Mary TV Daily Reflection 8/30/2011

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August 30, 2011

 

Dear Family of Mary!

 

"Dear children! Today I call you to pray and fast for my intentions, because Satan wants to destroy my plan. Here I began with this parish and invited the entire world. Many have responded, but there is an enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call. Therefore, you who have said 'yes', be strong and resolute. Thank you for having responded to my call." (August 25, 2011)

 

"Many have responded, but there is an enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call." 

I believe that we were all stunned by these words from Our Lady. We all know that it is true. Over the years we have all encountered family members, parishioners, pastors, bishops, neighbors, coworkers, etc., who have heard of Medjugorje, and yet have shown no interest in it at all. We have given our witness, shared our hearts with people who have listened and then walked away. We have even experienced opposition to the messages. Some very passionate people have insisted that Medjugorje is evil. It is true, the majority of Catholics are not responding to Our Lady of Medjugorje.

 

Yes, there are a few millions of us who are trying to live the messages. But there are about 1.18 billion Catholics in the world. We who are responding to Our Lady's call are a very small number in comparison, a very small number indeed - maybe less than 3 percent?

 

But God has never relied on numbers when he deploys a plan. Consider Gideon and the Midianites. In Judges 6 and 7, Gideon is called by God to defeat the Midianites who are despoiling God's people, year after year. Gideon calls the men of Israel to come and fight with him. Gideon gathers about 32,000 men to fight. It says in Judges 7:

 

Then Jerubba'al (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Mid'ian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. The LORD said to Gideon, "The people with you are too many for me to give the Mid'ianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, `My own hand has delivered me.' Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, `Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home.'" And Gideon tested them; twenty-two thousand returned, and ten thousand remained.

 

And the LORD said to Gideon, "The people are still too many; take them down to the water and I will test them for you there; and he of whom I say to you, `This man shall go with you,' shall go with you; and any of whom I say to you, `This man shall not go with you,' shall not go." So he brought the people down to the water; and the LORD said to Gideon, "Every one that laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself; likewise every one that kneels down to drink." And the number of those that lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. And the LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will deliver you, and give the Mid'ianites into your hand; and let all the others go every man to his home." So he took the jars of the people from their hands, and their trumpets; and he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men; and the camp of Mid'ian was below him in the valley. That same night the LORD said to him, "Arise, go down against the camp; for I have given it into your hand....

 

And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. And he said to them, "Look at me, and do likewise; when I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and shout, `For the LORD and for Gideon.'" So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars, holding in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow; and they cried, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" They stood every man in his place round about the camp, and all the army ran; they cried out and fled. When they blew the three hundred trumpets, the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow and against all the army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shit'tah toward Zer'erah, as far as the border of A'bel-meho'lah, by Tabbath. And the men of Israel were called out from Naph'tali and from Asher and from all Manas'seh, and they pursued after Mid'ian. (Judges 7: 1-9, 16-24)

 

As you can see, God whittled down the Israelite army from 32,000 to 300 before He sent them into battle. That is less than 1 percent of the initial army, and yet it was all God needed. The battle was the Lord's. It only took valiant hearts that were obedient and abandoned to the Lord. They trusted in the Lord enough to go and meet Midian with clay pots and horns and torches! That must have seemed crazy! But it worked!

 

We may be a small, even insignificant number, those of us who are responding to 

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Our Lady's call. We may be a speck on the demographic chart, but that doesn't matter so much. It isn't our strength or our numbers that counts; it is our abandonment to the Lord and His plan. We have the Queen of Heaven as our leader. She is a sight better than Gideon. And she is with us!

 

We have only to pray and fast for her intentions, and watch as the Lord wins the battle for souls.

 

"Therefore, you who have said 'yes', be strong and resolute."

 

In Jesus and Mary!
Cathy Nolan

©Mary TV 2011

 

www.marytv.tv 

 

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Saint Jeanne Jugan [Video]

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Excluding prayer from 9/11 memorial compounds the tragedy of that day | Ken Klukowski | Columnists | Washington Examiner

Do you remember what things were like in the hours and days following the 9/11 terrorist attacks? Evidently New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg does not.

While the smoke was still rising against a clear sky over Manhattan, Pennsylvania, and Washington, people were flooding to churches across the country and prayer groups spontaneously organized in neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces.

Days later, President Bush spoke at a national memorial service at our National Cathedral, and clergy of various faiths offered prayers in conjunction with the president’s remarks. And a televised interfaith service was held in New York City, attended by thousands.

