 (c)Mary TV, 2012 In love with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament! |
| June 22, 2012
"I desire that by your example you help sinners regain their sight, enrich their poor souls and bring them back into my embrace. Therefore, pray, pray, fast and confess regularly. If receiving my Son in the Eucharist is the center of your life then do not be afraid, you can do everything. I am with you." (Excerpt from June 02, 2012)
Having been in Medjugorje for a few days now, I have seen again the center of grace and the locus of power that drives every good work here in Medjugorje, every conversion, every miracle and healing. It is the Eucharistic Jesus. He is the energy source for all Our Lady accomplishes here. As she said on June 2, with our Eucharistic Lord at the center of our life, we should not fear, we can do everything.
(c)Mary Matasso 2012 Receiving Jesus!
For most pilgrims the day in Medjugorje begins and ends with the Eucharist. English pilgrims have Holy Mass together at 10:00 am in the Church. Today a lovely priest from Toronto, Canada presided and gave the homily. He spoke eloquently about Our Lady's role in the Wedding Feast at Cana, and how she anticipates all our needs. And the greatest anticipation was knowing our need for Jesus, her Son. She understood how much we would need Him, to free us from sin and open the way to heaven for us. She said "yes" for us, long before we were created. Such motherly provision, such provident love!
(c)Mary Matasso The evening program at St. James
The day ends usually for most of us with the Program of Prayer in the Parish which begins at 6:00 pm with the Joyful and Sorrowful Mysteries, pausing to give thanks at apparition time. Then comes the International Mass. It is always so impressive to see the huge number of priests concelebrating, and to watch them stride out into the crowd bearing the Eucharistic Jesus to His needy people. We all line up along the paths, waiting for Jesus. Every shape and size, nationality and race is represented. And all receive their One Lord. It is beautiful!
(c)Mary TV 2012 Waiting for Jesus
But that is not all! After Holy Mass we all kneel down to give thanks to Jesus, reciting 7 Our Father's, 7 Hail Mary's, and 7 Glory Be's. Such a beautiful tradition, that allows us time to give thanks for receiving Our Lord. And after that there is often Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, lasting into the night. People stay for prayer, often for hours and hours. It is an intense time of union with Jesus.
(c)Mary TV 2012 Giving thanks to Jesus
So we can see that Our Lady has built a place of prayer, and especially Eucharistic prayer, in Medjugorje. She knows what we need. We need her Son, Jesus.
As I was preparing for this reflection I opened up St. Faustina's Dairy, and read this passage, which I feel shows how much Jesus wants us to live only for Him in the Eucharist:
(360) Jesus likes to intervene in the smallest details of our life, and He often fulfills secret wishes of mine that I sometimes hide from Him, although I know that from Him nothing can be hidden.
There is a custom among us of drawing by lot, on New Year's Day, special Patrons for ourselves for the whole year. In the morning during meditation, there arose within me a secret desire that the Eucharistic Jesus be my special Patron for this year also, as in the past. But, hiding this desire from my Beloved, I spoke to Him about everything else but that. When we came to refectory for breakfast, we blessed ourselves and began drawing our patrons. When I approached the holy cards on which the names of the patrons were written, without hesitation I took one, but I didn't read the name immediately as I wanted to mortify myself for a few minutes. Suddenly, I heard a voice in my soul: I am your patron. Read. I looked at once at the inscription and read, "Patron for the Year 1935 - The Most Blessed Eucharist." My heart leapt with joy, and I slipped quietly away from the sisters and went for a short visit before the Blessed Sacrament, where I poured out my heart. But Jesus sweetly admonished me that I should be, at that moment, together with the sisters. I went immediately in obedience to the rule.
This sweet interchange of love between St. Faustina and Jesus is so illustrative! Not only do we need Jesus, our Eucharistic Lord, to survive but He wants very much to be our special protector as well. He is dying to be all to us because He loves us so much. What a beautiful life it is to not be afraid, and to be confident that we can do everything! Why, because we are infinitely loved!
Tomorrow the rest of our Mary TV team arrives! We are so excited. Matt and Lisa, Mike and Mara! Pray for their safe travels! And thanks for being part of our pilgrimage so far.
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2012 |
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