Medjugorje, Newsletter of December 13, 2010

 

 

 

 

 

December 13, 2010

 

 

Dear children of Medjugorje, praised be Jesus and Mary!

 

1 - On December 2, Mirjana had her monthly apparition at the Blue Cross, in the presence of a smaller crowd, due to the time of year. After the apparition, she shared this message with us:

 

“Dear children! Today I am praying here with you that you may gather the strength to open your hearts and thus to become aware of the mighty love of the suffering God. Through this His love, goodness and meekness, I am also with you. I invite you for this special time of preparation to be a time of prayer, penance and conversion. My children, you need God. You cannot go forward without my Son. When you comprehend and accept this, what was promised to you will be realized. Through the Holy Spirit the Kingdom of Heaven will be born in your hearts. I am leading you to this. Thank you.”

 

2 –  To see or not to see the Child!  Among the Gospa’s faithful apostles, physicians and all kinds of specialists are found. One of them, a famous cardiologist, told us this unusual story:

A woman, 6 months pregnant, was sent to him for cardiac advice: a fetal ultrasound suggested that there was a problem with the coming baby. After expert collaboration, the Doctor confirmed the presence of a cardiac malformation in the child. But he reassured the family saying that the malformation is something quite operable, with very good results.

However, this type of heart malformation could be associated with Down syndrome in 30% of the cases. Then the couple accepted to have an amniocentesis done (biopsy of the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby), to see whether their child was Down syndrome, and to give some thought as to whether or not they should keep the baby. (We know too well how much pressure physicians put on parents to abort a child with genetic malformations.)

The “verdict” of the amniocentesis fell: the baby was unquestionably a Down syndrome child.

The couple decided to interrupt the pregnancy at 35 weeks, about 8 months. This means that, in a provoked delivery, the child is killed by a doctor before being able to come out of the maternal womb. Nowadays, the vocabulary is significant in the will to water down the terrible reality: one does not say that “the life of a human being is condemned to die”, one talks about a “bad pregnancy” and affirms that the best solution for everyone is “to stop it and make another one”.

In this case, many people who believe in the power of prayer began praying fervently so that the child, a creature of God, would have the chance to be born. 

“D-Day” came for the mother to let her baby die. The day before, our friends called her to ask how she was doing.  There was no changing their minds, the couple was determined to interrupt the pregnancy, and the mother was to be admitted to the hospital at 7 am the next day. Our friends, broken-hearted by the decision, continued to pray.

Indeed, their prayers were said not in vain.  The next day, around 3:00 am, the mother suddenly had very close contractions and, in less than an hour, she gave birth at home before being transferred to the hospital! The little one had the good idea of being born, spontaneously, a few hours before his execution! 

As the cardiologist arrived at the hospital, he found the parents astounded and overwhelmed. They were then holding their baby in their arms and tapping their foreheads saying, “We are criminals!

Yesterday we signed his execution ourselves.  We were going to kill this little baby! We are unworthy to be his parents! Doctor, please, do whatever it takes to save him!”  They kissed the little one with tears and tenderness.

Parents, isn’t your baby the same person within the womb as it is out of the womb? Why, was the little one condemned to die while he remained hidden, then when he was born, when he was visible, he had to be kept and protected at any cost? Do we need to wait until we see our baby with our own eyes and hug it with our own arms, to realize that it is a treasure, a creature of God who deserves to live?

The child, who was able to trap the trap-layers of his life, was operated and is now in good health. With his Down syndrome problem, he belongs to those who, in the middle of our agitated and materialistic world, are blinking signs. Let us not reject them! They remind us that the human heart and its huge capacity for love are more important than everything, and that on the last day, it is the innocence of the children that will win over all the destructive Goliaths who spread our sad culture of death. True greatness is on their side, and on the side of those who welcome them!

Hasn’t Jesus, the Son of God himself, told us: “Whoever receives this little one in my name, receives Me”? (Luke 9:48).

3 – Vicka is back! After almost two years out of sight because of her bad health, we were so happy to see her again these last days, beaming with joy, and hear her share Our Lady’s messages from her staircase. In fact, the pilgrims present for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8) were able to meet her and also profit from her blessing (see photo).

Vicka was not idle during her long absence! The physical and moral sufferings she endured were offered for each one of us with enthusiasm. The Gospa told her once in the 80s, “Rare are the people who have understood the great value of suffering, when it is offered to Jesus!” Sometimes Vicka expresses beautiful insights: “Suffering cannot be explained. Suffering may only be lived in one’s own heart. When the Lord gives us suffering, a cross, it is truly a great gift that he gives us. We often think, ‘How can illness be a gift?’ But it is a great gift! Only God knows why he makes that gift, and he alone knows why he takes it away at a particular time. But we are free to decide: am I ready to accept this gift?

There are different kinds of sufferings: there is the suffering given by God, and the suffering that we create ourselves. They do not have the same value.

Vicka reiterated: “When you smile in spite of pain, it is because you accepted it and you belong entirely to God. Later on, you no longer notice the pain, but feel joy. Since you suffer with joy, there is no more tension. But this joy does not come from outside, it comes from inside of you, from your heart. I feel such strong joy that I want to do more for the Blessed Mother!”

4 - A new birth for France? French people are wondering about the future of our country! But as Father Jozo underlined, “don’t expect salvation from your politicians. The resurrection of a country depends on the prayer of its people!” In France like elsewhere, we have lost the peace of God when we said, “We do not have the time to pray”, or when we remained silent in front of ungodly initiatives, leading to evict Christ out of our territory. A very simple initiative was taken by a group of Christians: launch a national novena of prayer for Christmas, to ask for and obtain a new birth for France. Let us be one of many to join this novena (even for non-French people, as we are your elder sister in the Church, don’t forget!)  Let us pray with fervor and make all those who care for France pray! Thank you! You’ll find this novena at the link below, but you may choose another one in your own language: http://www.neuvaine-france.fr/neuvaine.html

 5 – Child Jesus is waiting for us at the manger!

