Saturday, February 28, 2015

Spiritual Gems-Divine Antidote: Flame of Love Grace, Triumph of Mary-February 28, 2015

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Divine Antidote: The Flame of Love Grace,  the Triumph of Mary and the New Pentecost

For today’s Gem, I am asking you to go to www.divineantidote.wordpress.com to sign up to read a new blog we are doing to help all Catholics (and Christians of good will) to understand and implement God’s Plan for His Mother and her Immaculate Heart, especially the Flame of Love Grace, fully approved by our Church, which God so wishes to pour out on you!  The first blog post is long…quite the opposite of what we do here!!  However, it may be one of the most important insights you will ever receive from God.  We will post each week on the Flame of Love Grace,  imitating Christ by imitating His Mother and the Triumph of Mary and the New Pentecost.  Yes, there are incredible sufferings coming to draw all closer to God, but the coming era of peace will be an extraordinary time.  St. John Paul II has called it a time of the “New and Divine Holiness” where “Christ will be the heart of the world”, because where sin abounds; Grace abounds even more!

Anthony J. Mullen
610-853-9801


A Free Flame of Love book can be ordered in the US at www.flameoflove.us.

 
You can now order all of our Consecration boo​ks, in English and Spanish, and our Leaders Packages in the US on our website at www.myconsecration.orgYou can order one free copy of our traditional Montfort-style book at https://www.myconsecration.org/personal-request-form/.  You can also order “33 Days to Morning Glory” for a donation plus shipping at https://www.myconsecration.org/33-days-morning-glory-english/.  If you want more information, contact raymooney@myconsecration.org.



God Bless you and your work,
 
    Tony
     
    Anthony Mullen
    MyConsecration.org
    8 St. Albans Avenue
    Newtown Square, PA 19073
    visit us at: www.myconsecration.org

From Opus Bono Sacerdotii: I just received this from Father Tim


Work for the Good of the Priesthood

 
Deacon
 
Well, I was almost asleep when I recieved this desperate email from a priest, Father Tim:
 
"Joe, please if you can help me!  I lost another job in November because of the negative press about me on the Internet, which is all false by the way.  I am one of those numbered among the fall out from the 2002 crisis.  A longtime friend from seminary is now a bishop in another state and gave me your email address.  He said you have a good heart for helping priests and people there at the Opus Bono who may be able to help me in my current financial crisis.  This is the first time I’ve EVER had to ask for help from anyone, but I have nothing left.  It’s been ten years already since I was removed from ministry and seven years since the diocese cut me off of all financial support. 
 
I know it’s Lent and I should be happy to suffer, but I’m terrified that I may loose my apartment, which I will if I don’t get this rent paid.  I really have nowhere else to turn.  I’ve included my budget below for your consideration.
 
Humbly,
Father Tim
 
 
Current Checking Balance:                   $9.23 (It’s all I have to my name right now!)
SSI Deposit on February 28:             $606. 84
                                                       $616.07
 
Rent                                                -985.00
 
Needed March 3rd to pay rent          $368.93
 
Needed first week in March:
Cricket Phone (March 5th)               $  38.69
Xcel Energy                                        94.02 (2 overdue payments plus the new one)
IRS payment arrangement                 102.00 (Total for Feb. and Mar. payments)
State tax payments                            50.00 (Total for Feb. and Mar. payments)
Other Utilities Balance Owed              38.49
 
Bottom Line:
March 3rd Rent:                               $368.92
Other March Expenses:                     $323.20
Total Needed for Bills:                     $692.12
 
If it’s possible for me to request $900 total to keep enough in my checking account for incidental expenses and groceries, I would be very grateful.  This will help me get through March and then hopefully I will be able to find work by April’s bills.  All I can give back to you is prayer.  God bless you and those who support you, you are all Good Samaritan’s to us poor priests!"
 
Please consider helping Father Tim now, by making a tax-deductible donatio on-line at www.opusbono.org.
 
