impetus of the Election Day Mass.
“We can come together to pray for healing, peace and harmony, gifts that ultimately only God can give us,” he said.
During his homily, the bishop asked how the nation became filled with so much anger and division and confusion.
“It’s because, as a nation we have lost our bearings and that is because we removed God from our public life,” he shared. “More often than not, in our society and in our culture, God is seen as a distraction, as a nuisance. It strikes me that removing God from public life and society, that we have lost our North Star. As a nation we are wandering about without any moral virtue. The heart of our nation is restless and indeed it will not rest until it rests in God.”
History has affirmed the relevance and importance of God in the life of the nation, the bishop said, adding that the country’s founding fathers certainly spoke about their reliance of God.
“They recognized how important God would be in the life and growth of the nation,” explained Bishop Tobin. “Throughout our history, from the founding of our country, religious faith has placed a major role in our culture and in our society. The truth is, without God, a nation has no soul and I think that is what we are experiencing today and what has especially manifested during this campaign.”
Along with her daughter, and grandson who served at the Mass, Patricia McWilliams came to the service to offer a prayer for the country.
“I prayed for the protection and safety of our country and that people will vote with their conscience today,” she said.
Bishop Tobin asked God for his blessing upon the nation and for the gifts of healing, harmony and peace.
“We come to pray for our leaders, whoever we have chosen, that all of our leaders be inspired by God and promote the common good with concern and respect for human life and human dignity above all,” he said. “Regardless of the outcome of the election, as people of faith, and as Christians and as Catholics we should live in hope and confidence. That is the gift that our faith gives us.”

11/12/16

The Medjugorje Message: New website... The Medjugorje Witness

The Medjugorje Message: New website... The Medjugorje Witness: I set up a new website recently: THE MEDJUGORJE WITNESS Its purpose is threefold: (1) To publish Our Lady’s monthly messages to the wor...

11/8/16

Dear Children of Medjugorje

From the Desk of Sr. Emmanuel Maillard
November 8, 2016 

Dear Children of Medjugorje, Praised be Jesus and Mary!
1. On 2 November, All Souls Day, Mirjana received her monthly apparition at the Blue Cross in the presence of a large crowd that had also come to Medjugorje for All Saints' Day. After the apparition, she delivered Our Lady's message:
"Dear children, to come to you and to make myself known to you is a great joy for my motherly heart. It is a gift from my Son for you and for others who are coming. As a mother I am calling you: love my Son above everything. In order to love Him with all your heart, you need to come to know Him. You will come to know Him through prayer. Pray with the heart and with your feelings. To pray means to think of His love and sacrifice. To pray means to love, to give, to suffer and to offer. I am calling you, my children, to be apostles of prayer and love. My children, it is a time of vigilance. In this vigil I am calling you to prayer, love and trust. As my Son will be looking in your hearts, my motherly heart desires for Him to see unconditional trust and love in them. The united love of my apostles will live, will conquer and will expose evil. My children, I was a chalice of the God-man; I was God's instrument. That is why I am calling you, my apostles, to be a chalice of the true and pure love of my Son. I am calling you to be an instrument through which all those who have not come to know the love of God - who have never loved - may comprehend, accept and be saved. Thank you, my children."

While the Gospa was leaving, Mirjana saw a chalice.

2.  "I was a chalice of the God-man"
 

For the first time in 35 years of apparitions, the Blessed Mother told us that she is "the chalice of the God-man," and today, she invites us also to become chalices. Many wonder what she means by this! We need to pray very deeply to understand this invitation because it must be considered as a revelation on the part of our Heavenly Mother. She clearly wants to lead us on a path which we do not expect.  
There is no Mass without a chalice. During the Offertory the wine is poured into the chalice. At the consecration and therefore the transubstantiation, the wine is changed into blood through the words of the priest who, at that moment, is another Christ (persona Christi). "This is my Blood", he says, "shed for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins."  The chalice becomes the receptacle of the Blood of Jesus which will be offered to the Father.A chalice is therefore a sacred vessel that is strictly reserved for the celebration of the Mass, and it is sacred specifically because of its divine content.
From the moment of the Anunciation, Mary became the living tabernacle of the God-man during the 9 months she was carrying Jesus in her womb. But not only in her womb; she bore Him in her entire being! The special union of hearts and soul between the God-Child and His Mother was such that Mary resonated with everything her Son was going through inside her womb, in particular His mad love for humanity which already poured from His Divine Heart like a river. And after the birth of her Child, she continued to bear Him with increasing intensity.
The chalice is the place of overflowing love. In fact, when the Jews perform the Kiddush, in other words the blessing of bread and wine during the Shabbat meal, they pour the wine into the cup until it's overflowing, as a sign of the superabundance of God's gifts to man.
In the Gospel, Luke 22: 42, the chalice is also what Jesus sees coming to Him when He prays for us in the Garden of Gethsemane. That chalice is a chalice of great suffering. Jesus even says, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me!" Always adding, however, "Yet not as I will, but as You will." 
3. We're looking for watchmen!
In this message, let us not forget the above: "My children", Mary told us. "This is a time of vigilance. In this vigil, I call you to pray, to love and to trust." 

