Life of Fear or Faith

LIFE OF FEAR OR FAITH?"Do not live in fear, little flock." -Luke 12:32

The Lord commands us not to live in fear (Lk 12:32), for we can be slaves our whole lives because of the fear of death (Heb 2:15). The Lord has simply commanded us to not fear anything (Mt 10:31). To escape a life of fear we usually try to avoid fearful situations, but Jesus tells us to sell what we have and give alms (Lk 12:33), actions which would place us in a position needing to trust radically in God. Although this seems to increase our fears rather than allay them, the way to overcome a life of fear is to challenge, not avoid our fears. If we try to control and avoid circumstances, we will always be fearful and victims of circumstances.

However, if we sell what we have and refuse to play it safe, we will find that our heavenly Father knows how to take care of His children. We will be fearless regardless of circumstances. We will have a fearlessness based on God Himself. Even the fearsome events at the end of the world will not trouble us. We will "stand erect and hold our heads high" (Lk 21:28). We will be fearless, for the Lord is our Light and our Salvation; whom shall we fear? (Ps 27:1) Prayer: Father, "though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war be waged upon me, even then will I trust" in You (Ps 27:3). "Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see."

British Soldier Credits Rosary Beads With Saving His Life.

British Soldier Credits Rosary Beads With Saving His Life
Published August 02, 2010
FoxNews.com
Eastnews Press Agency/Peter Lawson

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British soldier Glenn Hockton, 19, says his rosary beads saved him while on tour in Afghanistan. He dropped the prayer beads, he said, and noticed as he bent down to retrieve them that he was standing on top of a land mine.
A British soldier says that rosary beads given to him by his mother saved his life after he stepped on a land mine while serving in Afghanistan.
He also claims that his grandfather was saved the exact same way, The Daily Mail reported Monday.
Now home from a seven-month tour of duty, 19-year-old Glenn Hockton was on patrol when his rosary beads suddenly dropped from his neck. He bent down to retrieve the chain and realized he was on top of a land mine.
Hockton stood still for 45 minutes while his colleagues worked to secure the land mine.
During his tour, Hockton's duties involved patrolling and loading the mortars while he was based in Kabul and Helmand Province, which has seen a significant amount of violence.
Glenn Hockton's great-grandfather, Joseph "Sunny" Truman, was also said to have been saved by his rosary beads while serving in the British army during World War II.
On a separate occasion, Hockton, who joined the military when he was 16, was shot in the chest, but his body armor protected him from the bullet. Since then, Hockton's mother and stepfather have kept the bullet that could have ended their son's life.
Hockton's great grandfather, Joseph (Sunny) Truman, also is convinced a rosary saved his life in World War II when a blast killed six members of his platoon.
Before Hockton was deployed to Afghanistan, his mother gave him the rosary beads for protection. Despite the gesture, his mother, Sheri Jones, feared the worst. "I couldn't watch the news because the children used to say: 'Is Glenn on there?' each time they said another soldier had been killed," she told the Daily Mail.
Hockton currently is training for his next deployment

The Amazing Fruits of Medjugorje

Photo: Visionary Ivan Dragicevic with Cardinal Schonborn:

The amazing fruits of Medjugorje - Religious vocations point to authenticity
Recommend this article...
By Daniel Klimek June 8, 2010

Anti-Medjugorje critics—from names like Manfred Hauke to E. Michael Jones and their supporters--in efforts to find any bad fruits from the Bosnian village and to justify their antagonism toward the phenomenon, frequently invoke the fact that none of the six Medjugorje visionaries have entered religious lives (as priests or nuns). This claim is invoked in order to, somehow, undermine the validity of the apparitions. Of course, such critics completely ignore the fact that the visionaries lead exemplary lives as devout Roman Catholics, fasting on bread and water a few times a week, dedicating many hours to prayer each day, welcoming endless groups of pilgrims into their homes, being habitually present at Mass and Confession, beyond simple Sunday attendance. In essence, constituting an example for the laity on how to lead holy lives that sanctify daily life.
Anti-Medjugorje critics also ignore the fact that marriage and starting a family, lifestyles which each of the visionaries have embraced, constitute a sacred vocation, and a specific calling, within the Church. Anti-Medjugorje critics also ignore the fact that visionaries from some of the most prominent Marian apparitions in Church history have never entered religious life either—yet, this did not stop the Church from acknowledging the positive fruits and authenticity of the apparitions experienced at such locations (the eminent case of St. Juan Diego—who was never ordained but, in fact, canonized—and his apparitions from Our Lady of Guadalupe speaks for itself).
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, anti-Medjugorje critics ignore the fact that, if religious vocations constitute a sign toward the authenticity of apparitions, then Medjugorje must be one of the most authentic apparitions in Church history, being responsible for countless of vocations to the priesthood around the world. Eminent Church members, from archbishops to cardinals and papal advisors, have acknowledged this reality.
During the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, on September 12, 1996, Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, the Archbishop of Vienna and—with Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, the current Pope—the main author of the Catachesim of the Catholic Church, acknowledged this striking reality about Medjugorje while addressing an audience of 10,000 in Vienna. He explained: “If I was an opponent of Medjugorje I'd have to close down my seminary since almost all the candidates have received their call to the priesthood through Medjugorje!” What a remarkable and powerful claim – the fact that almost all of Vienna's candidates to the priesthood came to the priesthood through the apparitions in Medjugorje.
In a future interview with Gebetsktion Wien, a few years later, this past January, Cardinal Schonborn reiterated this claim while explaining why he came to Medjugorje as a pilgrim in 2010. “I will just repeat what I once said in one interview: if there was something wrong about Medjugorje, we would have to dismiss half of our seminarians, since so many of our priestly vocations are both directly and indirectly related to Medjugorje.” Not only did Cardinal Schonborn acknowledge the fruits of faith present in Medjugorje through the immense influence the apparitions have had on priestly vocations but, equally important, he explained how much the sacred example of Medjugorje's visionaries played a role in inspiring his pilgrimage to the village. “...was in Vienna last year and I spoke with him, Marija Pavlovic Lunetti this year, they were both in Cathedral of St. Stephen and I gave my permission for those events. Both of those two encounters have impressed me so much, primarily because of modesty, simplicity, clarity and heart warmness of those two visionaries. That only strengthened my decision to quietly and simply come to Medjugorje.”