Or, mail your tax-deductible donation check to Opus Bono Sacerdotii, PO Box 663, Oxford, MI 48371.
 
If you prefer to donate by credit card over the phone, please call our offices at (313) 937-6305 USA.
 
As you can see, the need for Father Tim is desperately urgent!
 
Thank you so much for your prayers and generous, life-giving support for Father Tim!
 
Gratefully,
Joe
 
Joe Maher
Cofounder and President
Opus Bono Sacerdotii
 
Please share :)
 
Opus Bono Sacerdotii is a 501c3 non-profit organization and a GuideStar Exchange, Gold Participant.  All donations made for Father Sam are 100% tax-deductible in the USA.

St. Francis of Assisi renounces his worldly go...
St. Francis of Assisi renounces his worldly goods in a painting attributed to Giotto di Bondone. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Opus Boon Sacerdotii
P.O. Box 663, Oxford, MI 48371-0663   P 313.937.6305 

Friday, February 27, 2015

Mary TV Daily Reflection 2/27/2015

 
Pray more and speak less.     
 (c)Mary TV 2014     


J.M.J
February 27, 2015

Dear Family of Mary!

Denis and I are traveling right now to Medjugorje. Please pray for us and our team as we work together to keep Mary TV growing.

The message of February 25, 2015:

"Dear children! In this time of grace I call all of you: pray more and speak less. In prayer seek the will of God and live it according to the commandments to which God calls you. I am with you and am praying with you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

This message speaks for itself!! Our Lady wants less talk and more action, meaning prayer and the seeking of God's will in our lives. She needs us to live out her call in Medjugorje so that God's plan through us will be realized.

I know that I sometimes talk about something I have to do in order to stall. If I talk about it long enough, maybe I will have the courage to do it!! But this is not so with God's call to prayer and service. He only needs our surrender and then He will move us along, in prayer and in our work for Him.

I remember my children doing the same thing. I would give them a chore to do, and they would start entertaining me with their conversation or pelting me with a 1000 questions. They didn't really want to talk to me, they just didn't want to do the chore. I would finally have to say, "Stop talking and go do it."

Maybe Our Lady sees us, her children, doing the same thing. She has asked us to pray, pray, pray. She needs our prayers desperately for the sake of peace in the world. But we may be spending too much time gabbing about what she is asking us to do, and too little on actually doing it!

I am equally at fault here.

So, as I continue to travel today, I will try to hold my rosary and pray. I will think of all of you, and pray for you. May we all grow in our ability to hear Our Lady's call to pray and seek the will of God. No more stalling!! 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2015






"Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world."
Saint John Paul II
Be connected!
www.marytv.tv 

 

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Mary TV - February 25, 2015 Message through Marija..


    
 (c)Mary TV 2014     


J.M.J
February 25, 2015

Dear Family of Mary!

Here is the message from Our Lady for February 25, 2015, given through Marija:

"Dear children! In this time of grace I call all of you: pray more and speak less. In prayer seek the will of God and live it according to the commandments to which God calls you. I am with you and am praying with you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
Mary TV

PS. Consider this the reflection for February 26. Denis and I are on our way to Medjugorje!! God bless you all, and know we will be praying for you!




"Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world."
Saint John Paul II
Be connected!
www.marytv.tv 


 

Mary TV Daily Reflection 2/25/2015

      
 (c)Mary TV 2014     


J.M.J
February 25, 2014

Dear Family of Mary!

"Dear children! Today again I am calling you to prayer of complete surrender to God. You know that I love you and am coming here out of love so I could show you the path to peace and salvation for your souls. I want you to obey me and not permit Satan to seduce you. Dear children, Satan is very strong and, therefore, I ask you to dedicate your prayers to me so that those who are under his influence can be saved. Give witness by your life. Sacrifice your lives for the salvation of the world. I am with you, and I am grateful to you, but in heaven you shall receive the Father's reward which He has promised to you. Therefore, dear children, do not be afraid. If you pray, Satan cannot injure you even a little bit because you are God's children and He is watching over you. Pray and let the rosary always be in your hand as a sign to Satan that you belong to me. Thank you for having responded to my call."  February 25, 1988 

We are spending this week on the main message of prayer. We could spend a year on this topic alone, and not exhaust what Our Lady has said about prayer. But we have just four more days! I have chosen the message above because it says so much about prayer. There are several aspects that we can reflect upon:

"Dear children! Today again I am calling you to prayer of complete surrender to God."