Now, a vigil is a period of waiting, where we are poised for what comes next. We prepare ourselves. It is a time where we increase our vigilance, because something very important is going to follow soon. It is also a way of not being surprised by the enemy, should he attack us. So we are like the watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem (IS 62:6-7) that Our Lady saw repeatedly at their stations during her pilgrimages in the Holy City.
The Gospa is preparing us through her messages, without saying clearly what awaits us. She does not need to tell us, because if we are prepared through her care, that is enough. But she specifies that, when her Son will look into our hearts, "her motherly heart would like Him to see in them an unconditional trust and love." 

"Will look" 

Why did she suddenly use the future tense when in fact Jesus is constantly looking into our hearts? It is because she sees the future! She wants to reassure us: Jesus will be there, He will look at us, He will not abandon us, we have nothing to fear.That is why, more than ever, we are invited to give ourselves over to unconditional trust and love.  I believe that we must learn this message by heart.
Let us ask for the grace to become, as Mary did, a living chalice in which Jesus can pour out his love until it is overflowing! A purified chalice containing the divine Blood and enabling this Blood to be lifted up to the Father for the Eucharistic offering. This chalice is offered to some who may be called to martyrdom, enabling them to participate in a special way in the offering of Jesus to the Father for the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of humanity.
James and John asked Jesus to sit with Him at His right and His left side in His glory. They actually dared to do that! But Jesus answered them by saying, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" (MT 20:22)

http://davidcharlton.blogspot.com/2013/02/february-24-2013-walking-in-way-of.html

It was the most effective way to answer their request, but not at all as they themselves would have wanted or expected. You do not obtain a seat in the glory of God by a wave of a magic wand, but rather by identifying with Christ in his death and resurrection. 

Sharing the chalice of Jesus and becoming a chalice ourselves, like Mary, enables us to extend salvation much further, especially to those who do not yet know the love of God or to those who refuse it. Then, as disciples intimately united with Jesus, following Mary's example, we see our Christian life becoming a continual mass celebrated with joy in this world that is struggling in great darkness. 

4. November is the month where we think of those who have left this world before us. 

Since we live 10 minutes away from Komarica cemetery (where Fr. Slavko is buried), near the church, I often go there to pray for 9 days in a row, asking the poor souls for a few specific favors. I always find that they intercede in a very powerful way! Besides, Our Lady told Vicka and Jakov, when they visited Purgatory with her: "When you pray for the souls in purgatory, you are enabling them to become intercessors who, in turn, will help you in your life, especially to not get attached to earthly things..."

In her Diary, Saint Faustina tells the following: "Before All Souls' Day, I went to the cemetery at dusk. Although it was locked, I managed to open the gate a bit and said, 'If you need something, my dear little souls, I will be glad to help you, to the extent that the rule permits me.' I then heard these words, 'Do the will of God; we are happy in the measure that we have fulfilled God's will.'