Archbishop Georg Eder of Salzburg, Austria, also recognized the undeniable connection between Medjugorje and religious vocations. His words are as powerful as they are urgent for a European culture that has lost its sense of the spiritual. A sense that has been reawakened through Medjugorje. Archbishop Eder explained:
“My impressions here are not surprising. I know that groups from Salzburg very often go to Medjugorje, that new prayer groups are constantly started, that there are more and more people who say: 'In Medjugorje I received my vocation!'”
The Archbishop further added - “I am reflecting: We are losing three things that we are getting back in Medjugorje: penance, conversion and vocations. In Austria we look in vain for these things. Conversion is not mentioned anymore because people do not need it; Confession is dying out with us except in shrines and in the churches of religious orders where this sacrament is sought and lived; spiritual vocations are less and less. In Medjugorje this is happening constantly: Confessions, conversions and spiritual vocations!”
It is fascinating how in a European culture like Austria's, wherein faith is constantly ignored and on the decline, hope emanates from a distant Bosnian village. Both Cardinal Schonborn and Archbishop Eder have implied that, if it was not for Medjugorje, then Austrian Catholicism—at least in the realm of priestly vocations—may become obsolete. Thus the influence of the apparitions has played a monumental role in reawakening the spiritual life in Austrian Catholicism.
Bishop Paolo Hnilica, an esteemed Jesuit who was close friends with Cardinal Karol Wojtya and, later, a close papal advisor once Wojtya became Pope John Paul II, also acknowledged the fruits of Medjugorje. He once noted about John Paul II: “The Pope, for his part, recognized a long time before that supernatural events are really at work in Medjugorje!” But beyond John Paul II's love for Medjugorje— (see, “Pope John Paul II – Medjugorje 'spiritual heart of the world'”)---Bishop Hnilica himself could not ignore the overwhelming impact that Medjugorje has had in influencing both vocations to religious life as well as miraculous healings. He once noted:
“So many are the people who have experienced the presence of Mary at Medjugorje that they cannot be counted, just as the stories of spiritual and even physical healings can no longer be counted. Countless, as well, are the vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life born of the grace of Medjugorje. These are just some of the main spiritual fruits which have brought many to the conclusion that the Queen of Peace is truly present in Medjugorje.”
Since many of the seminarians who have been inspired to enter religious life as a result of Medjugorje, both future priests and nuns, are young people, this reality itself – Medjugorje's influence on the youth in converting to, and renewing, the faith – could not be ignored by Church leaders. In 1983, only two years after the apparitions began, Cardinal Kuharic, then-Primate of Croatia, reflected: “How can I doubt that Medjugorje is God's doing?...Do you know that half a million young people have surrendered to Christ? The Lord is stirring this country! They need fifty to sixty priests every weekend just to hear confessions and to counsel these young people! And it's all because this apparition!”
Fr. Donald Calloway, the popular American priest of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception who is a leading proponent of the Divine Mercy devotions, and the author and editor of numerous books on Mariology, was another young person who experienced the grace of Medjugorje in his remarkable conversion story and in his road to the priesthood (see the story, “Father Calloway – Saved by Medjugorje and the Virgin Mary” on MinistryValues). Fr. Calloway, who studied at the Franciscan University in Ohio and at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., acknowledged that even in America—where we often are reminded of the shortage of vocations—Medjugorje has played a central role in encouraging young men to pursue the priesthood. In an interview that Fr. Calloway gave in February 2004, he explained how many young men he met in seminary who were as inspired by Medjugorje as he was to pursue the vocation:
“I loved every minute of Medjugorje. I'm going back in March. It's the edge of Heaven, wonderful...Our Lady is building up this army, this whole new generation, layer by layer. Rank by rank they are coming out of seminaries to take their places. There's a whole generation of priests coming, and they're just like me. No nonsense. I always tell people, get ready, because it's coming to a parish near you...We've been formed by the Blessed Virgin Mary and her apparitions. So many of the guys I knew in seminary, they loved things like Medjugorje or Betania or Amsterdam or Kibeho. They don't have a problem with it. They bite onto truth like a shark, and they're going to be the guys in the seminaries teaching. They're going to be in parishes. One cardinal said if it were not for Medjugorje, he would have hardly any seminarians. I compare it to Guadalupe.”
Even men who have been ordained for many years have been attracted to Medjugorje, including countless of bishops from the international world. Bishop Stanislas Lukumwena Lumbala from Kole, Congo, once made the fascinating observation about Medjugorje: “One should not worry about approval all the time. The approval will certainly be given. Bishops come, and they come to pray. There is something that we are drawn to, something that has impressed us. Little by little, Medjugorje will be approved!”
What is that mysterious something—as the bishop speaks of—which draws bishops, and cardinals, and countless of young people, and pilgrims to Medjugorje? What is that something which inspires massive conversions and leads individuals to religious vocations in countries where the faith seems dead, like Austria or America? Perhaps the answer could be summed up in the words of the late, great pontiff, Pope John Paul II, who once poignantly observed:
“Today's world has lost its sense of the supernatural, but many are searching for it – and find it in Medjugorje, through prayer, penance, and fasting.”
The Belgium-Catholic philosopher Alice von Hildebrand once beautifully wrote in an essay: “Now let us abolish the terms 'conservative' or 'liberal', the terms 'left' and 'right' which are secularistic. I suggest that we say from now on 'those who have kept the sense of the supernatural and those who have lost it'. That is the great divide, that is the essence. Do you look at the Church and her teaching, whether dogmatic or moral, with a supernatural eye, or do you look at it with secular lenses? That is the divide. Left and right confuses the issue. Let us rediscover the greatness and the beauty of the supernatural...”
At Medjugorje, countless of people, young and old, have rediscovered the greatness and the beauty of the supernatural, realizing that the miraculous is not a thing of the past but something that exists in the modern world. This sublime rediscovery has opened the door to religious vocations in the most unexpected places, transcending the standards and norms of modern secular culture with a spiritual awakening so profound and powerful that it could only be explained as a grace of God.

