Today we begin the Divine Mercy Novena.

  
   Good Friday
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.  

(c)Mateo Ivankovic 2016

March 30, 2018
Good Friday

Divine Mercy Novena - Day 1

Dear Family of Mary!

Today we begin the Divine Mercy Novena. It is a very powerful novena, sent through St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. Jesus made it clear through St. Faustina that He wanted to save all souls and bring them to heaven. But they had to be told! They needed to know about His Mercy.

  St. Faustina was given the great mission to spread the Mercy of Jesus to all souls: 

 

On one occasion, I heard these words: My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.

Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy. (Diary 699)

Our Lady is calling all souls to herself, that they might be healed and changed and made open to the graces of her Son's Mercy as well. She told us:

February 25, 2007 "Dear children! Open your heart to God's mercy in this Lenten time. The heavenly Father desires to deliver each of you from the slavery of sin. Therefore, little children, make good use of this time and through meeting with God in confession, leave sin and decide for holiness. Do this out of love for Jesus, who redeemed you all with his blood, that you may be happy and in peace. Do not forget, little children: your freedom is your weakness, therefore follow my messages with seriousness. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Let us pray:

Divine Mercy Novena - Day One:

Intention: Today bring to Me ALL MANKIND, ESPECIALLY ALL SINNERS, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me.

Novena Prayers: Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever.

Amen.

Link to directions on how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet (by the Marians of the Immaculate Conception in Stockbridge, Massachusetts:

http://thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/praythechaplet.php

 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2018

Medjugorje: March 25, 2018 message from Our Lady:

    

(c)Mateo Ivankovic 2018

March 25, 2018

Palm Sunday

Dear Family of Mary,

 

Here is the March 25, 2018 message from Our Lady:

 

"Dear children! I am calling you to be with me in prayer in this time of grace when darkness is fighting against the light. Pray, little children, confess and begin a new life in grace. Decide for God and He will lead you towards holiness; and the cross will be a sign of victory and hope for you. Be proud that you are baptized and grateful in your heart that you are a part of God's plan. Thank you for having responded to my call."

 

Have a prayerful and powerful Holy Week!

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan

Mary TV

THE MIRACLE OF MARCH 18

THE MIRACLE OF MARCH 18

A firsthand account by Sean Bloomfield/Stella Mar Films

On this 18th of March, I had the honor of assisting Mirjana up the hill and kneeling beside her during the apparition—although I jokingly thanked her for helping me get up the hill.

For anyone skeptical about the apparitions, I wish they could have the chance to see and feel what I did. Their doubts would be wiped away in an instant. They would have no choice but to admit that they had witnessed a miracle—and although you can see it happen in our video, this miracle is often hidden in plain sight.

That’s why I’m compelled to share my experience with you now...

Mirjana prefers to experience the apparitions at the Blue Cross, located at the base of Apparition Hill, but that has more to do with everyone else than with herself.

She suffers from a knee and back condition which causes her severe pain when she climbs up the steep slope to reach the Blue Cross. Despite the pain, however, she is always determined to experience the apparition among the thousands of people who gather on the hill—unless the weather is too severe.

"How can I be with Blessed Mary alone at home when I look out and see all the pilgrims who come to Medjugorje seeking her?" she says.

Everyone in Medjugorje expected the March 18th apparition to happen in Mirjana’s home. The local weather forecast had been calling for heavy rain, which would have made the slippery rocks too dangerous to climb.

Surprisingly, however, the weather was sunny and unseasonably warm in the hours leading up to 2 PM, the approximate time at which Mirjana expected Our Lady to appear to her.

At around 1:30 PM, Mirjana left her home and made her way through the crowd of pilgrims, eventually coming to the base of Apparition Hill. She had asked me to come with her—and of course I didn’t hesitate.

My co-filmmaker, Cimela Kidonakis, was already at the Blue Cross with her camera, ready to film the apparition, along with our group of pilgrims who had traveled with us from the USA. Our guide, Miki Musa, was also there with his notebook ready to translate the message, and the amazing people from Foto Dani—the local video and photo team that documents all that happens in Medjugorje—were busy capturing the moment.

