August 11, 2011
Saint Clare
Dear Family of Mary! 
"Dear children! I beseech you to take up the way of holiness beginning today. I love you and, therefore, I want you to be holy. I do not want Satan to block you on that way. Dear children, pray and accept all that God is offering you on a way which is bitter. But at the same time, God will reveal every sweetness to whomever begins to go on that way, and He will gladly answer every call of God. Do not attribute importance to petty things. Long for Heaven. Thank you for having responded to my call."
(July 25, 1987)
Our Lady has given us her messages in order to show us the way of holiness. She has been teaching us how to follow Jesus, how to pray, how to listen to God, how to choose the good, and how to love the Father. Her messages are the essence of Medjugorje. She has often asked us to live her messages, put them into practice, and witness to them by our lives. Recently a member of the IIPG prayer group, Raffaella, wrote a beautiful letter to the prayer group about her experiences in Medjugorje. She has allowed me to share her letter! I am very grateful! Here it is:
Dear Ana,
I went to Medjugorje maybe 20 times over the last 10 years (For 5 of them I lived in Rome so it was so easy to get there.) I know what 'longing for God means' and I have suffered tremendously because I have so badly wanted that peace Our Lady always talks to us about. There have been days when the only thing that would get me through life was knowing that in a little remote part of the world, Heaven comes down to earth. I remember during my first pilgrimage [to Medjugorje] that the guide would repeat to us over and over 'Medjugorje is in your heart; you can climb Krizevac at home...' Still every time I went back home I was crushed by an insane routine in which there was not enough room for Jesus.
But the last time I went to Medjugorje everything changed. I felt nothing. I was dry for the whole pilgrimage except for an amazing energy I had while climbing up Krizevac. I was so sad and disappointed ... but then back at home I found the answer. I found Peace WHEN my husband and I together decided to seriously change our life and live Our Lady's messages. If we LIVE the messages (all of them) Medjugorje lives in our hearts. During this past year, in which we have re-organized our lives to put God at the center and live all Our Lady's messages, our life has BLOSSOMED. Our fights have stopped. Our depression has stopped. We consecrated our lives to Her and we have never been happier. Since then we have had many trials (a job loss, the short sale of our house, etc...) but we have remained in PEACE. Everything seems to be a gift, part of God's plan. I am constantly AMAZED how close Our Lady is to us every time we pray with our hearts and persevere ... So as much as we would love to go to Medjugorje again, we also know that it is not necessary because now Our Mother and Jesus are here within us. The Medjugorje path [living Our Lady's messages] is initially one of the toughest possible (no kidding!)... but once you start it, it becomes the most joyful journey. '...whoever loses his life for My sake will find it' (Matthew 10:39).
But the last time I went to Medjugorje everything changed. I felt nothing. I was dry for the whole pilgrimage except for an amazing energy I had while climbing up Krizevac. I was so sad and disappointed ... but then back at home I found the answer. I found Peace WHEN my husband and I together decided to seriously change our life and live Our Lady's messages. If we LIVE the messages (all of them) Medjugorje lives in our hearts. During this past year, in which we have re-organized our lives to put God at the center and live all Our Lady's messages, our life has BLOSSOMED. Our fights have stopped. Our depression has stopped. We consecrated our lives to Her and we have never been happier. Since then we have had many trials (a job loss, the short sale of our house, etc...) but we have remained in PEACE. Everything seems to be a gift, part of God's plan. I am constantly AMAZED how close Our Lady is to us every time we pray with our hearts and persevere ... So as much as we would love to go to Medjugorje again, we also know that it is not necessary because now Our Mother and Jesus are here within us. The Medjugorje path [living Our Lady's messages] is initially one of the toughest possible (no kidding!)... but once you start it, it becomes the most joyful journey. '...whoever loses his life for My sake will find it' (Matthew 10:39).
God bless you always,
Raffaella"
Thank you for sharing your wonderful discovery, Raffaella! You give us all such encouragement and light. Yes, it is true! Living Our Lady's messages brings the peace of Medjugorje into our lives. Accepting the way which is bitter (i.e. fasting, penance, putting aside our own desires and putting God first!) brings into our lives every sweetness! We begin to live in peace, to actually swim in it! God is everything to us, He is everywhere in our lives, He is always with us, and we are at peace. It reminds me of Our Lady's August 2nd message in which she said, "Today I call you to be born anew in prayer and through the Holy Spirit, to become a new people with my Son; a people who knows that if they have lost God, they have lost themselves; a people who knows that, with God, despite all sufferings and trials, they are secure and saved." We can climb Krisevac here at home! Our Lady's messages provide us with the way to God's peace. May we all re-organize our lives to live Our Lady's messages and put God in the first place!! We will begin to live peace! In Jesus and Mary!
Cathy Nolan
Cathy Nolan
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