Yet on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, Bloomberg has decreed that clergy will be excluded from the 9/11 memorial ceremony. Bloomberg—who has a record of hostility toward social-conservative issues – especially Christian issues – says the memorial schedule is too busy to allow prayer.

Public prayer has been a staple of public events since before the founding of America and the adoption of our Constitution. When the Supreme Court in 1983 upheld prayer invocations at the opening of governmental assemblies, the Court noted that the same week the First Congress proposed the Bill of Rights—including the Establishment Clause prohibiting an official national religion—it passed bills to hire paid chaplains to offer daily prayers and spiritual guidance.

Such prayers and guidance are especially important, not to mention comforting, in moments of grief and sadness. Think, for example, of Psalm 46, which begins, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”

Moments like 9/11 remind us of the frailty of human life. None of us knows what tomorrow will bring. In tragedy, we are reminded to treasure what is truly important, and to contemplate the most profound issues of existence and eternity.

We turn in such moments to those whose calling is to study and teach these issues. Far from a crutch for the weak-minded, this calls for the strength to turn off the TV and iPod to contemplate those sobering realities.

That is why those who teach the things of God participate in public memorials. Far beyond some sort of meaningless ritual or custom, public prayer both solemnizes these occasions and shines the light of sacred and eternal truths on our temporal lives here on earth.

Bloomberg’s sad exclusion of all prayer and clergy from the 9/11 ceremony is also illustrative of something much broader: political correctness increasingly means intolerance and exclusion of Christians from public life in our society. We see this in bans on prayer at veterans’ funerals in Houston, as well as in criticism of Governor Rick Perry’s day of prayer event.

Ironically, this is what the 9/11 terrorists – jihadists completely intolerant of others’ beliefs – were seeking. And America’s deep, vibrant faith stands against all this. For all these reasons, leaders of our historic faiths must be prominent in any 9/11 memorial service.

Examiner legal contributor Ken Klukowski is director of the Center for Religious Liberty at the Family Research Council and coauthor of Resurgent: How Constitutional Conservatism Can Save America.

via washingtonexaminer.com

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Converts

Dear Friend in Christ,

Dwindling numbers in the Church are contributing to a very real crisis in America.  Please watch this episode of The Vortex from Rome and pass it along to as many friends and family as possible.

GOD Bless you and your loved ones,

Michael Voris
~senior executive producer at RealCatholicTV.com

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MEDITATION: ALWAYS LOOK UPWARD FOCUSING ON WHAT'S FAR BEYOND THE DARKNESS OF CLOUDS

Check out this website I found at spiritdaily.com

Look in the late summer sky at the clouds as they pass and note the different kinds and also how we must always focus on the sky behind them and especially after storms.

Too often, the sky is obscured; sometimes, we can't help it; there are nothing but clouds.

Yet, more often we make the mistake of focusing on a cloud and lose sight of the greater reality behind (and above) it.

Clouds always move on. Don't follow them. Keep your eyes on the same place. Give your cares and worries to the Blessed Mother -- place them in her hands. It is in this way that you transcend the clouds. It is in this way too that you "pierce" them. When we pray from the heart, a beam of light shoots from us through all obstacles.

Read more here: http://www.spiritdaily.com/clouds.htm

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Fasting is Your Ammunition

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August 29, 2011 A.D.

Our Lady of Medjugorje just recently told us on August 25, 2011:

 

“…Today I call you to pray and fast for my intentions, because satan wants to destroy my plan…”

What does fasting do for us? Through what is written below, taken from the FASTING booklet, by a Friend of Medjugorje, one can easily see not only the good of fasting, but also the harm of not fasting.

Fasting is Your Ammunition

By A Friend of Medjugorje

A Caritas Community child eating a piece fo bread on a fast day. The Caritas Community children are taught the tradition of having a love for bread. Jesus taught us to pray to the Father, "Give this day our daily bread." Fasting should not just be an action that is done twice a week, fasting should become a way of life.

Fasting is the cause of so much good, that as Christians, not to use it would be like having weapons without ammunition. Prayer is the cannon; fasting is the cannon ball; love is the powder, once fired, which sends it. It may seem odd or hard to accept speaking of prayer, fasting, and love in this way, but all of the following are the exact terminology Our Lady has used in Her messages, especially in regard to satan:

“conquer, protect, defend, advance, retreat, attack, guard, armor, battle, defeat, struggle, surrender, drive off, time of battle with satan.”

These, along with many other words, are clear messages that we are in battle, and fasting is your ammunition.

St. John Vianney was hated most by the devil because of his fasting and fasting from sleep. We are in a great battle and the weapons we have, such as the Rosary, becomes much more powerful coupled with fasting.

