10/29/17

Spiritual Retreat with Fr. Jozo

Fr. Jozo Zovko

Spiritual Retreat Badija Island, Croatia

And Pilgrimage to Medjugorje

April 30  -  May 10, 2018

HEARTS CHANGE AT MEDJUGORJE

• There are some places and some people in life that ‘mark’ you forever. Once you have come in contact with them, they revive in you everything that seemed buried within your heart forever. Then you recapture a life full of joy, serenity, and purpose. You understand the reason you are living, where you have come from, and where you are going. You take your life back into your hands with vigour. You rediscover a design of love in your life that trials and difficulties have buried. Then you feel like a new person, and even others are aware that something has changed your life.
The place that has ‘marked’ me and millions of other people is called Medjugorje. It is different from other places because there is a ‘Presence’ there that you do not see but whose effects and benefits you gather. It is a Presence that speaks to our hearts and manifests itself in a personal manner for each one of us. This presence is Mary the Mother of God.
In Medjugorje we discover that this mother, the Queen of Peace, wants to enter our lives. That is the reason she says to us: “Dear Children, accept me in your lives, because I desire to bestow my love upon you.”
• Fr. Luigi Ferrari

10/25/17

October 25, 2017 Message from Our Lady, Queen of Peace:

"Dear children! I am calling you to be prayer in this time of grace. You all have problems, afflictions, sufferings and lack of peace. May saints be models to you and an encouragement for holiness; God will be near you and you will be renewed in seeking through your personal conversion. Faith will be hope to you and joy will begin to reign in your hearts. Thank you for having responded to my call."

10/23/17

Dear Family of Mary


 
(c)Mateo Ivankovic 2017 

J.M.J.
October 23, 2017
St. John of Capistrano
 
Dear Family of Mary!
As most of you know, Denis and I were on pilgrimage to Medjugorje for the first two weeks of October. It was a beautiful time of prayer and fellowship. On October 13, 2017 we wondered if Our Lady would show us any signs of her presence and her plan. It was the 100th anniversary of the "Dancing" Sun in Fatima! Would that amazing event happen again, this time in Medjugorje?
 
During the Evening Program on October 13, I noticed that the setting sun was very bright. I could not look at it. But many people were turned toward it, looking unguardedly at it. This is not unusual in Medjugorje.
 
Today we received an email from Beth S. - a pilgrim from our group, and an old friend. Here is what she said:
 
I wanted to share this photo with you. Ali, Cheryl, and I were near our Blessed Mother statue in front of the church on October 13, praying and waiting for the time of Our Lady's apparition. Just a couple of minutes before she came, Ali told me to look at the sun. I did, and we both saw the host in front of the sun with beautiful changing colors pulsating around it. (This is how it appeared to me 6 years ago when I was blessed to see it). This continued as we watched it continuously for about 15 minutes. Then, as the sun was beginning to set, the whole sun just began pulsating and I told Ali that it looked like a beating heart and she said this is what she was seeing too!
 
Cheryl was not able to look into the sun this time. It was too bright, but she took a picture anyway. The newer iPhone has a live photo option, which has a couple of seconds of video before it snaps the still photo.
 
After we got home, Cheryl clicked on this photo on her phone and it wouldn't stop repeating the motion. It won't go to the still photo but just keeps repeating so it really looks like a beating heart!!! This is what Ali and I were watching that day! It is amazing that it is captured so well in this photo!
 
Still praying with you every day on Mary TV! Hoping for you to feel better, Cathy and hope to see you both again soon! God Bless! Beth  
 
 
   
 
The iPhone "live option" photo the Cheryl took on October 13, 2017 in Medjugorje!
 
 
What a beautiful gift Beth, Ali, and Cheryl received from Our Lady on October 13!! She was telling them, and us, that she is still with us, still active in our lives, still working out her plan for the salvation of souls.
 
Our Lady has spoken about signs to us many times in her messages. We need to understand the signs we are being given! They are a way for God to open our hearts to prayer and repentance. Here are three messages to ponder.
 