Later on, these souls came and asked me to pray for them, and I did pray very much for them.  In the evening, when the procession was returning from the cemetery, I saw a great multitude of souls walking with us into the chapel and praying with us. "(Diary §518-519)
5. Here is a good prayer for obtaining from Jesus the grace of a good death: 

O divine Heart of Jesus, grant me the grace to always live according to your will, both in the most beautiful, joyous and important hours in my life, and in difficult times. Grant me to be always ready for the last hour. Give me the courage to give everything for your love, including my life if necessary.O Jesus, by your holy and painful Passion, please grant that the hour of my death will find me awake as a loyal servant, a true penitent after a good confession and graced with the last rites.O Lord, do not forsake me in my last struggle on earth, when I have to fight against Satan who may be in a fury. May your holy Mother and Mother of Mercy, St. Michael and the angels assist me and protect me against any temptation at the moment when I will have to let go of this world. May they then comfort me and fortify me in the midst of torments.Grant me, Lord, in that hour, a living faith, a firm trust, an ardent love and much patience. Grant that I may be fully aware and give myself over into your hands and abandon myself like a small child in your holy peace.In your infinite goodness and your great mercy, O Jesus, remember me! Amen.

6. Please note! The next Live Broadcast will be held on December 3rd, at 9 PM (BiH Time). I will talk about the message of the 2nd in French. 

The Live program of November 3rd as well as the older broadcasts can be seen at http://www.enfantsdemedjugorje.fr/index.php/le-direct-du-3.html

Dearest Gospa, with you as a Mother we are safe, and your messages are excellent signposts for us in this chaotic world. 
Sister Emmanuel +
(Translated from French

11/4/16

My heart always stays in Medjugorje

Testimony of Healing in Medjugorje

date: 26.10.2016.
Linda Christy, a pilgrim from Canada, came recently to Medjugorje for another pilgrimage and on that occasion she spoke on radio Mir Medjugorje about her healing that took place here. She told us that she was in a wheelchair for a while and for 18 years she could only walk with crutches. She was healed in June 2010, on Apparition Hill, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She said how her only mission is to give testimony on risen Jesus, to talk about her healing, love and hope. She brought all medical documents, diagnosis and all papers regarding her healing to Medjugorje parish office for the second anniversary of the healing she had.  
Mrs. Linda said: I did not know much about Medjugorje. I came her accidently, in a wheelchair. I was in the constant pain. The journey took 24 hours and it was not easy. It was very hard to go to Apparition Hill and people tried to put me off. I climbed the hill for few hours, but I knew I had to go up”, said Linda, who told us that her miracle took place on the hill.
“I was in such a state that my husband had to dress me up for 18 years, as I was not able to do anything by myself. I owe my life to Medjugorje and to the Queen of Peace, as my life is completely different now. Since I know what it means to suffer great pain, I decided to devote my time and my mission is to help people who suffer pain. You are so blessed to be able to live here in Medjugorje. Once I return to Canada, my heart always stays in Medjugorje”, said Linda Christy.

11/2/16

Today is All Souls Day, Our Lady Tells us

November 6, 1986 "Dear children! Today I wish to call you to pray daily for souls in purgatory. For every soul prayer and grace is necessary to reach God and the love of God. By doing this, dear children, you obtain new intercessors who will help you in life to realize that all the earthly things are not important for you, that only Heaven is that for which it is necessary to strive. Therefore, dear children, pray without ceasing that you may be able to help yourselves and the others to whom your prayers will bring joy. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Medjugorje Our Lady's message to Mirjana

  
   Mirjana encounters Our Lady, Nov. 2, 2016
    (c)Mateo Ivankovic 2016



November 2, 2016
All Soul's Day
Our Lady's message through Mirjana Soldo of November 2nd, 2016:

Dear children, to come to you and to make myself known to you is a great joy for my motherly heart. It is a gift from my Son for you and for others who are coming. As a mother I am calling you: love my Son above everything. In order to love Him with all your heart, you need to come to know Him. You will come to know Him through prayer. Pray with the heart and with your feelings. To pray means to think of His love and sacrifice. To pray means to love, to give, to suffer and to offer. I am calling you, my children, to be apostles of prayer and love. My children, it is a time of vigilance. In this vigil I am calling you to prayer, love and trust. As my Son will be looking in your hearts, my motherly heart desires for Him to see unconditional trust and love in them. The united love of my apostles will live, will conquer and will expose evil. My children, I was a chalice of the God-man; I was God's instrument. That is why I am calling you, my apostles, to be a chalice of the true and pure love of my Son. I am calling you to be an instrument through which all those who have not come to know the love of God-who have never loved-may comprehend, accept and be saved. Thank you, my children.
While Our Lady was leaving, Mirjana saw a chalice.  

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
Mary TV