Our Lady understands the prayer of surrender. This was her life: "Be it done unto me according to your word." Fr. Dolindo has helped us to understand what surrender is: "Jesus, I surrender myself to you. Take care of everything." St. Faustina has given us the great prayer of surrender: "Jesus, I trust in you." These three short prayers say so much. We could alternate saying all three during the day and we would begin to live surrender. Surrender is so sweet, so full of peace that once we have learned it, we will never want to go back to our independence and self-sufficiency.

"Dear children, Satan is very strong and, therefore, I ask you to dedicate your prayers to me so that those who are under his influence can be saved."

This is the prayer of intercession. Our Lady begs us to intercede with her for the salvation of the souls who are under the power and influence of Satan. This prayer may seem hopeless to us. When has my prayer actually helped anyone to convert and believe? But the key is that Our Lady asks us to dedicate our prayer to her. Our prayers by themselves may be weak and ineffectual, but when they are given over to Our Lady, they gain inestimable value. She combines all of our prayers in her heart, and offers them to Jesus, who offers them to the Father. So much can be changed by these prayers. Think of Lupanto or Vienna. These battles were won by the powerful intercession of God's children, praying the Rosary together all over Europe. Are we not in the same situation today? Giving our prayers to Mary may indeed turn the tide of war!

"If you pray, Satan cannot injure you even a little bit because you are God's children and He is watching over you. Pray and let the rosary always be in your hand as a sign to Satan that you belong to me."

Finally, we may feel worried about the enemy and his war machine. How can we stand against such power? Our Lady makes it clear that we should not fear. "Pray and let the Rosary always be in your hand as a sign to Satan that you belong to me." Our Lady has incredible power over the enemy. She is the Queen of Heaven and Earth. That means that Satan is trumped by her power, and His hold over earth is waning. Her presence sends him fleeing. To pray the Rosary is to defeat the enemy. This is our task in these days. We are the army of prayer warriors who will help Our Lady to free her children from all evil. How can we refuse her?

So our prayer is not just a private affair, in which we somehow get ourselves into heaven. No, our prayer is the battle plan from heaven that is going to free all God's children from the enemy and bring Christ's Kingdom to earth!

"Give witness by your life. Sacrifice your lives for the salvation of the world. I am with you, and I am grateful to you, but in heaven you shall receive the Father's reward which He has promised to you."

These are words spoken to soldiers as they enter the battle field. They are words spoken to us by our valiant Queen. Let us not hold back.

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2015






"Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world."
Saint John Paul II
Be connected!
www.marytv.tv 

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Mary TV Daily Reflection 2/24/2015 - A message through Ivan on February 23


 

Ivan Dragicevic encounters Our Lady at the Blue Cross  
 (c)Mary TV 2015     


J.M.J
February 24, 2015

Dear Family of Mary!

On February 23, 2015, Ivan Dragicevic met with his prayer group at the Blue Cross and Our Lady gave a message. Here is Ivan's account of his meeting with Our Lady and the message:

After the meeting with Our Lady on Apparition Hill on Monday night, the 23rd of February, Ivan said:

Also today, as every day after the meeting with Our Lady, I would like to describe tonight's meeting to you. Also tonight, Our Lady came to us very joyful and happy, and as always at the beginning she greeted all of us with her motherly greeting, "Praised be Jesus, my dear children."

After that Our Lady extended her arms over us here and prayed over all of us for a while. She especially prayed over the sick who are present here.