I walked by Mirjana’s side so she could lean on me whenever it got difficult. Like always, people were shouting her name, but on this particular day they were also wishing her a happy birthday in many different languages. “Buon compleanno!” “Sretan rodendan!” “Feliz cumpleanos!”

The pain intensified in her knees and back as she ascended the steep, rocky path, getting worse with each step, and yet she still paused to smile at the eager pilgrims as she went. I’m always amazed at Mirjana’s love for the pilgrims. She stopped to greet some of them on her way, especially the sick and disabled.

As we reached flatter ground and began making our way through the crowd, an Italian man bent down and kissed her hand.

“Please, no!” she said with a smile, pulling her hand away. She immediately put her hands on each side of the man’s face, pulled him closer, and kissed his cheek. He seemed shocked, but I believe he understood the message that Mirjana wanted to convey—that if anyone deserved a sign of gratitude, it was him and all the other pilgrims who had traveled so far to be there.

By the time we reached the Blue Cross, Mirjana was trembling in pain and her knees were so weak that she could hardly kneel. With the side of my arm touching hers, I could feel her shaking uncontrollably because of the pain and weakness in her knees. I worried that she might collapse at any moment.

But then, suddenly, Mirjana drew a deep breath; she immediately stopped shaking and her entire body straightened. The apparition had begun, and Mirjana was clearly in another world, totally free of all earthly pain. 

I, too, could sense that a beautiful presence had descended among us—but one only needed to look at Mirjana’s sudden transition and the tears of joy now streaming down her face to see that she was experiencing something miraculous.

For the next several minutes, Mirjana did not tremble once. But as soon as Our Lady departed, Mirjana's pain suddenly returned and her body immediately slumped backward. Afraid she was falling, I quickly tried to brace her, but she stayed upright and slowly lowered herself to the ground.

Mirjana says that she although feels no pain when she is seeing Our Lady, it all comes rushing back in the moment the apparition ends—and it’s even worse than before because by then she has been kneeling for so long.

When doctors, friends, and family members have suggested that she not kneel during the apparition, however, Mirjana just laughs it off.

“How can I not kneel in front of Blessed Mary?” she says. “It’s not possible.”

Mirjana sat for a moment and tried to regain her composure, and eventually she was helped to a nearby stone bench where she dictated Our Lady’s message to Miki (see below). It was a beautiful and complex message, offering a glimpse into the Blessed Mother’s life on earth.

Her life here was “simple,” she said, adding that she “loved life” and “rejoiced in small things” despite the suffering she experienced. It was her strong faith and “boundless trust in God’s love” which helped her overcome the pains of her earthly life.

This part of the message could also describe Mirjana. She aims to transmit God’s love despite her pain and sufferings, and it’s her faith that sustains her. One can see it in her selfless choice to be out among the people for the apparitions, and in the many other ways she lives as an example of a woman who knows God’s love.

Our Lady’s messages have an interesting way of being personal to each reader while speaking to all of humanity at the same time. The same would hold true for Mirjana, who would not have been able to climb and kneel if not for her “strength of faith.” But, in her message, Our Lady reminds Mirjana—and all of us—that “every pain has its end.”

As Mirjana tried to make her way home through the crowd of pilgrims—handing out blessed rosaries to the sick and pausing to smile or hug some of the pilgrims—a person reached out and grabbed her hand with such force that it caused her knees to buckle. The person clenched Mirjana’s hand harder and twisted it back before the local men who volunteer to protect her finally freed her hand. Mirjana has to wear a splint on her thumb for the time being.

“My children, your battle is difficult,” Our Lady said in her message that day, adding that it would get even more difficult.

Still, despite the unfortunate incident, Mirjana says that Our Lady wants us to focus on hope, not despair, and she calls us her “apostles of love.”

It’s because of God’s love, says Mirjana, that Our Lady has been appearing here in Medjugorje—a small village in a remote part of the same planet upon which she walked some two thousand years ago. She comes, in part, to encourage us, which is evident in the final words of her March 18th message.