August 8, 1985

“Dear children, today I call you especially now to advance against satan by means of prayer. satan wants to work still more now that you know he is at work. Dear children, put on the armor for battle and with the Rosary in your hand, defeat him! Thank you for having responded to my call.”

You, as an individual, have the power to alter and impact the world. It is a mistake to underestimate the good you bring into the world through your fasting and prayer. It is time, in this special time, to bring it back into the Church; for priests to encourage it; for bishops to preach of it; for them to give examples and witness themselves by doing it. It is to spread over the whole Church and with it will spread the mantle of Our Lady to protect them in leading us, through the Church, into the new time Our Lady announced on Her Fourteenth Anniversary.

June 25, 1995

“Dear children, today I am happy to see you in such great numbers, that you have responded and have come to live my messages. I invite you, little children, to be my joyful carriers of peace in this troubled world. Pray for peace so that as soon as possible a time of peace, which my heart waits impatiently for, may reign…”

Start the next Wednesday or Friday and watch your life and those around you being to change. God bless you.

From “Fasting” available
as a free download

  

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You are the Living Church

 

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Homily given on August 20, 2011 by Fr. Simon Broughton from England

There was a young priest who worked so hard that he died early. He got up to the pearly gates of Heaven and St. Peter was there. Now the young priest wanted so much to go to into Heaven. St. Peter said to him, “Now before you go into Heaven, I am going to give you a piece of chalk. With this piece of chalk, I want you to write all your sins on all the stairs that you walked on to come to Heaven.” “Oh dear,” thought the young priest, but he said, “If it gets me to Heaven, I’ll do it. No problem.” So the young priest starts writing each sin that he has committed on the steps and he got carried away with it. And then he noticed the old priest he was with – a monsignor. And he said, “Monsignor, what are you doing here?” He said, “I’m going for more chalk.” (laughter) 
 

When we come to Medjugorje, we are in need of so much chalk to write down to our Heavenly Father everything we need, not only our sinfulness, but all our family needs, our difficulties, everything. Our Lady understands. She understands everything that you are going through and what you are going to go through. Last night I walked the mountain with my mom and my brother, and it is strange that Gospel* I chose, I didn’t know mum and my brother were going to come in late. The altar boy came over and said, “your mother and your brother have just come in.” (laughter) I thought, God’s word is always alive. (laughter) But Our Lady knew you were coming here. She called you here because She is your Mother. She knows that you need God so much in your own life and in your family’s lives. That is why She has asked us to join Her school – the three ‘r’s. Not reading, writing, and arithmetic, but to “respond” to God’s message, to begin again to “relive”the life with God, and to “rebuild” His Church. 
 

Who is the Church today? You are the Church. You are the mothers, the brothers of Jesus. You are called today to relive God’s Word and relive it because it is alive and active – to rebuild and rekindle in your life the spirit of God, to rebuild in your homes and your families God’s promise. When we do that, we will see the glory of God manifest in our lives. We have to respond like Mary’s yes to the angel. We too are called to say yes to God and to give Him everything and not to fear, to have no fear in your heart in saying yes to God, but to say yes wholeheartedly.
 

Now I am sure there are some here who have been far away from God and I say to you do not fear. Do not fear. Come close to God, because when you do, God will embrace your life. Come close to God because God wants to come close to you. We have to believe the way of the Gospel and that is very difficult in our world today because it is a call to give of yourself wholeheartedly, without reserve. To give yourself to the Almighty and to realize you and I are children of God, and being children of God you have nothing to fear. God promises to rebuild the Church in a time when the Church is faced with so many evils. But we overcome these evils in faith, in trust and in the grace of God. Our Lady’s Magnificat is actually a very prophetic message, especially for our time, because in the Magnificat Our Lady is saying to us that God is coming to turn the world upside down – nothing more, nothing less. Society, society wants to turn our world upside down but it is always for the wrong reason. Families are divided. Family life is destroyed. Marriages break up. People turn to alcohol, drugs, and other things in life. But Our Lady wants to bring us true hope. It is a clarion call to relive God’s Word. Our Lady shows us that God brings us hope to a broken world. Therefore, we are to trust in Him, to live God’s message. When we live His message there will be great possibilities in your life and in my life because we will continue to grow in the holiness of the spirit. I promise you the power of God will be made manifest in your life. Trust in Him. It does not matter how far you are from God, God calls you to come closer. This time for you and I is a life-changing moment because God is calling you to walk with Him on the path of life, to respond, to relive, and to rebuild His Church.
 