I Have Come to tell the World that God exists.

Words from Medjugorje - "My Son Exists"

On August 2, 2010 Mirjana, one the Medjugorje visionaries released a message from 'Our Lady the Queen of Peace" that seemed to echo the first powerful message given to the Bosnian children in 1981.

In that early message answering the question from the children "Why have you come" Our Lady She Said " I have come to tell the world that God Exists. He is the fullness of life, and to enjoy this fullness and peace, you must return to God'.

Adoration Medjugorje Youth Festival

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q99ZlFEMsY&feature=PlayList&p=D2BACDF273AAD463&playnext=1&index=10

Da Mihi Animas: "Didn't Know You Were So Beautiful!"#links#links

Da Mihi Animas: "Didn't Know You Were So Beautiful!"#links#links

Our Lady's Message of August 2, to Mirjana

Dear children! Today I call you, together with me, to begin to build the Kingdom of Heaven in your hearts; that you may forget that what is personal and – led by the example of my Son – think of what is of God. What does he desire of you? Do not permit satan to open the paths of earthly happiness, the paths without my Son. My children, they are false and last a short while. My Son exists. I offer you eternal happiness and peace and unity with my Son, with God; I offer you the Kingdom of God. Thank you.

Father Donald Calloway - Saved by Medjugorje and the Virgin Mary

Father Donald Calloway - Saved by Medjugorje and the Virgin Mary

By Daniel Klimek May 20, 2010

Heroine, cocaine, opium, marijuana, excessive alcohol, not to mention hallucinogenic drugs like mushrooms (psilocybin) and LSD – he consumed most of these before the age of 18, many before he turned 14, the addictions growing stronger as the existential emptiness deepened. What sounds like an introduction to a Hunter S. Thompson novel actually constitutes the autobiography of a Catholic priest. Fr. Donald Calloway of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception retells his dramatic and heart-wrenching life story in No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy.
As a destructive youth, Calloway spent his adolescence succumbing to temptations large and small, from sins of the flesh with constant promiscuity, to crimes against the law with thousands of dollars of grand theft in stolen merchandise, as well as nightly partying with friends consuming all forms of drugs and addictives while listening to heavy-metal music.
At one point, Calloway became a follower of the rock band the Grateful Dead, inspiring entrance into a psychedelic culture which—among other things—left him with a big Grateful Dead tattoo on his arm. To this day he has it, as a remembrance of the past he lived. The past he left. To this day he doesn’t have a clue how that tattoo got there, being stoned to oblivion during the night of its implementation.
During his youth, Calloway was such an angry and rebellious kid that he names a chapter in his book “Animal” in describing himself, his early mentality, his vicious ways. His family (especially his parents) suffered great emotional trauma as a result of their son’s behavior. For a while, they lived on a military base in Japan, for Calloway’s stepfather was an officer. This didn’t last too long. Running around with Japanese gangs, stealing tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise—from electric guitars to cars—got young Donald Calloway arrested and deported from the country. He was escorted through the airport by military guards with chains and shackles around his hands and feet, while he spat at his captors and threw out verbal obscenities to surrounding pedestrians, angrily cursing his way onto the plane.
Although, like any angst-filled adolescent, Calloway developed a strong hatred for his parents—notwithstanding their efforts to help their struggling son, praying for him and checking him into rehabilitation facilities numerous times—a guilt-stricken consciousness still haunted him about his younger brother, where a stronger bond existed. Fr. Calloway describes his feelings poignantly:
“The only bond that I had left with my family was with my little brother, Matthew. When it came to him, I felt terribly, almost inexplicably conflicted. Ten years younger than I, he would often plead, ‘Brother, play with me.’ A part of me wanted to stay home and be the big brother I wanted to be and thought he needed. But I was so preoccupied with my girlfriends and drug buddies that I didn’t want to commit to anything domestic.”
After returning from Japan and checking into an ineffective rehabilitation clinic in Pennsylvania, things did not get any better. For years the drugs continued, so did the promiscuity, the theft, and another arrest. In terms of his growing addictions, Calloway describes vividly what a poisonous rabbit hole he fell into, hitting rock bottom in what reads like a distant and dreary space.
“On one occasion, I even found myself in a crack house, crawling around on the rug on my hands and knees looking for any cocaine that might have fallen on the floor. There were cockroaches running around and maggots in the sink from all the unwashed dishes. A crying baby could be heard, unattended in a back room. Yet there I was on the floor, right along with the baby’s mother, searching frantically for white specs on the floor. If we found anything white, we’d put it in the bowl and smoke it, even if we didn’t know what it was.”
So, what on earth could have turned this rebellious youth, this struggling addict, this “animal” (as he later described himself), into a devout Catholic priest, not to mention into an eloquent author of books on theology and Mariology?
It all began one night in March 1992 when, to the surprise of his friends, Donald decided not to go out partying, as was the usual routine, but to stay at home for the night. He felt immensely depressed, a longing and emptiness occupied his very being. “I found myself sitting there alone in my room with nothing to do and no one to turn to. My existence was laughable. My life was a waste, and I was hoping it would somehow come to an end…I hated my life. I was restless and anxious about everything.” Looking for a way to fill the time, he began browsing his parents’ bookshelf, not to find anything to read but, preferably, land on a National Geographic for the pictures. Instead, his hand landed on something else, an odd book about a subject so alien and obscure to the teenager that it was intriguing enough to read. The book was called The Queen of Peace Visits Medjugorje.
Essentially, it was the story of the Marian apparitions in Medjugorje which brought on the crisis of his conversion. He was only one of the first of a long line of Christians who were to fall under the spell of the mystical Bosnian village, embracing that land of mystery.
“This book showed me a side of things I had never really heard of or experienced before, but I certainly could relate to the radical nature of the message…It wasn’t long before I realized this book was presenting me an offer to change my life and surrender to something greater than myself – to believe in God and be different. It was a revelation that required a revolution in my thinking. Could this be the way out I was looking for?”
He spent the whole night reading the book, until the early hours of the morning. In the process, the inner beings of his soul were transformed from the anxiousness and restlessness he previously experienced to a deep serenity and peace that radiated and pervaded his spirit. The messages of Medjugorje touched him on a higher level, the return to prayer, peace, fasting, a reconciliation with God and the need for conversion. For the first time, something offered him hope from his abusive past, from his life of sin and despair.
“The Virgin Mary was saying things that were so clear and captivating that I found myself moved and literally experiencing emotion in a deep way. This was a kind of emotion I hadn’t experienced since I was a little boy who really loved his mother and wanted to make her happy. And yet the Virgin Mary was saying that she was my mother, that she was the mother of those who had gone astray and was calling us back to God, to Jesus. She made it clear that she was not God, but she was pointing to her Son and saying He is the Messiah, the Savior of the world. I found myself totally falling in love with this mother, this woman.”
The aesthetical quality was sublime. He was experiencing a beauty he hadn’t felt in a very long time. In this Woman, the Virgin Mary, he found a beauty that was not poisonous and sinful—like his past encounters with women—but pure and refreshing, an immaculate gentleness that offered a ray of hope and emanated a radiant light into Donald’s darkened world. Spiritual and sublime, this attraction led Donald to a small prayer of the heart, in which he revealed his longing for this mysterious presence in front of him.
“As I continued to read, I said to her in my heart, ‘I want to believe. I really do. You are piercing the little bubble of my world and offering me something more than I ever heard. I need this.’”
This inner need, this spiritual longing, was being satisfied. As he continued reading, a strange, but wondrous, rebirth from death to new life occurred. “Although I was in serious despair about my life, as I read the book, I felt as if my heart was being melted. I hung on to each word like it was transmitting life straight to me.”
Then a new day came. “Early in the morning, when I closed the book, I said, ‘The message in this book is life-changing. I have never ever heard anything so amazing and convincing and so needed in my life.’ One might say that this was my first prayer. Whoever this Virgin Mary was, I believed what she was saying – that she was my mother and came from heaven for me.”
Instantly, after telling his overwhelmed mother about the experience, Donald—though not a Catholic yet—ran off to Mass for the first time in his life, speaking to a priest afterwards, confessing his entire past to the man. When he came back home, Donald began throwing out all of his filthy possessions from his past life, from drug paraphernalia to pornographic magazines ranging from his Playboy and Penthouse collections, to his heavy metal records, and his water bongs and pipes. Six 30-gallon bags were the result.
After clearing his space of all distractions, Donald knelt by his dresser and deeply desired to go into prayer. But he didn’t know how to pray. As he recalls, “Until earlier that day, I had never said a prayer in my entire life.” This did not stop him, however, from falling into an overbearing ambiance of deeply healing and purifying tears. His past was still very prominent in his mind and the remorse, the regret that was felt was overwhelming – the need for forgiveness encapsulated his entire being.
“In fact, I started crying so hard that I could hardly breathe. I had to literally gasp for air because I was crying so uncontrollably. There were torrents of liquid coming out of my eyes. Before long, the clothes I was wearing were soaking wet.”
Hours of such excruciating crying led to inexplicable tears of joy and, all of the sudden, Donald felt an immense peace in his heart, a tranquility that surpassed understanding. “I started to feel almost bubbly and giddy, almost like a child being tickled by his father. Suddenly, I was animated. I had life again and felt so much different. My body tingled all over. I was so wrapped up in Jesus that I became aware of how much I was loved.”
This purifying peace led to something inexplicable, a mystical—if not downright supernatural—experience. Like thousands of patients who have reported undergoing near-death experiences, Donald left his body.
“But all of a sudden something below me and within me – this is very difficult to explain – knocked me out of my body. I literally felt as if I had left my body. My physical form remained on the couch, but my soul or spirit had left.” The experience paralyzed him, as he gradually saw his body farther and farther away from him, his spiritual presence being slowly removed from the physical. Out of desperation, he led out a penetrating, spiritual cry to that person who had just touched his soul. “Mary!” What happened next was phenomenal. Donald was “violently slammed back” into his body.
“After I got over the shock of the impact, a feeling of peace overwhelmed me, a peace that was tangible. Then I heard a voice, the most pure feminine voice I have ever heard and ever will hear. It was within me, it was outside of me, it was like liquid love being poured over me. It was pure maternal love. It said, ‘Donnie, I’m so happy.’ That’s all I heard, but I knew who it was. Nobody called me Donnie but my mother. Nobody. I knew this was the voice of Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mary. I was so at peace that I felt like a little boy snuggled close to his mother’s breast. I was so at peace, so loved, and so at rest that I went into a deep sleep. I hadn’t slept like that since I was a young boy.”