“With immeasurable motherly love,” said Our Lady, “I am caressing your souls.”

THE MESSAGE

After the apparition, Mirjana reported that Our Lady gave the following message for the world:

Dear children, 

My earthly life was simple. I loved and I rejoiced in small things. I loved life – the gift from God – even though pain and sufferings pierced my heart.

My children, I had the strength of faith and boundless trust in God's love. All those who have the strength of faith are stronger. Faith makes you live according to what is good and then the light of God's love always comes at the desired moment. That is the strength which sustains in pain and suffering.

My children, pray for the strength of faith, trust in the Heavenly Father, and do not be afraid. Know that not a single creature who belongs to God will be lost but will live forever. Every pain has its end and then life in freedom begins there where all of my children come – where everything is returned.

My children, your battle is difficult. It will be even more difficult, but you follow my example.  Pray for the strength of faith; trust in the love of the Heavenly Father.

I am with you. I am manifesting myself to you. I am encouraging you. With immeasurable motherly love I am caressing your souls. Thank you.

Medjugorje Apparition - March 18, 2018

Medjugorje secrets

Our Lady's Message of March 18, 2018 - through Mirjana Soldo

   

(c)Mateo Ivankovic 2018

March 18, 2018

Dear Family of Mary!

Here is Our Lady's Message of March 18, 2018 - through Mirjana Soldo

Dear children! My earthly life was simple. I loved and I rejoiced in small things. I loved life - the gift from God - even though pain and sufferings pierced my heart. My children, I had the strength of faith and boundless trust in God's love. All those who have the strength of faith are stronger. Faith makes you live according to what is good and then the light of God's love always comes at the desired moment. That is the strength which sustains in pain and suffering.

My children, pray for the strength of faith, trust in the Heavenly Father, and do not be afraid. Know that not a single creature who belongs to God will be lost but will live forever. Every pain has its end and then life in freedom begins there where all of my children come - where everything is returned.

My children, your battle is difficult. It will be even more difficult, but you follow my example.  Pray for the strength of faith; trust in the love of the Heavenly Father. I am with you. I am manifesting myself to you. I am encouraging you. With immeasurable motherly love I am caressing your souls. Thank you.

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2018

PS. The video of Our Lady's encounter with Mirjana will be posted on www.Marytv.tv  as soon as possible!  Thank you!

On Sunday, March 18, Mirjana will have her yearly apparition

  

(c)Mateo Ivankovic 2018

March 16, 2018

Dear Family of Mary!

On Sunday, March 18, Mirjana will have her yearly apparition, the one Our Lady promised her on the last day of her daily apparitions. That last daily apparition was Christmas Day 1982. Mirjana had been seeing Our Lady daily for 18 months. But those daily apparitions were to end on Christmas day. Mirjana shares what she experienced in her book, "My Heart Will Triumph". On this final day, Our Lady promised Mirjana she would come to her every March 18th. She writes:

My parents told me later that my final daily apparition lasted for an extraordinary 45 minutes. Our Lady and I talked about many things. We summarized our entire 18 months together - everything we had said to each other and everything she had revealed to me. She entrusted me with the tenth and final secret, and she explained that I will need to choose a priest for a special role. Ten days before the date of the event foretold in the first secret, I am to tell him what will happen and when. He and I are then supposed to pray and fast for seven days, and, three days before the event, the priest will reveal it to the world. All ten secrets will be revealed in this way.

Our Lady also gave me a precious gift. She told me that she would appear to me once a year, on March 18, for the rest of my life. March 18 is my birthday, but Our Lady did not choose that date for that reason. For her, my birthday is not different from anyone else. Only when the things contained in the secrets start to happen will the world understand why she chose the 18th of March. The significance of the date will be clear. She also said that I would experience some additional apparitions. (These became the 2nd of the month apparitions.)