July 25, 2014 "Dear children! You are not aware of the graces that you are living at this time in which the Most High is giving you signs for you to open and convert. Return to God and to prayer, and may prayer begin to reign in your hearts, families and communities, so that the Holy Spirit may lead and inspire you to every day be more open to God's will and to His plan for each of you. I am with you and with the saints and angels intercede for you. Thank you for having responded to my call."
   
June 2, 2007 "Dear children! Also in this difficult time God's love sends me to you. My children, do not be afraid, I am with you. With complete trust give me your hearts, that I may help you to recognize the signs of the time in which you live. I will help you to come to know the love of my Son. I will triumph through you. Thank you."

March 18, 2006 "Dear children! In this Lenten time, I call you to interior renunciation. The way to this leads you through love, fasting, prayer and good works. Only with total interior renunciation will you recognize God's love and the signs of the time in which you live. You will be witnesses of these signs and will begin to speak about them. I desire to bring you to this. Thank you for having responded to me."

We need to pray to recognize the signs which God is sending to us, out of love. He wants us to turn completely towards Him, giving Him our open and contrite hearts, letting Him be the Lord of our lives. He wants us to then become little signs of His love in this very broken and loveless world.
 
As Our Lady said: "...in this difficult time God's love sends me to you." She is the biggest and most powerful sign we have been given. Let's not miss it!
 
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2017

10/21/17

Bishop Thomas Tobin Is our world more divided and fractured than ever

Living in a Fractured World

Bishop Thomas J. Tobin
Posted: 
Is it just my imagination, or is our world more divided and fractured than ever?
It’s certainly true on a national level. Our country is fractured along political, racial and economic fault lines that are more pronounced than they’ve been in a long time. The angry exchanges between the various camps show up in the news just about every day.
And our President certainly isn’t helping. Love him or hate him, you have to admit that President Trump is a lightning rod, a divisive, controversial figure who sparks heated reactions just about every time he speaks, tweets, or signs an executive order. He fights with everyone — enemies of our nation, our overseas allies, Democrats, Republicans, athletes, actors, musicians, talk-show hosts, even members of his own staff. And, of course, the media. How he loves to trash the media and their “fake news.”
Closer to home, it seems that our local community is perpetually angry and divided too. Every morning we wake up to news about petitions, pickets and protests. The debates involve a variety of issues — power plants, pensions, teacher contracts, immigration, Christopher Columbus — you name it. But isn’t it a shame that as a society we can’t discuss the issues rationally and solve our problems without having to trash, embarrass and verbally assassinate our opponents?
The Church is divided too. Do you consider Pope Francis a hero or a heretic? Do you think Holy Communion should be given to divorced and remarried Catholics or not? Do you like or ridicule the Latin Mass? Are you a pro-lifer or a social activist? These are just some of the wide crevices that divide the Body of Christ these days, rendering the unity of the Church more of an ideal to be achieved than a lived experience.
Oh well, in the midst of our angry societal divisions, we can always turn to sports for recreation and relaxation, can’t we? Oops... not these days.
It used to be the only debates in the sports world were about your favorite team: The Red Sox or the Yankees? The Bruins or the Habs? The Patriots or the Steelers? But those days of simple fun-filled rivalries are long gone.
Now, you approach a football stadium wondering not which team will win, but whether the players will stand or kneel for the National Anthem. If your team wins the championship, will all the players go the White House for the traditional celebration or will some of them stay home in protest? Are the ESPN commentators talking today about politics or playoffs?
Living in our society today can be really discouraging and even depressing. And without a doubt, our divisions have been exponentially magnified by the intimidating presence of the internet and social media. On any of the stories mentioned above, check out the “comment section” to see how ill-informed, angry and vulgar some folks can be, usually behind the shield of anonymity.
I worry too about what kind of community we the “adults in the room” are creating for our children and grandchildren. What kind of behaviors are they learning from us; What kind of example are we giving? Is it any wonder that so many of our kids today turn so quickly to disrespect, vulgarity and violence?
How can we resist the toxic culture of our time and, perhaps, even contribute to a better, kinder, more gentle community? A few suggestions.
The first is for all of us to step back, take a deep breath and relax. People are so tense and angry these days. We experience it on a societal level and on a personal level too. Have you had any run-ins with cranky store clerks recently? Or been involved in a “road-rage” incident? Yep, me too! We need to remember that very few problems are as important as they seem at the moment. And in the nitty-gritty of daily life, how quickly we forget all the blessings we have.
The second is to practice the virtue of humility. Some of us need to return to the science classroom to re-learn that we’re not the center of the solar system. The planets don’t revolve around us. We’re not the only player on the field. We’re not the only actor on the stage. We don’t always have to be first. We don’t always have to win.
Third, as we lament the terrible tenor of our culture we should take a long, hard look in the mirror. Do your thoughts, words and deeds contribute to the anger and division of our times? What kind of language do you bring into your conversations with family, friends, neighbors and co-workers? Are you an insufferable bully or a gentle peacemaker? Do you judge others harshly and pounce on them the minute they make a mistake? Do you contribute to the “terrorism of gossip” that Pope Francis has lamented?
And finally, we need to remember that despite the different perspectives we have, in the end we’re all children of God. We share a common Father and we are members of one family. Our time on earth is limited, and it passes so very quickly. Someday soon you’ll be dust in the ground or ashes in an urn. Do you want to spend all your days fighting and hurting, or helping and healing?
I think I hear a song rising in the background. “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” And thee