The phenomenon that Donald experienced, in addition to leaving his body, is called an interior locution (locution cordis), the mystical grace of hearing a spiritual presence – in this case, Our Lady – in an interior way through the depths of the soul.
After his profound spiritual experiences, an official conversion to Roman Catholicism followed. What also followed was the desire for the priesthood. Not just any priesthood. Donald wanted to become a Marian priest, both for Our Lady and for the reason that the Marians of the Immaculate Conception are the official promoters of the Divine Mercy devotions of St. Faustina Kowalska, the Polish nun and mystic who experienced visions of Christ in the 1930s. Donald saw himself, through his past, as the poster-boy for Divine Mercy. For, through the grace of God, he received the greatest mercy after a life of sin.
Becoming a priest meant going back to school. For this high school dropout, this wasn’t the easiest task. Notwithstanding, through his subsequent education and efforts, Donald was able to encounter some of the most eminent Catholic intellectuals and scholars in the world. After earning his GED and spending some time in community college, the Marians sent Donald to study at the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, where he earned his B.A. in theology and philosophy. It was at Franciscan that he encountered some of his favorite professors, including the prominent Catholic intellectuals Scott Hahn and Mark Miravalle. Donald admits that Professor Hahn had an influential impact on his studies, implementing a deeper love of God in his mind. Professor Miravalle, a theologian and Mariologist, is a leading figure in the Marian movement, and also played a great influence on Donald. Miravalle is the president of Vox Populi Mariae Mediatrici, a movement within the Catholic Church that hopes to gain papal approval to deem Mary as the Co-Redemptrix, becoming the fifth Marian dogma. Interestingly, Miravalle’s own connections to Medjugorje are not small. He has written numerous books on the subject and, when he was a doctoral student in Rome, his dissertation was called, The Message of Medjugorje: A Postconcilar Formulation of Lourdes and Fatima. The dissertation showed how the messages of Medjugorje align with Chruch tradition, ranging from the Gospels to the teachings of the early Church Fathers in their foundational elements and, of course, to Vatican II and other approved apparitions. The thesis was successfully defended in the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (Angelicum) in Rome in 1984. Beyond inspirations like Professors Hahn and Miravalle at Franciscan, Donald went on to study with other greats. He received both his M.Div and S.T.B. at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., and then earned an S.T.L. at the International Marian Research Institute in Dayton, Ohio. At the Institue, Donald studied with such prominent theologians and Mariologists as Fr. Luigi Gambero and Fr. Eamon Carroll. Most remarkably, Donald took the last class that the great French theologian and Mariologist Rene Laurentin taught at the Institute. Laurentin himself has been one of Medjugorje’s greatest supporters for years, with countless of books on the apparitions. Donald’s S.T.L. dissertation concentrated on the Mariology in the diaries of St. Faustina Kowalska, combining his love for Our Lady with his love for the Divine Mercy devotions. The dissertation was over 200 pages long, contained over 700 footnotes – in Latin, French, Polish, Italian, and Spanish – and, years later, was published into a book called, Purest of All Lilies: The Virgin Mary in the Spirituality of St. Faustina. He even graduated summa cum laude with his S.T.L. The former drug addict, convicted criminal, and high school dropout graduated summa cum laude with an advanced degree, studying with some of the most renowned theologians in the world, and publishing his work into a book about the Mother of God. Today, Father Calloway is the House Superior for the Marians of the Immacluate Conception and their vocations director. He preaches his story throughout the world, reaching countless of hearts. His life story is an example of grace and divine mercy in motion, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and particularly her continuing work in Medjugorje. No Turning Back constitues a powerful and poignant testimony about one man’s journey, being led out of a tunnel of darkness and despair into the radiance of hope and belief in something purer, truer, and warmer than the temptations of contemporary culture – what the human soul longs for, spiritual sublimity and meaning in one’s existence

Da Mihi Animas: Paddy Kelly Conversion Story#links#links#links#links

Da Mihi Animas: Paddy Kelly Conversion Story#links#links#links#links

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World Famous Rock Star Gives His Life To Jesus:

In the summer of 2000 he and two of his brothers and sisters decided to go to the Youth festival in Medjugorje. Here he met Father Jozo and quickly through his words, counsel and abundance of graces a deep movement of conversion with God came to his brothers and sisters and in the months and years to follow. Through Mary, through Medjugorje, he finally came to know Jesus. He believed that God existed but he had not yet experianced the Holy Spirit in a deep and powerful way. He wanted to know if he was truly the Son of Man.
He wanted to believe it and not just tell himself so or because the Church said so. He wanted to feel the interior confirmation of the Holy Spirit. Then one morning the Holy Spirit entered his heart in a real way.
He called his brothers and sister he loved so much and said to them “Jesus is God, Jesus is God, Jesus is God.”
*Today Paddy Kelly still sings but now as a seminarian a Monk. He goes by the name of John Paul Mary.

http://www.ministryvalues.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1034&Itemid=125

LIVE FROM MEDJUGORJE, 21st INTERNATIONAL YOUTH PRAYER FESTIVAL

http://www.bedevaart.net/multimedia.html

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http://mysite.verizon.net/bernieheath/medjugorje/Medjugorje.html

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http://www.medjugorje.ie/live_streaming_video.html

LIVE FROM MEDJUGORJE 21st INTERNATIONAL YOUTH PRAYER FESTIVAL.

The programme for this evening is:18.00 – Rosary19.00 –Holy Mass – general rehearsal for the choir and the orchestra 20.00 – Prayer for healing 20.30 – Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament – general rehearsal for the choir and the orchestra

Beware of What You Read

Beware of What You Read!
By Fr. Neil Buchlein
Recently another "news-breaking story" was being circulated, saying that the visionaries would be appearing before the Vatican Commission and discussing and revealing the Ten Secrets for them. Really?!
Now we won't have to wait for Our Blessed Mother to tell Mirjana and Fr. Petar to fast and pray for three days before the first secret is revealed for the world. There is so much anti-Medjugorje material being spewed by people who either dislike or hate Medjugorje, some of whom have never been there, but they get a hold of some distorted truths and make it an infallible statement that needs to be believed by all. Why do people like this seek to "poison the water" or look to "sow seeds of discontent" amongst the faithful?
Please be very cautious when you read something about Medjugorje and the Vatican Commission. Read as much as you can about Medjugorje from good sources, and certainly pray that those who believe, as well as the visionaries, will continue to live the Messages of Our Blessed Mother.
Editor’s note: Fr. Neil is pastor of Ascension Church in Hurricane, WV. You can visit his wonderful website at http://www.blessedmotherschildren.com/.
Source-Spirit of Medjugorje

A Reflection of Our Lady's Medjugorje Message of July 25, 2010 by Sr. Isabel

To be happy in this life and forever in eternity.” The answer to “Why did God make you? as found in the old Baltimore Catechism is still valid today. How Our Lady knows that. She desires the we all follow her in joy. There are so many things today that try to rob us of our joy -- sickness, financial concerns, unemployment, sins of all kinds, decisions about the future and on and on. All these concerns pale in light of the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ and His love and mercy. The more we draw closer to Jesus and develop our personal relationship with Him, the more joy and peace we will experience. It’s that simple. The Holy Spirit is the life giver and will always give us the graces we need to focus on the Lord and turn all our concerns over to him. He will guide us if we allow Him. Our Lady gives us the means for that to happen, joyful prayer and surrender. May we turn to Our Lady and ask her to guide us along the path of joy and peace, now and in eternity.

Medjugorje Message of Our Lady, July 25, 2010

This is the message of Our Lady given this evening to the visionary Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti.

Dear children! Anew I call you to follow me with joy.I desire to lead all of you to my Son, your Saviour.You are not aware that without him you do not have joy and peace, nor a future or eternal life.Therefore, little children, make good use of this time of joyful prayer and surrender.Thank you for having responded to my call.

Filled with the Spirit

SPIRIT-FILLED"

If you, with all your sins, know how to give your children good things, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him." -Luke 11:13

Matthew wrote that, when we pray, we can be certain the Lord will give us good things (Mt 7:11). However, Luke promised we can be certain of receiving the Spirit when we pray (Lk 11:13).

The Lord may be telling us to pray for the Spirit more than for the blessings of the Spirit. Do you pray every day, several times a day: "Come Holy Spirit"? Do you ask for the gift of the Spirit to be stirred into flame in your life? (2 Tm 1:6) Have you or would you devote yourself for nine days to pray for the Spirit, as the disciples did at the first Pentecost? (Acts 1:14) The Holy Spirit wants to make us His temples more than we can ever imagine, but will not come to us and fill us without our invitation. We must ask to receive the life in the Spirit (Lk 11:9). Pray for the Spirit. Pray to repent of stifling the Spirit (1 Thes 5:19). Pray to persevere in praying for the Spirit. Pray nine days for the Spirit, as at the first Pentecost. "Come, Holy Spirit.