She then held out something like a rolled-up scroll, explaining that all the secrets were written on it, and that I should show it to the priest I choose when the time comes to reveal them. I took it from her hand without looking at it..." (Mirjana Soldo. "My Heart Will Triumph". P. 136-37)

Mirjana suffered greatly from the loss of Our Lady's daily apparitions. But she was brave, and has continued to follow Our Lady all these years. Her book is wonderful, and I recommend it to all of you as a way to glimpse the life of a visionary. (You can order the book here: www.MyHeartWillTriumph.com)

I want to share the message Our Lady gave Mirjana on March 18, 2017 with you all. It is helpful to review what Our Lady says to us on these occasions. It is a wonderfully loving message:

"Dear children! My motherly desire is for your hearts to be filled with peace, and for your souls to be pure so that in the presence of my Son you could see His face. Because, my children, as a mother I know that you thirst for consolation, hope and protection. You, my children, consciously and unconsciously are seeking my Son. I also, as I passed the time on earth, rejoiced, suffered and patiently endured pains, until my Son, in all His glory, removed them. And that is why I am saying to my Son: help them always. You, my children, with true love, illuminate the darkness of selfishness which all the more envelopes my children. Be generous. May both your hands and heart always be open. Do not be afraid. Abandon yourselves to my Son with trust and hope. As you look towards Him, live life with love. To love means to give oneself, to endure, and never to judge. To love means to live the words of my Son. My children, as a mother I am speaking to you: only true love leads to eternal happiness. Thank you." (March 18, 2017)

Mary TV will record Mirjana's apparition on Sunday, and post it as soon as we can. You can view it at www.marytv.tv !

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2018

Featured article from March's Spirit of Medjugorje

To Jesus through Mary

By Sr. Emmanuel

     Janet, an Irish pilgrim full of joy, told me her story: 
     "I was a cradle Catholic. I went to Mass every Sunday, but only out of habit. My husband was not a Catholic – in fact he was a Hindu, but we both decided that we wanted to bring our three children up as Catholics – that is, I always took them to Mass on Sundays and sent them to Catholic schools, etc. I thought that this was all I was obliged to do. I never prayed with them or taught them about God! The reality was that I was practicing my faith superficially, not living it with my heart. In addition to this, a Christian man told me that Jesus is not present in the host, and that to believe in the Real Presence was ridiculous, so I ended up doubting. During Mass I was thinking of everything but God and was looking forward to the end because I was bored.

Church in Siroki-Brijeg

       "I have a very good friend who had often been to Medjugorje. She kept pleading with me, 'Come with me to Medjugorje!' Finally, despite great protest in my heart, I said yes. We were a group of six friends. As far as I was concerned, I was going for a girly week in the sun, to enjoy nature and lots of chatting amongst friends. I didn't think prayer would be on my agenda. It was May 1997. 
     "The first days went as planned. I enjoyed the food, fresh air, sunshine and even going to daily Mass. I thought, 'This is good!' On the third day, we went off with John, our Irish guide, in an old ratty van to a Mass being celebrated by Fr. Jozo at Siroki-Brijeg, where 30 Franciscan priests were martyred during World War II. It was a huge church that filled up quickly as I remained outside in the sunshine, chatting with friends. Mass was about to begin and the church was packed. All the benches were full and the aisles so crowded that it was impossible to move. It was then that the most surprising thing happened! 
     "A man, whom I had never met before, took my hand very gently and walked me through the crowds. I didn't feel as though we were pushing; it was as if the space opened up and we walked gently through. He took me to the altar steps and placed me right in front of the priest who was about to start the Mass. Then he suddenly disappeared. I had the best spot there! I had a most surreal but calm feeling, as though it was all normal. 
     "I remember nothing of the Mass until the priest elevated the Host at the Consecration. The Host became huge to my eyes and Christ, Our Lord, appeared alive in the Host. He was looking up. From that moment on, my whole life changed. I probably never stopped crying for the time I remained in Medjugorje. 
     "When I returned home, I got into the habit of going to daily Mass. I drew all my strength and my joy from there. Jesus became my essential food. My Hindu husband listened respectfully to my testimony, and in spite of the great change which had taken place in me, he did not seem shaken. Moreover, I have never tried to convince him to share my faith, and equally, he has allowed me to practice my faith freely. I prayed a lot for him. Several years later, as I was getting ready to go to Mass one day, he simply said to me, 'I am coming with you!' To make a long story short, he is now a baptized Catholic and we are united in the same faith. 
     "I wish so often that I could start my life again, so that I could spend all my younger years with Jesus! How I regret losing time, and how ashamed I am that I didn't always believe! But now, I do not let a single day go by without thanking God for revealing Himself to me. I pray daily for lukewarm Catholics that Mary, our Mother, may touch many, many souls and bring them to the living Jesus!" 
     Let me add that seeing the joy that radiates from Janet told me more about Jesus than her conversion story! 
     Children of Medjugorje, www.childrenofmedjugorje.com, October 2012 report.