10/19/17

10/16/17

Pope John Paul ll - The Final Confrontation

The final confrontation


http://cal-catholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/pope-john-paul-II.jpg
Pope John Paul II
The following comes from a June 1 posting by Father C. John McCloskey on the Catholic Thing.
“We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through. I do not think that wide circles of American society or wide circles of the Christian community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-Church, of the Gospel versus the anti-Gospel.
“We must be prepared to undergo great trials in the not-too-distant future; trials that will require us to be ready to give up even our lives, and a total gift of self to Christ and for Christ. Through your prayers and mine, it is possible to alleviate this tribulation, but it is no longer possible to avert it. . . .How many times has the renewal of the Church been brought about in blood! It will not be different this time.”

Bicentennial talk given in the United States by the future Saint John Paul II, then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Kraków, Poland
My eyes almost popped out when I first read this. I could not believe it was authentic, but I have checked it repeatedly and yes, he did say it. And he said it to us Americans, who were at perhaps the apogee of our greatness, short of the fall of the Evil Empire.
Well, how seriously should we take this? Very, very seriously. After all, the speaker was about to become one of the greatest popes in the history of the Church. In addition, he was a mystic and, yes, a prophet and truth-teller who suffered under Nazism and communism, as well as in a certain sense also from Islam. (Recall that he was almost killed by a Muslim assassin, only to be saved by the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima, according to his own words.)
Let me be clear: my musings on the words of John Paul are not meant to encourage you to sell your property, close the bank account, build a bomb shelter, and await the rapture. That is not the Catholic thing to do. But it’s hard not to “ponder these things in [our] hearts.” What exactly did the pope see or have revealed to him? Perhaps the best place to seek the answer is his writings, although we lack space to comb through them all here.
We can also look around us at the remains of what was once called the Christian West, noting a host of behaviors and beliefs that seem custom-made to initiate and accelerate decline. For example, we find in the West depopulation, legal abortion, open homosexuality and same-sex “marriage,” epidemic levels of pornography use, declining marriage rates, and rising cohabitation rates.
Politically, even supposedly tolerant and democratic states like our own are beginning to deny the religious liberty rights of families, businesses, and churches. In addition, we observe growing centralization of power in the hands of those unfavorable to any faith except the idolatry of health, wealth, and technology. They place their long-term hope in the possibility that science may one day arrest death. They watched too many Star Trek and Star Wars movies as children. Unfortunately, they may well go where many men have gone before – and not simply into outer space.
This, surely, is the Anti-Church that St John Paul foresaw – in any event it is here, it is growing, and to a great extent it has already demolished Europe.
What are we to do? First, of course, do not despair. As Catholics we live this life looking forward to the next. We can’t lose, for as St. Paul put it, for us death is gain, not something to fear.
How then to confront and combat the Anti-Church? Imitate the lives of the first Christians! Consider this justly famous description of Christians in the anonymous Letter to Diognetus, written in 79 A.D.:
“For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. . . .They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring.
“They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. (2 Corinthians 10:3) They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. (Philippians 3:20) They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. . .they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; (2 Corinthians 4:12) they are insulted, and repay the insult with honor; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers.”
If we live as the first Christians did, we too can confront and triumph over the Church of the evil Global Empires.