"Prayer: Father, may I pray for the Spirit until I receive a new Pentecost. Promise: "In baptism you were not only buried with Him but also raised to life with Him because you believed in the power of God Who raised Him from the dead." -Col 2:12 Praise: Praise You, risen Jesus, Baptizer in the Holy Spirit (Mk 1:8). Thank You for pouring out the Spirit on us without measure (Jn 3:34). Alleluia!

Thy Will be Done on Earth, as it is in Heaven

Thy will be done on earth... as it is in heaven
by bluecross » Tue Jul 20, 2010 1:21 pm

I was reading through some messages today about what Our Lady had said about God’s will, both for us and herself. I was especially drawn to two statements that she made about herself coming to Medjugorje as being God’s will. She said:Dear children, By God's will I am here with you in this place… (May 2, 2008) I bless you and I remain with you for as long as it is God's will... (January 25, 1991) This reminded me of the passage from Acts, known as the Wisdom of Gamaliel, where he said: “If this enterprise, this movement of theirs, is of human origin it will break up of its own accord, but if it does in fact come from God you will not only be unable to destroy them, but you might find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5 : 38-39
It is now 29 years since Our Lady first came to Medjugorje. The apparitions continue, the pilgrims still keep arriving, the messages are being spread wide and far, and so many of us have been reconciled with the Church and the Sacraments.Yet, there are some who disparage all these signs and refuse to believe that Our Lady is appearing, refuse to accept that all of what is happening through Our Lady and Medjugorje is because of the will of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Can anyone come to God without the action of Holy Spirit, spouse of the Blessed Mother? Even if one was to deny the apparitions then what is prompting people back to faith through Medjugorje?Does God really object to conversions and his people repenting and returning to a sacramental life? Are the conversions and return back to God stemming from Medjugorje something that God finds displeasing?In today’s Gospel reading Jesus asks the crowd “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said: “Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.”So when Our Lady thanks us for responding to her call, she is thanking us for responding to the will of God, just as she did when she received the message from Gabriel, just as she does now: “Dear children, By God's will I am here with you in this place…”
http://www.crownofstars.blogspot.com/ http://www.youtube.com/gospa2000

Why Bad Leaders

WHY BAD LEADERS?"I will appoint over you shepherds after My own heart, who will shepherd you wisely and prudently." -Jeremiah 3:15

In the old covenant, kings and other secular leaders were called shepherds. Also, after Jesus called Himself "the Good Shepherd" (Jn 10:14), religious leaders in the new covenant were seen as shepherds. Consequently, in the light of the new covenant, the Lord promises to give us both political and religious leaders after His own heart. The Lord promises us not only holy popes, bishops, priests, and lay leaders but also holy presidents, legislators, governors, mayors, civil officials, executives, and employers.When is the Lord's promise to give us godly shepherds going to be fulfilled? Before the Lord made this promise, He commanded us to repent of rebelling against Him and to return to Him (Jer 3:14)..

When our political and religious leaders are bad and not submissive to the Lord's authority, we may be getting a "dose of our own medicine." Therefore, repent and go to Confession for God's sake, your sake, and for the sake of holy and godly leadership in our society and Church. Prayer: Father, may I be the leader You want me to be for the building of Your kingdom. Promise: "What was sown on good soil is the man who hears the message and takes it in. He it is who bears a yield of a hundred- or sixty- or thirtyfold." -Mt 13:23

Blessed Salt

BLESSED SALT
Rev. John H. Hampsch, C.M.F.

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There is a renewed interest today in the ancient sacramental of blessed salt, especially by charismatics, in healing and deliverance situations, etc. To understand its proper use and its efficacy, it would be helpful to review the Scriptural symbolism and its history, since Vatican II urges us to participate "intelligently and actively" in the use of sacramentals, just as in the use of Sacraments.
Salt in the ancient world was a precious commodity (even monopolized by the royalty in Egypt and Persia). Roman soldiers were partially paid with packets of salt ("sal" in Latin); this was the origin of our word "salary" and of phrases like "worth his salt," etc. Being costly, it was an appropriate offering to God as a "covenant of salt" (Lev. 2:13; II Chron. 13:5; Num. 18:19) used in sacrifices by the Israelites (Ezck. 43:24) and for the accompanying sacrificial meal (Gen. 31:54).
Belief in its preservative and healing properties led to its use to dry and harden the skin of newborns (Ezek. 16:4) and to prevent umbilical cord infection. Used for 3500 years to preserve meats from deterioration, it became a symbol of preservation and spiritual incorruptibility that was to characterize anyone offering sacrificial worship. Shared at the sacrificial meal, salt became a symbol of friendship and hospitality, custom-symbol still used today in Arab culture. Jesus referred to this salt symbolized friendship covenant in Mark 9:50: "Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another"–that is. "preserve that quality (flavor) that makes you a blessing to one another." (Note the double symbol of preservation and flavoring.)
This double primary symbolization is also found in Paul’s advice in Col. 4:6: "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." That is, let it be wholesome and savory, preserved from the corrupting conversation of worldlings (3:8 and Eph 4:29). (His use of the word salt may also have referred to another of its symbols: spiritual wisdom, since the Latin word for savor or taste, "sapientia", is the same as for wisdom.)
Some or all of these symbols may have been implied in Jesus’ words to his chosen ones, describing them as the "salt of the earth" (Matt. 5:13). He especially indicated that they were to oppose the world’s corruption, reminding them that, as salt must preserve its own anti-corruptive quality, they too must preserve their anti-corruptive influence in a sin-corrupted world. (See Luke 14:34).
The blessing promised by God on food and water, as well as the prevention of miscarriages and agricultural catastrophes (Exod. 23:25-26) was extended by God through Elisha in Jericho (II Kings 2:20-21), when he was inspired to put salt into the contaminated water. Adding salt to already brackish water to decontaminate it made the miracle all the more impressive, since one would expect the opposite effect. This first miracle of Elisha is the primary Scriptural basis for the sacramental use of blessed salt, as the Roman Ritual indicates.
As a Catholic sacramental, salt blessed by the liturgical prayer of a priest may be used by itself, unmixed, as in exorcisms, and formerly in the exorcistic prayer at baptism, or it may be mixed with water to make holy water, as the Ritual prescribes (reminiscent of Elisha’s miracle). In whichever form, it is intended to be an instrument of grace to preserve one from the corruption of evil occurring as sin sickness, demonic influence, etc.
As in the case of all sacramentals, its power comes not from the sign itself, but by means of the Church’s official (liturgical, not private) prayer of blessing–a power the Church derives from Christ himself (see Matt. 16:19 and 18:18). As the Vatican II document on the Liturgy states (art. 61), both Sacraments and sacramentals sanctify us, not of themselves, but by power flowing from the redemptive act of Jesus, elicited by the Church’s intercession to be directed through those external signs and elements. Hence sacramentals like blessed salt, holy water, medals, etc. are not to be used superstitiously as having self-contained power, but as "focus-points" funneling one’s faith toward Jesus, just as a flag is used as a "focus-point" of patriotism, or as handkerchiefs were used to focus faith for healing and deliverance by Paul (Acts 19:12).
Thus used non-superstitiously, modest amounts of salt may be sprinkled in ones bedroom, or across thresholds to prevent burglary, in cars for safety, etc. A few grains in drinking water or used in cooking or as food seasoning often bring astonishing spiritual and physical benefits, as I have personally witnessed many times. As with the use of Sacraments, much depends on the faith and devotion of the person using salt or any sacramental. This faith must be Jesus-centered, as was the faith of the blind man in John 9; he had faith in Jesus, not in the mud and spittle used by Jesus to heal him.
In light of this, we can see why Vatican II states that "there is hardly any proper use of material things which cannot thus be directed toward the sanctification of persons and the praise of God." (art. 61 of Liturgy document). Hence new sacramentals may also be added when rituals are revised (art. 79). Blessed salt is certainly not a new sacramental, but the Holy Spirit seems to be leading many to a new interest in its remarkable power as an instrument of grace and healing.
** Any amount may be presented to a priest for his blessing, using the following official prayer from the Roman Ritual:
Almighty God, we ask you to bless this salt, as once you blessed the salt scattered over the water by the prophet Elisha. Wherever this salt (or salt mixed with water) is sprinkled, drive away the power of evil, and protect us always by the presence of your Holy Spirit. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen."