After that Our Lady said, "My dear children, my little children, also today I desire to call you in this time of grace which is coming, pray more in your families. Renew prayer in your families. Especially pray, dear children, with the children. Pray, dear children, for my intentions, for my plans which I desire to realize by my coming here. Especially pray for my plans of peace. The Mother prays together with you and is always near you. So decide, decide to pray more. Thank you dear children for also today having responded to my call."

After that Our Lady blessed all of us with her motherly blessing and blessed everything you brought to be blessed. As always, so today, I recommended all of you, all of your needs, your intentions, your families and in a special way, the sick. Then Our Lady continued to pray here with her arms extended over all of you. And in that prayer she left in an illuminated sign of the Cross, with the greeting, "Go in peace, my dear children."

This would be what is the most important, set apart from tonight's meeting.

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
Mary TV

PS. We are reviewing Our Lady's messages on prayer this week. It seems she wanted to give us a new one on exactly that topic!!





"Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world."
Saint John Paul II
Be connected!
www.marytv.tv


 

Monday, February 23, 2015

Our Lady of America Newsletter 2015-02-23

Our Lady of America Newsletter
February 23, 2015,
Celebrating The Chair of Peter:

Thirty Days of Prayer for Pope Francis and the United States Catholic Bishops to Act Approvingly on the Devotion to Our Lady of America
Beginning tomorrow, the Feast of Saint Polycarp, February 24, and ending on the Feast of The Annunciation of The Lord by The Angel Gabriel to The Blessed Virgin Mary, please join in daily prayer of The Holy Rosary before The Most Blessed Sacrament (whenever possible) that Pope Francis and at least a majority of the United States Catholic Bishops will make a solemn commitment to the devotion to Our Lady of America, including the Solemn Procession and Placement of Her statue into the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at Washington. Also, please pray for the success of “The 24 Hours for the Lord” initiative of Pope Francis for Prayer of Eucharistic Adoration and Confession on March 13-14, 2015: Pontifical Council for the Promoting of the New Evangelization – 24 Hours for The Lord .
By The Holy & Immaculate Conception, O Mary, deliver us from evil!
Our Lady of America Newsletter June, 19 2012
B.V.M. Our Lady of America
C/O Langsenkamp Family Apostolate
9100 Purdue Rd #400
Indianapolis, IN 46268-1180
B.V.M. Our Lady of America is a not-for-profit activity of the BVM Foundation, Inc. Batesville, IN 47006
BVM Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation.
Copyright 2014 Langsenkamp Family Apostolate and the B.V.M. Foundation
www.OurLadyofAmerica.org

[Warning: Graphic Photos} ISIS IS KILLING CHRISTIAN CHILDREN.

I received this a few minutes ago:

Subject:  YOUR PRAYERS ARE THE NEED OF THE HOUR
Tough to watch but please pray for the people and that, from somewhere, a world leader will emerge.
Some of the worst murderers we have seen in this world since the Nazi death camps. Maybe worse.
YOUR PRAYERS ARE THE NEED OF THE HOUR
PLEASE LOOK AT THESE PICTURES.  ISIS IS KILLING CHRISTIAN CHILDREN.  ONE WAS CRUCIFIED. PLEASE PRAY.
Be sure to see the 4 photos below. The whole world needs to see what kind of people these ISIS terrorists are.

  
  

  
Here is an urgent prayer request for all of us!!
She asked that it be forwarded ASAP to as many people possible:
Dear Friend: Just a few minutes ago, I received the following text message on my phone, from Sean Malone who leads Crisis Relief International (CRI), We spoke briefly on the phone, and I assured him that we would share this urgent prayer need with all our contacts.
We lost the city of Queragosh. It fell to ISIS and they are beheading children systematically. This is the city we have been smuggling food to. ISIS has pushed back Kurdish Forces, and is within 10 minutes of where our CRI team is working. Thousands more fled into the city of Erbil last night. The UN evacuated its staff in Erbil. Our team is unmoved and will stay. Prayer cover needed!!!.
Please pray sincerely for the deliverance of people of northern Iraq from the terrible advancement of ISIS and its extreme Islamic goals for mass conversion or death for Christians in this area.
May I plead with you not to ignore this.  We need to stand in the gap for our fellow Christians.