I spoke to you about the possibilities that God brings when we turn to Him and the power and the glory of God that is manifested in all that we do. I am going to share with you one small story. I look after four hospitals and one of them is probably the biggest hospital in the northeast of England; that is where I am from. We gathered once for Sunday Mass, and I will be honest with you, I was actually spent. I was so tired I could just about say Mass – just about, I was so tired. There was this couple, a husband and a wife, who were sitting in the front of the chapel in the hospital and they were both crying. I went over, to be honest, I was reluctant to go over. I went over to them and I asked them, “What is wrong. Why are you crying?” They said their five-year-old child had caught meningitis and their five-year-old child had now been in a coma for eight days. The doctors and nurses had said to them, “Prepare yourselves for the worst. Your daughter has not responded to any of the treatment we have given. It is only a matter of time now.” You can imagine being a mother or a father – the pain and the haunting they were going through. They weren’t Christian. They weren’t Catholic, yet they found themselves before the altar of God, asking God who they did not know, for His mercy and His love, and to help their child in their moment of need. I said to them, “In a moment we are going to celebrate the Eucharist.” I could see by the expression on their faces, they did not understand. I said to them, “To us Catholics, this is the moment we encounter God, where God is present.” I said to them, “We will pray for your child and we will pray for your family. And afterwards, can I come up to the Intensive Care Unit and we will say a little prayer for Lily.” They were delighted. “Yes, yes, please come in.” And to be honest with you, straight after the Mass I went up to the Intensive Care Unit, I could hardly walk, I was so tired. And my only prayer was, “Mary, Our Lady of Medjugorje, listen to mother and dad’s prayer. Help them.” I had a Crucifix that was blessed in the room of Apparitions and I always wear it. I took the Crucifix off and this little baby, this little child of five, she was covered because we couldn’t touch her. I immediately placed the Crucifix on top of the child and she woke up from the coma, straight away. So much so that the nurses and doctors, when they heard mom and dad crying, granny crying and the family, they thought of the worst. The nurses came over, the doctor and they could see their sadness immediately turned to joy and their fear gave way to hope as the little girl opened her arms and was fine. In fact, she was so well, she didn’t need any help whatsoever. She went home the next day.
 

God can do great things in our lives, but we have to trust in Him. We have to say yes. We have to begin to relive the way of Jesus in our lives, to listen to the Gospel and to respond wholeheartedly. You are the mothers, the brothers of Jesus. You are the living Church. You are called in our time to build God’s kingdom and not to be fearful, but to trust.

* The Gospel Father read at Mass this morning was: Now his mother and his brothers arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, 'Look, your mother and brothers are outside asking for you. He replied, 'Who are my mother and my brothers? And looking at those sitting in a circle round him, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers.

Fr. Simon Broughton celebrating Mass at St. James Church in Medjugorje on August 20, 2011.

  

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Mary TV Daily Reflection 8/29/2011

August 29, 2011

The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist

 

Dear Family of Mary!

 

"Dear children! Today I call you to pray and fast for my intentions, because Satan wants to destroy my plan. Here I began with this parish and invited the entire world. Many have responded, but there is an enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call. Therefore, you who have said 'yes', be strong and resolute. Thank you for having responded to my call." 

(August 25, 2011)

 

Our Lady was sent to Medjugorje in 1981, in order to fulfill a plan given to her by the Father for the salvation of souls. She has mentioned this plan many times in her messages. She has also mentioned many times that Satan has been trying to destroy her plan. As soon as the Father sent Our Lady to Medjugorje, Satan came, running, to oppose and destroy what she was doing. His attacks have been vicious and unrelenting. He is running scared. His grip on the world could be loosened or completely lost through Mary's Triumph.

Image via Wikipedia

 

Revelations 12 is a symbolic presentation of this struggle between Our Lady and Satan. The definitive blow to Satan came when Our Lady said "yes" to Gabriel and conceived Jesus, our Savior. At that moment, all Satan had accomplished to enslave mankind was ruined. Jesus, "[the] male child, [the] one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron" (Rev. 12:5), has defeated Satan and opened the way to heaven for all men. Because of this, it says in Revelations 12, Satan "pursued the woman who had borne the male child" (v. 13), but he failed to destroy her and so "then the dragon was angry with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus" (v. 17).

 

We are those offspring! We are the ones Satan is making war against. He can't touch Our Lady, but he still has access to us. And so he tries in every way to destroy us. If he can destroy us, he will destroy Our Lady's plan through Medjugorje. That is why she tells us to "be strong and resolute."Her plan hinges on our response to her call. In these days, we are her children, those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus.