INFO: on MEDJU.TV

Medjugorje Tube
by Justme » Wed Jul 14, 2010 10:09 am
Justme wrote: Dear mamamary medju.tv is a a new video portal on which members can load videos, audios, pictures and documents about Medjugorje. It may also be called the Medjugorje Tube.medju.tv has been founded only recently from my husband and me, two lay Catholics with the purpose to strengthen courage to live the messages for those who know Medjugorje and to spread the messages more around the world. Alike the Mother of God we wish that more people get to know Jesus Christ and the true joys and values of life as well as everlasting life.Whoever is interested in Medjugorje will find many resources on medju.tv, such as homilies, pilgrimage pictures, adoration- and music video clips, etc.People can also create their own play list or watch the Medjugorje live stream.medju.tv invites people to register and help this new video portal to thrive. It would be great to meet you there too!The url of this site is http://medju.tv/

Medjugorje: Melinda Dumitrescu, Violinist - Interview

Melinda Dumitrescu, violinist - Interview
Other languages: English, Hrvatski
Date: July 27, 2005 , Originally published August 7, 2004 Category: Interviews

Melinda Dumitrescu, a violinist from Romania who has been accompanying the prayer program at the shrine in Medjugorje for a number of years now, has recorded a new CD with musical themes from Medjugorje. This CD, with the title “Give us your peace”, is edited by the Information Center “Mir” Medjugorje.
After having completed her studies at the Music Academy in Lübeck (Germany) as a student of Prof. Zachar Bronn, Melinda Dumitrescu decided to come to Medjugorje and to stay here at the service of pilgrims. Her coming to Medjugorje is a consequence of her faith in Our Lady’s apparitions and of her encounter with Fr. Slavko Barbaric.

.Lidija Paris: Melinda, would you be so kind as to tell us how you came to Medjugorje?
Melinda Dumitrescu: I was studying music in Germany, at the Music Academy in Lübeck, where Brahms and others were also studying. I heard about Medjugorje, I read a book with Our Lady’s messages. Ever since my childhood, I was successful in music. I was – as people say – a Wunderkind, but success was not sufficient to fill my heart. I was always seeking something else. I was traveling a lot, and I was always asking myself: where do I really belong, where is my family? I was traveling because of my studies and because of the concerts. I was all the time leaving behind me people whom I loved. While reading the messages of Medjugorje, I felt that - here - I could find what my heart was seeking. When I came for the first time, I came alone, and I met Fr. Slavko, with whom I previously spoke on the phone.

.Lidija Paris: You knew Fr. Slavko Barbaric?
Melinda Dumitrescu: Yes, I knew him, and his death is a great loss. He was the first person I met here in Medjugorje. In the book with Our Lady’s messages, I saw his photo; we spoke on the phone in 1996. In the north of Germany, where I lived at that time, the Catholics are not very numerous and there were no Medjugorje pilgrims. In traveling agencies, nobody knew about Medjugorje. Fr. Slavko told me that it was near Mostar. I took an aircraft that was supposed to come to Split in the evening hours. I told to the Lord: “You know where I am going, help me to reach that place!” The desire to come here was stronger than me. At the airport in Frankfurt, I saw a group of Americans with badges on which it was written: “Marian Pilgrimages”. I told them that I was alone, I asked them if they were going to Medjugorje, and they took me on their bus from Split to Medjugorje. Everything was settled. My Medjugorje-story began with Fr. Slavko. As soon as I arrived, he asked me to play in the church, and soon after that, to stay in Medjugorje. And so, after my diploma, I remained here. As my own father is deceased, Fr. Slavko was like a father to me. A spiritual father. When he used to go somewhere, he used to take me with him to play the violin. He used to ask me to translate for Romanian pilgrims and to take them to the hills. His death is a great loss, but I see that God provides for everything. Fr. Branko and Fr. Svetozar, and other Franciscans are here now, who carry on Fr. Slavko’s work and who accepted me.

.Lidija Paris: How did you familiarize yourself with the life in Medjugorje?
Melinda Dumitrescu: I am living with other young people – some of them also musicians - in a community, which is a fruit of Medjugorje. I met them in 1996, when I was playing during adoration led by Fr. Slavko, who was my spiritual father, a great supporter of artists, but also spiritual councilor of Madre Rosaria and of her community from the very beginning. I was attracted by the idea of a common life of prayer, of playing and singing for the Lord with other young people, just as we do it now in the community. In Medjugorje, in the community, I have the possibility and the grace to grow in every way. I have experienced the support that Madre Rosaria has given to me as a person, as a child of God and of Mary, but also in a special way as a musician, a violinist of Jesus and of Mary.

.Lidija Paris: All the musicians here in Medjugorje are excellent, but your violin is bringing something special. What is it?
Melinda Dumitrescu: As soon as I was born, my mother offered me and consecrated me with her whole heart to Our Lady. My parents were musicians, and from my mother’s womb, I was growing with music. I think that Our Lady had a plan for me. She has chosen me and she is using me. I completed my studies at the Music Academy, but for me, music is a prayer. I offer my playing to God. My music is the prayer of my heart. I would like to tell you an anecdote from my life. Ever since my childhood, I was playing in churches. When I was 16, I was playing in Japan. My father taught me to play the “Ave Maria” by Bach and Gounod. After our concert, which did not take place in a church, the audience asked for more, so I decided to play the “Ave Maria”. It was the time of Advent, the feast of St. Nicholas, and I told to the audience that I was coming from a Christian country, and that – in Advent - the Christians are waiting for the coming of the Messiah. I told them that I was going to play a piece that is announcing his coming. At the end, everybody was crying, men and women, and all of them were Buddhists, and not Christians. This is a sign of the grace of God that passes through music, beyond words and images.

.Lidija Paris: What does your violin mean to you?
Melinda Dumitrescu: It is a companion of my life, a faithful companion, but only after the Lord. It is the voice of my heart.

.Lidija Paris: Don't you miss concerts?
Melinda Dumitrescu: From time to time I do give concerts, but as I told you, the career in the world cannot fill my life. I was playing from my early childhood. I could have continued, but I am happier in this way. Here, I feel home, and Our Lady is nevertheless leading me all over the world!

.Lidija Paris: Don't you miss competition, comparing with other violinists?
Melinda Dumitrescu: Fr. Slavko said that competition is good, because every one has to improve. Here in Medjugorje, and elsewhere in the world, I meet good musicians who appreciate me and even say that I am among the best. I am characterized by my training and by a life entirely filled with sacrifice because of music since the age of six. I used to play up to eight hours a day. I was renouncing to so many things… and I was a winner. When I was 14, I got the first prize in an international competition in Italy. My teacher was Zachar Bron, a student of David Ojstrah, one of the best… Everyone tells me that I am on a very high professional level, and this is a grace, because I am not playing eight hours a day any more. I am living here now, at the service of pilgrims, I have an intense prayer life, a life of service and of sacrifice.

.Lidija Paris: What does your family say?