Let us pray!

Mary TV Daily Reflection 2/23/2015 - Approach prayer actively



 (c)Mary TV 2014     


J.M.J
February 23, 2015

Dear Family of Mary!

For the next 6 weeks we are going to return to the main messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje as part of our Lenten journey. Fr. Barron has said that Lent is a time to go back to the basics. It is a time to get back to fundamentals, like spring training for the baseball teams. This is a good analogy. We want to get back to the basics of Our Lady's school, to check our priorities and habits to be sure we are responding to her call.

This week we will review the message of prayer with the heart. Prayer is the foundation to all the other messages, because without prayer we cannot do any of them. Prayer is essential to our life with God. But God has given us free will, and so we must choose to pray. We must perceive how much we need prayer, or we will never enter into prayer.

"Dear children! Today I call you to approach prayer actively. You wish to live everything I am telling you, but you are not succeeding because you are not praying. Dear children, I beseech you to open yourselves and begin to pray. Prayer will be your joy. If you make a start, it won't be boring to you because you will be praying out of joy. Thank you for having responded to my call." March 20, 1986

We have to start. That is our part of the deal with prayer. Once we start, God will meet us and bless our efforts. But the first move is ours.

"Dear children! Today also I am calling you to prayer. You know, dear children, that God grants special graces in prayer. Therefore, seek and pray in order that you may be able to comprehend all that I am giving here. I call you, dear children, to prayer with the heart. You know that without prayer you cannot comprehend all that God is planning through each one of you. Therefore, pray! I desire that through each one of you God's plan may be fulfilled, that all which God has planted in your heart may keep on growing. So pray that God's blessing may protect each one of you from all the evil that is threatening you. I bless you, dear children. Thank you for having responded to my call." April 25, 1987

God does grant special graces in prayer. They are tailor made for each of us because God knows just what we need. He will guide us as we pray into the role He has for us to play in these important times. But without prayer, we will not be any help to Him, or to Our Lady, no matter how good our intentions are.

So, today, may we resolve to enter into prayer with all our hearts, as never before. God wants to bless us and protect each one of us from all the evil that is threatening us.

Father, give us the grace to desire prayer. Jesus, show us how to pray. Holy Spirit inspire us in our prayer. And Mother Mary, pray with us now and at the hour of our death! Amen.

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2015







"Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world."
Saint John Paul II
Be connected!
www.marytv.tv


 

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Spiritual Gems-Promise of Love to Those Who Fast and Go to Weekday Mass-February 21, 2015

Church of Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Avranches, Ma...
Church of Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Avranches, Manche, Normandie, France. Fourteen enamel paintings, technique from Limoges, representing the Stations of the Cross (visualize from left to right, top down). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Why We Do Not Understand Suffering and Sacrifice

Suffering is an eternal gold mine.  It is a flaming dart shot by Love from the Heart of the Infinite to inflame the human heart and plunge it into the Divinity.  The Cross!  It is a dazzling scepter of the Incarnate Wisdom, the co-redeeming jewel of the Immaculate Virgin, the radiant palm of the Blessed.

If only we knew the amount of love contained in each of our crosses, we would hold this infinite treasure in such high esteem that day and night without ceasing, we would offer ardent prayers to God to obtain suffering, and rapturous prayers of thanksgiving when it was granted to us...Oh how happy is Jesus to hear one single grateful word of appreciation when He offers us a thorn from His crown or a few drops from His bitter chalice!

Look on every suffering and joy as sent directly by Jesus and your life will be an uninterrupted communion, because everything will be a sacrament sent by God.

Blessed Dina Belanger and Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity (this Gift of Wisdom and Knowledge will better help us understand the reparation for sin role God is asking of each one of us at this time.  Let us pray for the Gift of Understanding).
 