10/13/17

The 1975 Rome Prophecies


Pope John Paul with Ralph Martin

Prophecies Given At St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy
During the Closing Eucharistic Celebrations (Pentecost Monday 1975)
of the International Conference of the
Catholic Charismatic Renewal


"Because I love you I want to show you what I am doing in the world today. I want to prepare you for what is to come. Days of darkness are coming on the world, days of tribulation… Buildings that are now standing will not be standing. Supports that are there for my people will not be there. I want you to be prepared, My people, to know only me and to cleave to me and to have me in a way deeper than ever before. I will lead you into the desert…. I will strip you of everything that you are depending on now, so you depend just on me. A time of darkness is coming on the world, but a time of glory is coming for my church, a time of glory is coming for my people. I will pour out on you all the gifts of My Spirit. I will prepare you for spiritual combat; I will prepare you for a time of evangelism that the world has never seen. And when you have nothing but Me, you will have everything: land, fields, homes and brothers and sisters and love and joy and peace more than ever before. Be ready, my people, I want to prepare you…"

"I speak to you of the dawn of a 'new age' for My church. I speak to you of a day that has not been seen before...Prepare yourselves for the action that I begin now, because things that you see around you will change; the combat that you must enter now is different; it is new. You need wisdom from Me that you do not yet have."

"You need the power of my Holy Spirit in a way that you have not possessed it; you need an understanding of My will and of the ways that I work that you do not yet have. Open your eyes, open your hearts to prepare yourselves for Me and for the day that I have now begun.

My church will be different; My people will be different; difficulties and trials will come upon you. The comfort that you know now will be far from you, but the comfort that you will have is the comfort of My Holy Spirit. They will send for you, to take your life, but I will support you. Come to Me. Band yourselves together, around Me. Prepare, for I proclaim a new day, a day of victory and of triumph for your God. Behold, It is begun."

"...I will renew my Church. I will renew my people. I will make My people one. I am calling you to turn away from the pleasure of the world. I am calling you to turn away from seeking the approval of the world in your lives. I want to transform your lives...I have word for My church. I am sounding My call. I am forming a mighty army...My power is upon them. They will follow My chosen shepherd(s)..."

"Be the shepherds I have called you to be...I am renewing My church. I will free the world."
"Know that I, your God, brought Peter and Paul to Rome to witness to My glory. I have chosen you also and have brought you to Rome to bear witness to My glory, confirmed now by your shepherd. Go forth to the healing of the nations. Know that I am with you; and though you may pass through tribulation and trial, I will be with you even to the end. I am preparing a place for you in glory. Look to Me and I will deliver you from the power of the evil one. Behold I am with you now, all days, even till the end of time.

"...You have know the truth these days. You have experienced the truth these days. It is clear to you at this moment what the truth is. It is the truth of My kingdom, My kingdom that will prevail...I want you to take that truth, to rest in that truth, to believe in that truth, not to compromise it, not to lose it in confusions, not to be timid about it, but to stand simply, in love, firmly rooted in the truth as foundation stones upon which My church can have new life and new power." ( Prophecy recieved by Ralph Martin) of Renewal Ministries. 