Melinda Dumitrescu: My family is standing by me from my childhood, and they are surprised. They see, however, that I am happy. Every now and then, they are asking me if I am sure of what I am doing. When they hear that I am playing classical music in Panama, in Lebanon, in Korea… they are happy. We should not forget all the sacrifices that my parents have made. At that time, in Romania, with the political system that we had, one could only dream about leaving the country. My parents are also musicians. They did not have any special material resources. In Romania, artists could die of hunger. With the help of God, with his Providence, I got a scholarship and I could study in Germany. Everything is a gift. When I meet my colleagues, musicians, I see that they respect what I am doing. They even admire it a little. When I made the first CD for the benefit of Mother’s Village, «Misericordias Domini in eternum cantabo», so many people were happy about it. It was for the glory of God. Approbation is coming not only from Christians, but also from Muslims, Hindus, from those who are far from the Church. Music is touching their heart. Now, we have published this new CD with spiritual music in the style of Medjugorje, and soon, we will be doing another one with several other musicians.

.Lidija Paris: Aren’t you afraid of the future?
Melinda Dumitrescu: I am in the hands of God and I trust Our Lady. In her last message, she told us to consecrate ourselves to her Immaculate Heart and to the Heart of her Son Jesus. She is my manager, I have no other. It is not easy to abandon oneself every day into the hands of God. It is not easy to live in faith. Every day is pure faith. Every day, miracles happen for the glory of God. I offer everything to God for my own conversion and for the conversion of the world.

.Lidija Paris: Your life is not something that one would expect from a Zachar Bron's student?
Melinda Dumitrescu: Living in this way, abandoning oneself to God, is madness in the eyes of the world. I do not live in this way because I would not have any other agenda in my life. This way of life means swimming against the stream. Why, because of whom, for what reason? I carry Jesus and Mary in my heart, and “the world” does not know them. I am living this kind of life only because of them. Two or three years ago, I had the occasion to earn 500 € per minute of playing as a soloist with an orchestra in Salzburg! Precisely these days, the owner of this precious violin that has been entrusted to me, had found a buyer, and I had to send the violin to Germany. I said: “All right, Lord, I will renounce to this violin! You know everything!” I was really attracted by the idea of playing this concert, although at that time I had no idea of how much they wanted to pay to me… Two days later, when the violin was already on its way to Germany, some benefactors came and gave me the amount that was necessary to acquire the violin! My life has always been like that. This story about the violin is just one out of many. I hat to renounce to it, I had to say “Your will be done”, in order to experience a much greater joy when I got back this violin, which is really necessary to me. It was a lesson of life that, I think, can be helpful for everyone. If we are able to renounce to something, the Lord is giving us all that we need, but he wants to be at the center. I said that the violin is the companion of my life, but only after Jesus and Mary. In itself, the violin is just a piece of wood. They say that I am able to give a soul to it. It became a part of me. I thank Our Lady for it.

.Lidija Paris: As a Romanian citizen, you have problems with basic things, like the residence permit, visas…
Melinda Dumitrescu: When I renounced to a career, I renounced to many comforts, including the passport of another country that I had the possibility to obtain. When I am invited somewhere, I always have to undergo many procedures in order to obtain a visa. Even here, in order to continue to play in this parish, I need a residence permit. God will provide. I would be happy if it was possible to arrange that those, who desire to put their life at the service of this parish as volunteers, receive all the necessary documents. I know that I am not the only one with this kind of problem. Here, in Medjugorje, many volunteers want to do something good, and they all meet the same problem. You never know when the law is going to change, and this is not the case only in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

.Lidija Paris: What does it mean to live permanently in Medjugorje?
Melinda Dumitrescu: To live permanently in Medjugorje is not the same as to come on a pilgrimage, when some are in seventh heaven… It is a laborious daily journey through the desert, and we have to seek the source of life and the meaning of our existence. Every day is full of joy and of tears, of happiness and of suffering. I know that God’s reward is great. The prayer rhythm here in Medjugorje is melting the hearts. Even the most hardened hearts open here. I can see, especially during Adoration, that some feel like in heaven. The grace that is working through prayer, and through music that is offered in prayer, as well as the prayer program in Medjugorje, are a fruit of Our Lady’s apparitions. Her presence is a direct touch of Heaven that transforms everything. However, wherever is Our Lady, the enemy also tries to sneak in, and this is why we have to struggle every day. Pilgrims have special graces, and this is good, because they have to go back to their Jerusalem, but we have our Jerusalem here, and we offer everything for our own good and for the good of the pilgrims. You can see in their eyes, as they pray the rosary, that they are changing. And they give witness to peace and to joy, to the consolation that they have received. Alleluia!
Source: © Information Centre "Mir" Medjugorje ( http://www.medjugorje.hr/ )

Listen to Melinda's Music: http://www.reginamundi.info/donnavestitadisole/mp3-medjugorje.asp

In God's Will

IN THE WILL OF GOD

One thing only is required. Mary has chosen the better portion and she shall not be deprived of it." -Luke 10:42

When the Lord wants us to sit at His feet and listen to His words, we are often busy about many things (Lk 10:39, 41). However, when He wants us to go and make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19), we may sit around and pray about it. We sit when we should run; we run when we should sit.We must repent of doing our own thing instead of Jesus' thing. We must sit or run when He tells us to and not when we feel like it. There's only one right thing for us to do at any particular time. To be at the right place at the right time is to be in obedience to the Lord. Whether we're enjoying ourselves, feeling comfortable, or fitting in with the crowd is not important; He is Doing God's will is the meaning of life. Taking out the garbage in obedience to the Lord is of eternal significance. Being on international television in disobedience to the Lord is a waste of time and a sin, no matter what we say. The most menial tasks are charged with divine life when they are the Lord's will. Only the Lord's will is worth doing. Doing our own thing is a tragedy.Jesus said: "Doing the will of Him Who sent Me and bringing His work to completion is My food" (Jn 4:34). Jesus promised: "Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to Me" (Mk 3:35). "To do Your will, O my God, is my delight" (Ps 40:9).

Prayer: Father, may Your will be my only concern. "Even now I find my joy in the suffering I endure for you. In my own flesh I fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of His body, the church." -Col 1:24 Praise: Praise Jesus, "the Way, and the Truth, and the Life" (Jn 14:6), Who accepted the Father's will and died to set us free.

The Strong, Silent Type

"Woe to those who plan iniquity, and work out evil on their couches." -Micah 2:1
The worldly are wheeling and dealing - manipulating, conniving, and lying - filling the sky with towers of Babel. They rip off the poor man and promote severe injustices. However, the Lord doesn't seem to do much about it. "He will not contend or cry out, nor will His voice be heard in the streets. The bruised reed He will not crush; the smoldering wick He will not quench" (Mt 12:19-20). Nevertheless, the Lord conquered "the shakers and the movers" not by shaking and moving but by becoming one of the poor and the oppressed. He became a Lamb led to the slaughter Who opened not His mouth (Is 53:7). He suffered the injustices of all people. He was not only ripped off but scourged and crucified. He died as the perfect sacrifice, innocent of sin and loving His enemies. Thus, He overcame the world (Jn 16:33).
We also can conquer the world by believing in Jesus, the Conqueror of the world (1 Jn 5:5), insofar as we act like Him - that we suffer redemptively, forgive mercifully, and love unconditionally. Those expressing their faith through the nonviolent militancy of the cross conquer the world by love. When we believe in Jesus enough to act like Him and love like Him, "we are more than conquerors" (Rm 8:37).Prayer: Father, "where there is hatred, let me sow love."

Pray for your Child

Twelve Ways to Pray for Your Child.