Child Jesus is still hidden in the womb of Mary during Advent, but He hopes to find a warm welcome and be able to rest in our hearts - His little mangers of today.  “Dear children”, Our Lady says.  “I wish my little Jesus to be born in your hearts!”  She asks that we gather every day for family prayer in front of the manger prepared as early as the beginning of Advent.

In a conversation with a young Vietnamese, Marcel Van (who is on the way to Beatification), Child Jesus said that he was cold when he was born in the stable in Bethlehem. But we are able to warm Him up! Not only through prayer, but also by very simple acts that testify of our love because, as He said in the Gospel, “Everything that you do to the littlest of mine, you do it to me.”

Here is a famous dialogue between Jesus and Van, during the third Mass of Christmas 1945, in which the little Flower (of Lisieux) takes part.  Van notices that Jesus is very beautiful, and he asks Him, “O Jesus, who dressed you with such beautiful clothes? And who made these beautiful clothes for you?”

Jesus : Marcel, you tell me that I was beautifully dressed ? And who could have dressed me so beautifully if not you Marcel?

Marcel : But Jesus, I never learned how to make you clothes.

 

Jesus : Then, Marcel, ask your sister Teresa to see who dressed me so well, by getting me such magnificent clothes.

 

Marcel : Sister Teresa, didn’t Mary make these clothes for Jesus?

 

Teresa : These clothes, neither Mary made them, nor me. So guess who it may be… But, it is you, little brother! As for me, I only helped you to make them, and you dressed Jesus with them yourself.

 

Marcel : What could I have done to make these nice clothes?

 

Teresa :  First, my dear little brother, let me give you a kiss. And now here is my answer. Listen to me carefully. Each one of the sighs that you let out through the sufferings endured during the last weeks, each one of these sighs was enough to make a wool strand or a flower; so I used these strands of wool that you were weaving everyday with your sufferings, like the flowers that you were picking, to knit these beautiful clothes for Jesus. Do you understand little brother? And does it make you happy to see Jesus with such beautiful clothes? If today Jesus’s clothes are already so beautiful, they are going to be even more beautiful on the day of your union with Him. Where is the beauty going to come from, you need not worry about it. Now that Jesus gives you His kisses, first think of staying joyful and push away every thought of sadness and disgust. (Marcel Van, Colloques p.98, Preface from Cardinal Schoenborn, Ed. Saint-Paul)

 

 

Merry and Holy Christmas to all of you!

 

Dearest Gospa, you are the Morning Star that announces the new dawn!

We turn our look toward you, and we see Life! 

 

                                                                                                                    Sister Emmanuel + 

(Translated from French)

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Nota Bene: Receive a Saint for 2011! Create a new family tradition!  Check out our website today for our list of saints at www.childrenofmedjugorje.com.  You may remember from the book ‘Medjugorje, The Triumph of the Heart’ ('Medjugorje, The 90's', chapter of "Oct. 1994)  For your Christmas and New Years family gatherings, cut out their names, place them in a basket and let your dear ones pick up one!  These saints are a special companion for us; they also give us a mission for the New Year. The drawing of Saints for the New Year was already a tradition at St. Faustina’s Convent! (See § 359 of her Diary).

 

PS 1 – Children of Medjugorje Inc needs your help!  Please consider supporting our ministry in prayer and, if possible, through financial contributions so that we may be able to continue spreading the messages of Our Lady to the English-speaking world.  If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to help support and sustain our work, please donate through this link on our secure online store or send an email to pray@childrenofmedjugorje.com. Your generosity is deeply appreciated!  Thank you!

 

PS 2 - Sister Emmanuel’s latest teachings –the Educational Series from St Malo- are AVAILABLE on both CD and DVD format!  Choose a single title or purchase all six *:  Take the Hand of Your Heavenly Mother; Make Your Peace With God (about Confession); Embrace Suffering As Your Way to Joy; Pray With Your Family: A Remedy for our World Today; Responding to Our Lady's Call to Holiness; Prayer Groups: Our Lady's School for Holiness. *Buy the DVD set and go on a virtual retreat with Sister Emmanuel, as experienced last fall at the Children of Medjugorje Summit Retreat in St Malo, Colorado! 

 

PS 3-  Watch Sister Emmanuel ON DEMAND, on your computer!  Go to:  www.napavalleyTV.org.  Click on "Video on Demand" on the red banner at the top.  Screen goes light blue- wait, then scroll way down until you see channel 27 channel 28 side by side.  Click on Channel 28 and scroll down the list until "Medjugorje- Our Mother's Last Call"  then click on the date you want to watch.

 

PS 4- Good News for the English speaking! Since Nov. 27, 2010, one can follow the translation of the Evening program in English through Internet and live streaming video at: www.medjugorje.ie.

 

PS 5- Take Medjugorje home! View the evening celebration live at: http://www.medjugorje.hr/fr/multimedia/tv-web/

 

PS 6 - Information to pass on: The parish of Medjugorje now requires to see the 'celebret' of the visiting priests, and to keep a copy. If they don’t have it, they won't be able to celebrate Mass nor hear Confessions. 

 

 

© 2010 Children of Medjugorje, Inc.
www.childrenofmedjugorje.com
PO Box 18430, Denver CO 80218, USA. Tel. +1 877-MIR-MEDJ

 

 

 © Children of Medjugorje 2010

Permission is given to spread the text of these reports under two conditions: 1) no words are changed, 2) “Children of Medjugorje” is cited along with our website  www.childrenofmedjugorje.com

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