A Free Flame of Love book can be ordered in the US at www.flameoflove.us.

 
You can now order all of our Consecration boo​ks, in English and Spanish, and our Leaders Packages in the US on our website at www.myconsecration.orgYou can order one free copy of our traditional Montfort-style book at https://www.myconsecration.org/personal-request-form/.  You can also order “33 Days to Morning Glory” for a donation plus shipping at https://www.myconsecration.org/33-days-morning-glory-english/.  If you want more information, contact raymooney@myconsecration.org.



God Bless you and your work,
 
    Tony
     
    Anthony Mullen
    MyConsecration.org
    8 St. Albans Avenue
    Newtown Square, PA 19073
    visit us at: www.myconsecration.org

Friday, February 20, 2015

Mary TV Daily Reflection 2/20/2015



 (c)Mary TV 2014     


J.M.J
February 20, 2015

Dear Family of Mary!

"Dear children! I am here, I am among you. I am looking at you, am smiling at you and I love you in the way that only a mother can. Through the Holy Spirit who comes through my purity, I see your hearts and I offer them to my Son...." February 2, 2015

Here is the transcript of the Homily for Ash Wednesday at English Mass in Medjugorje. It is given by a priest from New York. Father explains so well how Our Lady's school of Medjugorje is "Lenten"! This is a good homily to reflect on at the beginning of Lent:

What a privilege we have been given, my dear brothers and sisters. Usually on Ash Wednesday I am at a big church somewhere, most recently right in the middle of Manhattan, giving out ashes and sometimes Holy Communion, to those who are more devout, to thousands of people. The parish where I help out in midtown Manhattan will probably have about ten thousand people coming in and out today. It becomes an assembly line. But we are small in number. And we are here. I have left St. Agnes, and you have left whatever situations you have back home, to come here because Our Lady has called us here. And through God's providence we are here on Ash Wednesday.

You and I, small in number, have been given this great privilege, and with it comes a responsibility. We are here not just for ourselves. We are here for all of our loved ones at home for whom we are praying, and we are here for the whole Church. The Church needs to listen.

A little while ago in our house, we prayed the morning prayers for the Divine Office. And one of the antiphons that is repeated at the very beginning of the Divine Office for Ash Wednesday and for a good part of Lent is simply, "If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts." And that is why we are here. We are here to listen to God's voice. And God speaks, God proclaims today.

The Prophet Joel: "Blow the trumpet in Zion! Proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people; notify the congregation; assemble the elders, gather the children. Let everyone come. And let the ministers of the Lord weep and say, 'Spare, O Lord, your people.'"

Blow the trumpet in Zion. Blow the trumpet in the Church. Wake up my people. That is why Our Lady has come to Medjugorje. She has come here because we have become deaf. We are not listening. We live in a world where practically speaking, so many people don't believe in God at all. But even the Church, the church where most of us come from in the United States and perhaps elsewhere, the church in so many places has become rather deaf. We have become rather deaf. We are not listening. Why? Because we are living in mediocrity in our church in the United States. And because of that, practically speaking, so many Catholics are almost atheists.

So what was the first thing Our Lady said when she came to Medjugorje? "I have come to tell you that God exists." God exists...hey remember people....God exists. And He is calling. And Our Lady is calling the Church anew to live out her vocation as the Bride of Christ. And that is why you and I are here and why you and I are here on Ash Wednesday.

Again the Prophet Joel: "Even now says the Lord, 'Return to Me with your whole heart.'" That is the message of Our Lady in a nut shell. The prophetic message that the people of God have heard from the ancient days of Israel. "Return to Me with your whole heart." That is certainly what Medjugorje is about, and what Lent is all about. "Return to Me with your whole heart."

Our Lady is asking us not to just say a few prayers, not even to just make a pilgrimage, not even to make a few good resolutions about prayer and fasting when we get back. She says, I want you, I want your whole heart.