TAG -  Fr. John Randall

‘Plant Me Where I Will Bloom!’

plant-me-002Image Source
The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord, they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bring forth fruit in old age, they are ever full of sap and green, to show that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (Ps 92:12-14)
Ralph Martin recently received the following letter from a friend of Renewal Ministries. As he said, it is a “great story of a woman’s journey.” We share it with the hope that it will encourage others to ask the Lord that they too would be “planted in the house of the Lord” (Ps 92: 13). Surely this is a prayer He longs to answer!

Dear Ralph,

I am so thankful for your ministry! You probably remember our wonderful Fr. John Randall of Providence, Rhode Island. He was very special to me. As a child, my mother use to put his radio program on in the house everyday (The Spirit and The Word). I do believe that soaking up that truth every day during childhood had an impact on me.
When I was about nineteen years old (I’m thirty-nine now), I started spending a lot of time at the local Adoration chapel. I was longing to get closer and closer to Jesus! I started asking Him to “plant me where I will bloom!” I wasn’t even quite sure where I had gotten that prayer from, but I kept asking!

Fr. John Randall
Shortly after that, my mother mentioned that a nearby parish was having a Life in the Spirit Seminar. I wasn’t exactly sure what it was, but I knew it was a chance to get closer to Jesus, so I went. It was a turning point in my life; God did begin planting me where I would bloom!
I began meeting with a small group of people guided along with Fr. Randall’s Bethany Discipleship points. Fr. Randall was so formative to me from my childhood—how amazing that he also played such a role in my formation as a young adult! Next to my mother, I would say that he is the person who has had the most influence in my life. My husband and I were married by him. I am so thankful to be able to call on him from heaven to pray for me every day!

Now I am busy on my home front; that’s my place for now! I occasionally get out to a prayer meeting with Don and Pat Turbitt (Renewal Ministries’ country coordinators).
I love listening to you and Sister Ann. It reminds me of listening to Fr. Randall—that truth ringing through that seems to cut right through me! Thank you!!

10/12/17

Our Lady of Fatima

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2017


Our Lady of Fatima




10/8/17

One can really feel the power of prayer here

Fr. Marin Marić: “One really feels the power of prayer in Medjugorje”

date: 07.10.2017.
Fr. Marin Marić is a parish priest of parish Dezevice. Dezevice is a place not far from Sarajevo, 912 meters above the sea level and is consecrated to Our Lady of Snow, while St. James of the Marches is the patron saint. When visiting Dezevice, you can see cave of St. James of the Marches, his water and much more, as well as many faithful who come to this place and pray to obtain their vows and pleas. It took more than 600 years for faithful to find out more about St. James of the Marches. Two years ago there was the International Symposium on St. James of the Marches, and the book on his work in Bosnia was published later on.
Fr. Marin Marić often comes to Medjugorje. In the programme of radio „Mir“ Međugorje he spoke on his calling and the experience of Medjugorje. In 2007 he walked from Kupres with his friends to Medjugorje:
„Before that pilgrimage I used to come with my family here and my mom used to say to us: “Now my children, you have the opportunity to confess here.” From that time on, the confession remained something ordinary for me and each time I come to Medjugorje, I go for confession here. Each time I would come here, either as a child, or now as a priest, was something special. One can really feel the power of prayer here. So many people, sick ones, those who do not believe, those who converted, mothers, grandparents praying with the genuine faith here to the Heavenly Mother. It is that spirit of the prayer that imbues everyone coming here with sincere faith. I gladly come here to pray on a pilgrimage and I will continue coming as long as I am able to. Only when I leave Medjugorje  I can speak about the fruits of Medjugorje. I am thrilled to hear about so many conversions, healings and miracles that take place here. Truly, we in Medjugorje need to pray to Our Heavenly Mother for holiness of sacraments, particularly confessions and Holy Mass, so all could remain in this Holy atmosphere“, said Fr. Marin hosting on our radio „Mir“ Međugorje.

Thousands of Polish Catholics formed human chains

Poles Form Rosary Chain At Border

From France 24:
Thousands of Polish Catholics formed human chains on the country’s borders Saturday, begging God “to save Poland and the world” in an event many viewed as a spiritual weapon against the “Islamisation” of Europe.
Reciting “Rosary to the Borders”, they called to be protected from the dangers facing them. The episcopate insisted that it was a purely religious initiative.
The goal was to have as many prayer points as possible along Poland’s 3,511-kilometre (2,200-mile) border with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Russia and the Baltic Sea.