 

How do we remain strong and resolute? I believe the answer is in the message. We must pray and fast for Our Lady's intentions. If we do that, if we pray with all our hearts for Our Lady's plan, if we fast with our hearts for her intentions, we will have done our work. We are being called to be intercessors of these last days, intercessors before God for the salvation of souls. We are a little army of prayer warriors, so small, so insignificant, that we could be overlooked. But our prayers, our continued belief, our sustained love for God and Our Lady and our trust in the Lord will turn the tide. Our Lady's plan in Medjugorje will succeed, if we stay faithful to her and pray and fast.

 

May we all say "yes"! May we remain strong and resolute!

 

In Jesus and Mary!

Cathy Nolan

©Mary TV 2011

 

PS.  If you would like to receive monthly MARY TV Updates from Denis, email your email address to: <dnolan@marytv.tv>

He sent out the following information just before Our Lady's August 25 message in which she lamented the "enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call" - A Sworn Statement Regarding an October 9, 1998 Meeting with Bishop Peric. 

(Mary TV)  http://marytv.tv/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=360:sworn-s 

 

 

www.marytv.tv 

 

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Feast of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist [Video]

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From the Friars

via franciscanfriars.com

Ray Deter, Rest in Peace

A Most Mysterious Moment of Mercy

Did you ever have an experience in which you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is real? Monday June 27, 2011, was a day that I will never forget.

Br. Jude Thaddeus and I were the only friars home at our friary in Harlem. We decided that we wanted to do something special, something out of the ordinary, go on an adventure. We started to brainstorm with various ideas. Mysteriously every idea ended up not being available. We laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation, “Finally a free day and we can’t find something to do!”

My eye caught sight of a postcard which had been on our office corkboard for months. It was advertising a new Eucharistic Adoration Chapel in New York City. We decided to go to this chapel for our evening prayers – some adventure! Mysteriously the phone number was disconnected. I called my sister to check out the listed website which – mysteriously - did not exist. We were very close to canceling our plans. As we climbed into the car I told Br. Jude that we might be going on a wild goose chase.

With map in hand I tried to locate the address of the alleged chapel. Being unfamiliar with the particular neighborhood, I suggested that we take the West Side Highway south then east on Canal Street. As we approached the intersection of West Broadway we accidentally got stuck in the left lane behind some cars which were waiting to turn left.

I told Br. Jude that we needed to get over a lane so that we could continue going straight. Br. Jude waited as a car going straight was about to pass us. As soon as it passed we moved over and started to enter the intersection. At that moment a middle-aged man on his bike ran the red light and was hit by the car right in front of us. It all happened so fast. It seemed that neither person saw each other. Within seconds I was present to the bicyclist who was lying unconscious face down in the street. In a most mysterious moment of mercy I was able to pray the words of absolution and apostolic pardon over my brother who was in his hour of need. Br. Jude was at my side praying “Jesus, mercy, Jesus, mercy.”

We are never out and about at that time of day. We are seldom in that neighborhood. I feel like we witnessed a miracle of mercy. Jesus the Good Shepherd placed us at the exact time and place needed to bring His presence to a tragic situation.

Our prayers that morning had included the following passage from St. Augustine, “Even in the midst of this life of tears and tribulations, what happiness, what great joy it is to realize that we are God’s flock! He keeps watch over us when we are awake; He keeps watch over us when we sleep. A flock belonging to a man feels secure in the care of its human shepherd; how much safer should we feel when our shepherd is God? Not only does He lead us to pasture, but He even created us.” Psalm 103 was prayed at Mass that morning, “The Lord is kind and merciful…He pardons all your iniquities, he heals all your ills. Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes.”

Ray Deter died less than a week after the accident. I do not know about his relationship with God, although he did grow up in a Catholic family. Since the accident there has been a colossal outpouring of sympathy. This bears witness that he was a great guy. He was a bar owner and beer connoisseur. I would have loved to talk over a pint, now maybe on the other side.

After the accident we found out that the adoration chapel does not exist, so we offered our evening prayers for Ray that day at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Eternal rest, grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.
Amen.

God bless you,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, Harlem, New York

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Consecration to Mary Mediatrix

Prayer of Consecration to Mary Mediatrix of All Grace

I, (state your name), a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in Your hands the vows of my Baptism; and I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works, and I give myself entirely to Your Son, Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before.

I humbly consecrate myself, my family, (my fellow members of the Confraternity), my country, the Catholic Church, especially the religious and the clergy, and the entire human race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ and to Your Immaculate Heart.