A Message of Hope from Our Lady

December 02, 2014 "Dear children, Remember - for I am telling you - that love will win. I know that many of you are losing hope because around you, you see suffering, pain, jealousy, envy... but, I am your mother. I am in the Kingdom but am also here with you. 

My Son is sending me anew to help you. Therefore, do not lose hope; instead, follow me - because the victory of my heart is in the name of God. My beloved Son is thinking of you as he has always thought of you. Believe him and live him. He is the life of the world. 

My children, to live my Son means to live the Gospel. This is not easy. This means love, forgiveness and sacrifice. This purifies and it opens the Kingdom. Sincere prayer, which is not only words but is a prayer which the heart speaks, will help you. Likewise fasting (will help you), because it is still more of love, forgiveness and sacrifice. 

Therefore, do not lose hope but follow me. I am imploring you anew to pray for your shepherds so that they may always look to my Son who was the first Shepherd of the world and whose family was the entire world."  12-02-14

Medjugorje: When a child teaches a parent

date: 08.03.2018.

A group of 60 pilgrims from Istria came to Medjugorje last weekend as a part of the annual pilgrimage organised always at the time of the Lent. Rebeka Sebastijan from Rovinj spoke about her conversion experience for the Radio Mir Medjugorje station. She also spoke about this year’s pilgrimage: “We are used to coming here during the time of the Lent, but we came to seek for peace that we always find here in Medjugorje. I came here for the first time in 2000, and I am one of the people who converted here. This is where I found faith, God and Gospa for the first time and I have huge devotion to Our Lady. My youngest child wanted to come with me on that trip and the crucial moment happened on the bus when I heard the prayer of the sorrowful mysteries for the first time and my child recited one decade of this prayer.  That was truly one of those moments when a child teaches a parent and it was on that occasion that I realised how only Our Lady can be my support in the difficult moments of my life. Medjugorje is simply heaven on earth for me.”    http://www.medjugorje.hr/en/

Our Lady's message through Mirjana Soldo of March 2nd, 2018:

 (c)Mateo Ivankovic 2018

March 2, 2018

Dear Family of Mary!

Our Lady's message through Mirjana Soldo of March 2nd, 2018: 

  

Dear children, great are the works that the Heavenly Father has done in me, as He does in all those who love Him tenderly and who faithfully and devoutly serve Him. My children, the Heavenly Father loves you, and it is through His love that I am here with you. He is speaking to you. Why do you not desire to see the signs? Everything is easier alongside Him.

Also, pain lived with Him is easier because faith exists. Faith helps in the pain, and pain without faith leads to despair. Pain lived and offered to God raises up. Did my Son not redeem the world through His painful sacrifice? As His mother I was with Him in the pain and suffering, as I am with all of you. My children, I am with you in life, in suffering, in pain, in joy and in love.

Therefore, have hope. It is hope that makes you comprehend that life is there. My children, I am speaking to you, my voice is speaking to your soul, my heart is speaking to your heart.

Oh, apostles of my love, how much my motherly heart loves you. How many things I desire to teach you. How my motherly heart desires that you be complete, and you can be complete only when your soul, body and love are united within you.

I implore you as my children, pray much for the Church and her servants - your shepherds; that the Church may be such as my Son desires - clear as spring water and full of love. Thank you.

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
Mary TV 2018

PS.  You can view the apparition on our website:

http://marytv.tv/mirjanas-apparition/