10/2/17

Medjugorje: Our Lady's Message to Mirjana of October 2, 2017

"Dear children, I am speaking to you as a mother - with simple words, but words filled with much love and concern for my children who, through my Son, are entrusted to me. And my Son, who is of the eternal now, He is speaking to you with words of life and is sowing love in open hearts. Therefore, I am imploring you, apostles of my love, have open hearts always ready for mercy and forgiveness. According to my Son, always forgive your neighbors, because in that way peace will be in you.
My children, care for your soul, because it alone is what truly belongs to you. You are forgetting the importance of family. A family does not need to be a place of suffering and pain, but a place of understanding and tenderness. Families who strive to live according to my Son live in mutual love. While He was still little, my Son would say to me that all people are His brothers. Therefore, remember, apostles of my love, that all people whom you meet are family to you - brothers according to my Son.
My children, do not waste time thinking about the future, worrying.
May your only concern be how to live well every moment according to my Son. And there it is - peace for you!
My children, do not ever forget to pray for your shepherds. Pray that they can accept all people as their children; that, according to my Son, they may be spiritual fathers to them. Thank you!"
Video of Apparition  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUVPuW5qsAY&feature=youtu.be

10/1/17

Pro-Life Progress

Pro-Life Progress Under President Trump


President Donald Trump has been making so much progress in the area of pro-life and religious freedom that by the time you are reading
this article, there will be many more things that have to be added to it!

No president has accomplished more for the Culture of Life at the beginning of his term than has President Trump.

President Trump’s first and most important achievement was keeping Hillary Clinton out of the White House. She is an extreme and avid supporter of abortion and Planned Parenthood.

Once in office President Trump did the following:

He signed an executive order reinstating and enhancing the Mexico City Policy (MCP). The order not only reestablishes the original MCP’s prohibition against Agency for International Development (AID) funding of groups that perform or promote abortion in foreign countries, but also extends that restriction to all federal departments and agencies. Further, the measure bars, to the extent permitted by law, the funding of organizations that support or participate in programs of forced abortion or involuntary sterilization. By this one action, the President kept 9 billion away from the abortion industry.

President Trump then sent Vice President Mike Pence to speak in person at the March for Life. President Trump tweeted to the crowd, “The #March for Life is so important. To all of you marching --- you have my full support!”

President Trump has expressed his support for a bill passed by the
House of Representatives, namely, H.R. 7, which would place the Hyde amendment into federal law (eliminating the need for annual Congressional action) and extend it to all federal spending, not just expenditures authorized through the Department of Health and Human Services. The legislation would also bar the government from subsidizing insurance plans that cover elective abortions.

President Trump was able to seat a pro-life justice on the US Supreme Court. Justice Neil Gorsuch has ruled against the Obama administration’s HHS mandate and has written a book opposing the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide. President Trump signed into law House Joint Resolution 43, which revoked the Obama administration regulation that required states to give Title X family planning funds to Planned Parenthood and other groups that perform abortions.

President Trump continues to publicly call for the defunding of Planned Parenthood, and to work hard with the Congress to make sure this happens. He told the New York Times that organizations that now perform abortions could continue to receive federal funding if they stop performing abortions. Planned Parenthood rejected the offer.

The Trump administration’s State Department announced that the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will no longer receive federal funding because its participation in China’s forced abortion policy violates federal law (the Kemp-Kasten amendment).

President Trump signed an Executive Order to restore protection of religious liberty against the Obamacare HHS mandate and against the unreasonable interpretation and application of the “Johnson Amendment,” which restricts Churches and non-profit organizations from speaking their minds on politics. The President said that they should always be free to say what they think.

Priests for Life will continue to work closely with this pro-life President, and we urge all of you to help us advance policies like this by signing up for and participating in our Action Alerts.