I invoke You, under the title close to Your Heart, as our Mother and Mediatrix of All Grace. Intercede and mediate for us to Christ, Your Son and Our Lord, who is All Life, All Holiness, and All Grace Himself.

Obtain for us the triumph against the evil forces that seek to destroy the family, the sacrament of marriage, and the sanctity of human life.

In the presence of the heavenly court, I choose you this day for my Mother and Queen, I deliver and consecrate to you, as your slave, my body and soul, my goods both interior and exterior and even the value of my good actions - past, present and future - leaving to you the entire and full right of disposing of me and all that belongs to me, without exception, according to your good pleasure for the greater glory of God in time and in eternity. Amen.

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"Get Behind Me, Satan!" [Video]

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Mary TV reflection: A Note from Denis Nolan

"My eyes and my heart will be here,   even when I will no longer appear."    President:  Denis Nolan  P.O. Box 899 Notre Dame, IN  46556  574-287-7875  www.marytv.tv   Mary TV is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization         August 27, 2011 Dear Mary TV family,   A year ago, after Mary TV streamed his apparitions live from Medjugorje, Ivan told us Our Lady had been pleased with how her messages had been spread and he believed it would be done that way in the future!  He said Our Lady had prayed over everyone connected through the internet the same as she had prayed over all those kneeling with him in his chapel, and when she blessed religious objects, the religious objects people connected through the internet had for her to bless were blessed the same as those placed right in front of her in his chapel!   Our Lady told Vicka during an apparition 12 years ago that MARY TV's plan to build a TV station in Medjugorje was good, but we should be patient and not be in a hurry. We could get ready slowly and she herself would tell us when to begin - she would lead the way!   She is!  Our Lady gave us one of the leading TV engineers in the world.  Tom Matasso, a technical expert for NBC, built the first all digital TV station in the US.   He is considered by many the leading technical expert on television in the Church today.  And recently Our Lady brought to MARY TV Christina Georgotas, who helped produce "Live with Regis and Kelly."  Before coming to MARY TV Christina was the Creative Producer for Kelly Ripa's New York production company.   Her video blogs from the youth festival can be seen on MARY TV's web page. *   We've been asked to return to Vienna this coming November 17th to stream Ivan's apparition and Cardinal Schoenborn's homily in St. Stephens Cathedral during an evening of prayer celebrating 30 years of apparitions. We hope to be streaming also in Spanish.  Mark your calendar (and tell your friends)!  Nearly half a million people were present for Ivan and Marija's apparitions through MARY TV's streaming from the Cathedral last September.  Milona von Habsburg has again offered to be our translator.   After filming Ivan's apparitions in Medjugorje recently I told him I thought it was time MARY TV began streaming his apparitions every day - live - to the world! Though our building in Medjugorje is finished (see picture below), three of the four TV studios still need to be completed.  In the future we will be able to send everything we're now sending to computers through the internet to TV stations for broadcasting around the world!   Help us give this gift to Our Lady!     Years ago Jelena confirmed to me that one day Our Lady told her that Satan had offered to give back to God the rest of the world in exchange for Medjugorje.  He is terrified of God's plan unfolding there.  Twenty Seven years ago Blessed John Paul ll said, "Medjugorje is the continuation and fulfillment of Fatima."  What could be the fulfillment of Fatima?  "Nevertheless in the end my Immaculate Heart will Triumph."  Medjugorje represents the last battle.   Two days ago our Mother called to us: "Dear children! Today I call you to pray andfast for my intentions, because Satan wants to destroy my plan. Here I began with this parish and invited the entire world. Many have responded, but there is an enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call. Therefore, you who have said 'yes', be strong and resolute. Thank you for having responded to my call" (August 25, 2011).   It is only your monthly donations that allow us to continue.  Please keep them up.  Help us spread Our Lady's urgent call to the world!  Mail you check to:  Mary TV, PO Box 899, Notre Dame, IN  46556. (And you can also donate on our web page (www.marytv.tv>) through PayPal. )   God bless you!   Denis   PS.  The following is of particular interest in light of Our Lady's message today - lamenting the "enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call." I held back for many years from publishing this testimony (link below), hoping Major-General Prendergast would soften his language...but he wouldn't change a word because, he said, what he had written was the truth....   -- Sworn Statement Regarding an October 9, 1998 Meeting with BishopPeric. (Mary TV)  http://marytv.tv/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=360:sworn-statement-regarding-an-october-9-1998-meeting-with-bishop peric&catid=8:denis-blog&Itemid=21      * I've learned from her mother that Christina, who has been praying the rosary with us over the internet for the past 12 months, refers to Cathy and me as "the Regis and Kelly of the Marian world!" Cathy says, "The Red Green Show of the Marian world" would be more like it!  You can join us live at 10:00 am EDT at <www.marytv.tv > (though the rosary can also be prayed with us at anytime during the day in the Rosary Archives. Every day we consecrate the internet to Our Lady of Medjugorje!