PRAY:

That nothing will hinder your child from accepting Christ as his personal savior early in life. (Matthew 19:14)
That your child will learn to know the true and living God and have a deep desire to do God’s will all his life. (Psalm 119:26, 30, 34 –35)
That, as your child hears stories from the Bible, a love for God and His Word develops and becomes the basis for his entire decision making. (Ecclesiastes 12:1; Psalm 71:17)
That your child will develop a keen sense of what is right and wrong and will abhor evil and cling to that which is good. (Romans 12:9; Psalm 139:23-24; 51:10)
For your child’s total development: an increase in wisdom (mentally), in stature (physically) and in favor with God (spiritually) and man (socially). (Luke 2:52)
That God will create in your child a thankful heart and positive mental attitude. (Psalm 126:2-3; Romans 8:31)
That God will protect your child from Satan in every area of life. (John 17:15; Psalm 121)
That God would reveal the tendencies to sin in your child and enable him to overcome them before they become sinful habits. (Psalm 120:2; 119:133; I John 1:8-9)
That God would make your child successful in the work God has planned for him to do. (Psalm 118:25;139: 9-10; Ephesians 2:10)
That your child will have and value a strong sense of belonging to a family that is loving and dwells together in unity. (Psalm 133; Colossians 3:12-14)
That your child will respect those in authority over him. (Romans 13:1; Ephesians 6:1-4)
That your child’s entire life will be a testimony of the greatness and love of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 2:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:23)
Suggestion: Pray for one request each day for a month

Catholic Fire: Video: Visionaries of Medjugorje may appear before the Vatican#links#links

Catholic Fire: Video: Visionaries of Medjugorje may appear before the Vatican#links#links

Dear Children of Mary

Dear Children of Mary,
Denis, my husband, has asked me to send out this request for prayer support. Here is what is on his heart to share with all of us:

I hope you read Cathy's reflection (7/9/10). It explains a lot.It also sheds light on why a spiritual battle would be surrounding Mary TV. "I can no longer live without Medjugorje," an exorcist testifies in her reflection. He discovered that when, like a child, he invoked his Mother's presence in Medjugorje, Satan would flee: "I feel that if it wasn't for her presence, we would all be destroyed. That is why we should all try to live every second of our lives with her. I feel a personal invitation to help other people to come to Medjugorje; to bring here all of those people who experience tremendous spiritual suffering." Years ago Our Lady said that Satan left many places in the world in order to focus his attacks against Medjugorje - to try to thwart what God is doing there. She actually said that one day he had offered to give back to God the rest of the world in exchange for Medjugorje! The devil will do anything to keep attention from being given to our Mother's presence with us in Medjugorje. And so he also works to block MARY TV. I believe praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet right now will loose the funds still needed to stream live over the internet the youth festival and events of Medjugorje from July 31 through August 6, and the funds necessary to finish construction of our TV station in Medjugorje! From today until August 6th, let's pray everyday at 3:00 PM (or within that hour) the Divine Mercy Chaplet for this intention. "When I looked at the plants, thirsting for the rain," writes Saint Faustina, "I was moved with pity, and I decided to say the chaplet until the Lord would send us rain. Before supper, the sky covered over with clouds and a heavy rain fell to the earth. I had been saying this prayer without interruption for three hours. And the Lord let me know that everything can be obtained by means of this prayer." (1128) How much more should we be moved with pity today! "Satan is strong and wishes not only to destroy human life but also nature and the planet on which you live... God sent me to you so that I can help you!" (1/25/91). Beseech the Lord with me that Mary TV be given the necessary funds to use modern communication technologies to help bring the world's attention to our Mother's presence with us in Medjugorje! Denis
Thank you for supporting us in prayer! What ever you can do is appreciated!! In Jesus and Mary!
Cathyhttp://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103557394945&s=1270&e=001kFIa--BEoOJPP0MTtAShvLoScF6Td9ueGGmBRebK1VBFNqvAUGqcLjLca99L6upLsaiQxATgyDZmNSeo5yHkoWMfiMt-XplvM4qEdtbK9Gc=

A Catholic Mom in Hawaii: Ten Facts Most Catholics Don’t Know (But Should!)#links

A Catholic Mom in Hawaii: Ten Facts Most Catholics Don’t Know (But Should!)#links

Father-Healer

Yet, though I stooped to feed My child, they did not know that I was their Healer." -Hosea 11:4

Do you think your heavenly Father wants to heal you? Does He want to heal you completely? Does He want to heal you now? Many people are not sure how to answer these questions. They know that their Father loves them and can heal them. Yet they don't know if or when He will heal them. They know there are many factors in healing, and this makes them unsure if their Father will heal them.We should not let the many factors in healing overshadow the loving, healing, present Fatherhood of God; rather, our Father's love should make us almost forget the complications surrounding healing.
We should be like little children who, when hurt, run to their parents for healing and think of little else.Our heavenly Father is trying to make us so aware of His love that everything else fades into the background. He is drawing us to Him "with human cords, with bands of love" (Hos 11:4). He fosters us "like one who raises an infant to his cheeks" (Hos 11:4). Our Father stoops to feed us and wants to help us more than we want help (Hos 11:4). May we translate all this tender, fatherly love into the assurance that our Father is our Healer.
Prayer: Father, may I expect healing from You now. "Cure the sick, raise the dead, heal the leprous, expel demons. The gift you have received, give as a gift." -Mt 10:8

An Exorcist and Medjugorje: A Powerful Testimony

Audio: an exorcist at apparition site

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source http://www.blessedmotherschildren.com/

George Washington's Prayer for the Nation.

George Washington's prayer for the nation:

O eternal and everlasting God, I presume to present myself this morning before thy Divine majesty, beseeching thee to accept of my humble and hearty thanks, that it hath pleased thy great goodness to keep and preserve me the night past from all the dangers poor mortals are subject to, and has given me sweet and pleasant sleep, whereby I find my body refreshed and comforted for performing the duties of this day, in which I beseech thee to defend me from all perils of body and soul. Direct my thoughts, words and work, wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the Lamb, and purge my heart by thy Holy Spirit, from the dross of my natural corruption, that I may with more freedom of mind and liberty of will serve thee, the ever lasting God, in righteousness and holiness this day, and all the days of my life. Increase my faith in the sweet promises of the gospel; give me repentance from dead works; pardon my wanderings, and direct my thoughts unto thyself, the God of my salvation; teach me how to live in thy fear, labor in thy service, and ever to run in the ways of thy commandments; make me always watchful over my heart, that neither the terrors of conscience, the loathing of holy duties, the love of sin, nor an unwillingness to depart this life, may cast me into a spiritual slumber, but daily frame me more and more into the likeness of thy son Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time attain the resurrection of the just unto eternal life. Bless my family, friends and kindred unite us all in praising and glorifying thee in all our works begun, continued, and ended, when we shall come to make our last account before thee blessed Saviour…Hat tip to Thus saith the Lord blog.
Posted by Padre Steve at 11:06 AM

Medjugorje: Apparition Mountain July 1, 2010

Caritas community members left for Apparition Mountain at 11:30 p.m. the night of July 1, in order to spend the night in prayer at the Blue Cross in preparation for Our Lady’s apparition to Mirjana this morning. As they walked through the fields, the lights of Medjugorje, Apparition Mountain and an almost full moon guided their way.

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LIVE FROM MEDJUGORJE

http://medjugorje.s3.novenaweb.info/en/multimedia/live-streaming/

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This web cam on operates when things are actually going on in Medjugorje. They are six hours ahead of us.

Our Lady's message to Mirjana of July 2, 2010

“Dear children, my Motherly call, which I direct to you today, is a call of truth and life. My Son, who is Life, loves you and knows you in truth. To come to know and to love yourself, you must come to know my Son; to come to know and to love others, you must see my Son in them. Therefore, my children, pray, pray, that you may comprehend and surrender with a spirit that is free, be completely transformed and, in this way, may have the Kingdom of Heaven in your heart on earth. Thank you!”

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*Mirjana relayed after the apparition the following: “Our Lady blessed us all and all our religious articles and in a special way Our Lady blessed all Priests.”

LIVE FROM MEDJUGORJE http://medjugorje.s3.novenaweb.info/en/multimedia/live-streaming/