When we look at the other apparitions of Our Lady, whether it is Lourdes or Fatima or whatever they are, Our Lady is always asking us to pray, go to confession, say the Rosary, go to Holy Communion. And she says it more and more insistently. So now in Medjugorje she is saying it over and over and over again. This is the voice of the Mother. And we are not getting it. And so she repeats it over and over again. Since 1981, she is still saying it, "Return to Me with your whole heart." That is what God is asking of each of us. Return to Me with your whole heart. Give your life to Me.

Back in the States, I am privileged to teach in our seminary. And so many of our seminarians have received their vocation somehow through a connection with Medjugorje, either coming here or being influenced by people who have been here, through reading a book or whatever. They have heard the call, and they realize it is not about being a functionary, not just saying a few prayers, but about living the life, giving one's whole self.

Most people here are not called to leave what they are doing and become priests or religious, but we are all called, no matter what we are doing in our lives. Whether it is running a restaurant, running an office, teaching school or youth ministry, whatever we are doing, we are called to live our lives for Christ and do whatever we do for the Lord.

That is what makes the difference. Then the most humble of tasks, the most ordinary of tasks become salvific. And God works through us in whatever it is that we are doing. But we must listen to that call, "Return to Me with your whole heart."

Why? What is Ash Wednesday about? What is Lent about? Lent is not an end in itself. Lent is a preparation. We are looking forward to the culmination of Lent and the culmination of the whole Church year, and that is the celebration of Easter. Easter is what we are all about. St. Augustine says, we are an Easter people...and I can't say the rest because I would have to say a word that the Church says we can't say, liturgically speaking...it begins with an "A"...that word we don't say during Lent...that is our song!!! We are an Easter people. We are all about the gift of new life that God gives to us with the death and resurrection of His Son. And Lent is an invitation to enter more deeply into that life, into our celebration of Easter, which is the center of everything.

That is why we have Lent. That is why we have Medjugorje!

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son" (John 3:16). And God is calling us saying "Return to Me with your whole heart," because I give you My heart. Because I give you Myself. Here at this Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Lord gives us Himself. The sacrifice of the death and resurrection of Christ, and Our Lord feeds us with His Body and Blood, He gives us Himself. He invites us to enter into a deep relationship with Him. That relationship began for us at Baptism.

That is why you will during the season of Lent so many references to our Baptism. And at the Easter Vigil and throughout the Easter Season we rejoice in our Baptism, because Baptism means that we have died to our old selves, and God lives within us. We share in God's very own life. The Blessed Trinity has come to dwell within us. That is why God created us. That is what we are here for. That is why we have been created. That is why Medjugorje exists. That is why the Church exists. The Church has got to enter into that deep relationship with Him that already exists by virtue of our Baptism.

And so Our Lady is asking us in Medjugorje, the Church is asking us during the season of Lent, as St. Paul says, to stir up the Spirit that has been given to us. To allow God to enter us deeply and to fill us with His glorious presence. That is why we are here in Medjugorje. That is why we fast and do all the other things that Our Lady is asking us. It is a time of conversion. Lent is a time of conversion. Our time here in Medjugorje is a time of conversion. The Lord is offering us tremendous, tremendous graces.

Medjugorje is such a tremendous gift to the Church. But Medjugorje itself leads to the greatest of all gifts that the Lord has given to us, the gift into which we are entering right now in this Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Lord is saying to us, "Come to Me. Come to Me now. Let Me forgive your sins now. Let Me fill you with My life, with My grace, with My love now." Let's not wait another moment.

Let's make a resolution now, as St. Paul asks us to do in the second reading today. He quotes the Lord, saying, "In the acceptable time I heard you. On the day of salvation I helped you." The Lord is coming to us to give us the gift of His grace, of His salvation, but it is now. St. Paul goes on to say to us...he says it about our pilgrimage to Medjugorje, about Lent, about God's relationship to us right now...He is saying, "Behold, now is a very acceptable time, behold now is the day of salvation."


In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2015





"Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world."
Saint John Paul II
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