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These Stone Walls on EWTN

 Bill Donohue, President of the Catholic League for Religious & Civil Rights appeared Thursday night on "The World Over" with Raymond Arroyo on EWTN, he presented the Catholic League's Report on SNAP and discussed These Stone Walls.  You might want to hear it for yourself.  Here is the link:

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Priests Must Be Obedient to Church’s Precepts

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Priests Must Be Obedient to Church’s Precepts Pope Benedict: Priests Must Live Saintly Lives, Obey Church Rules Including Celibacy Pope Benedict said Saturday Roman Catholic priests must live saintly lives and men should only enter the priesthood if they were convinced they could live by all the Church’s rules, including celibacy. On the third day of a visit that has been marked by protests, the pope celebrated Mass for some 4,500 seminarians training for the priesthood in Madrid’s La Almudena cathedral. “We have to be saints so as not to create a contradiction between the sign that we are and the reality that we wish to signify,” he said in a sermon as part of activities of the Church’s World Youth Day. He said priests must understand their “decision to live in celibacy for the kingdom of heaven,” adding that men should approach the priesthood only “if you are completely determined to exercise it in obedience to the Church’s precepts.”

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Saint Monica [Video]

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Do you still have to attend Mass during a hurricane?

via patheos.com

A friend from my parish called, wondering if there was any policy about Mass and bad weather, or if any of the three dioceses in our region had issued a statement on Hurricane Irene.

Here’s what I found. All three have statements on their websites from their respective bishops.

From Nicholas DiMarzio in Brooklyn:

“In light of the serious threat posed by Hurricane Irene, which is due to hit our area over the weekend, I urge the faithful of the Diocese of Brooklyn to use caution and prepare for this dangerous storm.

It goes without saying that for those areas of the Diocese under mandatory evacuation, the obligation to attend Mass this Sunday has been lifted, as well as for those areas where travel is considered dangerous due to weather conditions, age, or infirmity. The Sunday obligation remains in place for all those who can reasonably attend services this weekend.

Above all else, please exercise common sense and caution as we encounter the effects of Hurricane Irene. Please join me in praying to the Lord that all human life will be spared the worst effects of this natural occurrence.”

From William Murphy, in Rockville Centre on Long Island:

“We are all united in prayer for all those who have suffered through this storm already and we pray through the intercession of Mary, our Blessed Mother and Saint Agnes our patroness, in asking God’s protection over all of us, our families and all those who stand in the path of the storm.”

The statement adds:

Parishioners should understand that parish Mass schedules may need to be adjusted and Mass times cancelled due to the storm. Parishioners may consider attending the Saturday evening anticipatory Mass.

If the storm eventuates as predicted, we must all exercise prudence in making the decision to attend Mass during the height of the storm on Sunday morning. Catholics are encouraged to stay home if their trip to Church might place themselves, their families and others at risk. We do hope to broadcast the Mass from Saint Agnes Cathedral on Telecare (Cablevision Channel 29/Verizon FiOS 296) on Sunday at the usual times of 11:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M.

While at home, Catholics are encouraged to use the time to reflect on the readings and Gospel for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary time.

And from Archbishop Timothy Dolan in New York:

“With all of our friends and neighbors here in the community we love, we in the Catholic family are united in prayer for protection from the impending storm, and eager to offer refuge and help to those who may be endangered or harmed.

Catholics take Sunday mass very seriously, but the Church never asks us to risk our health or safety to get to church on the Lord’s Day. Please be careful! Do not take any chance with your safety and health if things get dangerous.

Our extensive network of parishes, schools, Catholic Charities, health care institutions, and residential facilities are cooperating fully with our public safety officials, and stand ready to assist in all efforts of outreach and help.”

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World Youth Day Video!

	I've just returned from World Youth Day in Madrid, a gathering of roughly a million and a half young Catholics around Pope Benedict XVI. It was one of the most thrilling weeks of my life. Friends back in this country told me there was very little coverage in the mainstream media here (take a look at my most recent column to get my take on why that was the case), but I can assure you that World Youth Day 2011 was a rousing affirmation of the enduring power of the Catholic Church and its message of salvation. But it also spoke a deeply encouraging word to our ministry. I gave a series of five presentations at World Youth Day, including a screening of one of our episodes of CATHOLICISM in both English and Spanish, and I brought with me a group of five from our Word On Fire team. From the moment we appeared in the 20,000 seat arena for English-speaking pilgrims until the moment we left, we were mobbed by young people from all over the world: Americans, Canadians, Filipinos, British, Dutch, Nigerians, Chinese, etc. Time and again, in their various accents, they told us how much they appreciate the YouTube videos, podcasts, and sermons. And almost to a person, they knew about the CATHOLICISM film series and were looking forward to its broadcast. This shows the extraordinary power of the internet and the new media to bring the message of Christ twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, all over the world. After my last presentation, I spoke individually to enthusiastic kids for about half an hour. Mind you, I'm saying all of this not to show off, but to let all of you know - you who have done so much to support us over the years - that Word On Fire has had a significant impact, especially on the next generation. And for this, I am immensely grateful to God, to our patron saints, and to you, who have made our work possible. Peace, Fr. Robert Barron

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“He went right to Heaven”

via olpgchicago.org

Cardinal Ivan Dias reported that Pope Benedict XVI said “He went right to Heaven” on hearing the news of Fr. Gobbi’s death the day after the Memorial Mass at Collevalenza, Italy.

The following are some notes I took from Cardinal Ivan Dias’ Homily on the occasion of Fr. Gobbi’s passing from this life to eternity. The Homily was given by the Cardinal (who is the Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation of the Evangelization of Peoples) on June 30th, 2011 at a Memorial Mass of Thanksgiving during the Annual International Retreat Cenacle of the Marian Movement of Priests in Collevalenza, Italy. About 300 priests and 15 Bishops were in attendance, (see video). Fr. Gobbi’s body was present for the mass the day after his death in Milan and then returned to Northern Italy for the Funeral Mass in Dongo (Como), Italy.

“‘As Christians we believe nothing is coincidence but rather providence.’ We see providence coming from Our Lady. Yesterday was his passing and today we celebrate this first Eucharist since his death… together!

Fr. Gobbi opened his heart to Our Lady and he transmitted her messages to the world through cenacles. Personally I am a part of the Movement for nearly 40 years. When I first came to Rome, I joined a charismatic group and they had prophecies. But when I read the Blue Book I saw a simple language of the Spirit, where the Bride and the Bridegroom come together. I was a friend of Don Stefano and I received him as Nuncio of Korea or wherever I might be… he is a true priest! It is not coincidence that he is here in the middle of this retreat. God wanted him here for the 1st Mass of Thanksgiving!

We are here as spokespersons for all those who consecrate themselves to Her Immaculate Heart. We all are a mixture of human and spiritual and as human we need to lift up the heart remembering the good things Fr. Gobbi has done for us and now he can do more for us from the other side.

When I spoke to Pope Benedict XVI about the Movement, which he knows as Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, he spoke and asked about Don Stefano and tomorrow I will see the Holy Father and tell him of these events. He appreciates all those who pray for him. ( italics are my words: One of the 3 commitments of the MMP is to pray for the Pope).

Yesterday, (the day of his death) was the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul and the 60th Anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s priestly Ordination. This is not a coincidence! Today we read about the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament. This is not a coincidence!

(Saturday, the day approaching for his funeral was the 1st Saturday [Fatima] but also the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary! This is not a coincidence!)

Let us today be filled with joy for our strong and loyal friend Don Stefano!

In Korea, Our Lady cried Tears of Blood for priests to bring Jesus forth. Our priestly dignity is for God, even to the point of shedding blood. There is ferocious fighting against the priesthood and the Devil’s attacks on the priesthood. A couple of years ago at a retreat in Rome, John Paul II said regarding the need for more priests, ‘the world needs holy priests, not just numbers, otherwise we will have quantity not quality.’

Soon there will be a great clash between the forces of Good and Evil! Christians don’t even notice it, but it is coming! Therefore, let us offer this Mass for the suffrage of Don Stefano Gobbi and also in Thanks to God for his mission and to continue his message, in humble unity, which is the greatest force against the enemy! In silence now let us thank God for the gift of Don Stefano and our needs.”

The following day at dinner, Cardinal Dias called the retreat from Rome and it was relayed to us that upon sharing these events with Pope Benedict XVI, the Holy Father said “He went right to Heaven”.
http://olpgchicago.org/

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What is God's Will? [Video]

God's Will Reflection for 8/26/11 www.apostleshipofprayer.org More

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