Saturday, May 31, 2014

Mary TV Daily Reflection 5/31/2014 - Novena to the Holy Spirit Day 2



     
Climbing Krizevac with the parish!  
(c) Mary TV 2014


J.M.J  
May 31, 2014  
Dear Family of Mary!


"Dear children! Today I invite you all to rejoice in the life which God gives you. Little children, rejoice in God, the Creator, because He has created you so wonderfully. Pray that your life be joyful thanksgiving which flows out of your heart like a river of joy. Little children, give thanks unceasingly for all that you possess, for each little gift which God has given you, so that a joyful blessing always comes down from God upon your life. Thank you for having responded to my call." (August 25, 1988)

Novena to the Holy Spirit Day 2

Joy

Let us bow down in humility at the power and grandeur of the Holy Spirit. Let us worship the Holy Trinity and give glory today to the Paraclete, our Advocate.

Oh Holy Spirit, by Your power, Christ was raised from the dead to save us all. By Your grace, miracles are performed in Jesus' name. By Your love, we are protected from evil. And so, we ask with humility and a beggar's heart for Your gift of Joy within us.

All of the Saints are marked with an uncompromisable Joy in times of trial, difficulty and pain. Give us, Oh Holy Spirit, the Joy that surpasses all understanding that we may live as a witness to Your love and fidelity!

Amen.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ Our Lord,

Amen.

Find the Original Here:  http://www.praymorenovenas.com/novena-to-the-holy-spirit/#ixzz33B7rRw6L


Our Lady has come to give us her joy, the joy of the Holy Spirit that is available to all of us through prayer and surrender to God. Indeed, Joy is the hallmark of a pilgrimage to Medjugorje.  Here one feels the peace of God and the fruit of that peace is joy.  Joy is the sign of God's presence.  We have such an amazing God.  He is all good.  And that goodness brings joy.  If only this sad world could know this joy, no one would turn to sin to find it.  Joy is God!!

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan 

PS.  Denis and I were able to climb Krizevac with the parish yesterday (May 30).  It was a challenge for us old folks, but with the help of our guardian angels, and the encouragement of the parishioners, we made it!  Denis even led a decade of the Rosary.  I have just a few pictures to share with you from that trip.  The vista was breathtaking at the top.  The sky speaks of God's glory and beauty!  We prayed for all of you while we were at the top, all your intentions and needs.  Here are the pictures:


















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


 

Friday, May 30, 2014

U.S. Catholics face shortage of priests

Drop from 59 thousand in 1975 to 39 thousand today.
priest-church 

The following comes from a May 25 story in USA Today.

Nationally, one in five Catholic parishes does not have a resident priest.
America’s Catholic population is rising by 1 percent annually, but seminary enrollment is flat. An inadequate supply of priests already has forced hundreds of parishes to close or consolidate.
Priests aren’t getting any younger, either. Their average age is 63.
Something’s got to give.
“These people have served the church for 30, 40 or 50 years, and now they are retiring or dying and leaving the priesthood,” said Mary Gautier, senior research associate with Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.
In the Diocese of Venice, Fla., though, Bishop Frank Dewane is sitting comfortably for the 59 parishes from Bradenton to Marco Island. Dewane has 111 diocesan priests under his authority, along with 60 priests supplied by religious orders. Additionally, between 10 and 70 outside priests, who often are retirees from parishes up North, assist the diocese on a seasonal or part-time basis.
Dewane’s focus isn’t covering next Sunday’s Mass; he is charged with building the next generation of religious leaders.
“We’re blessed right now, but we always have to look at where are we in, say, 25 years or 50 years out,” Dewane said.
In 1975, there were 58,909 priests in the United States. Today, Georgetown’s CARA puts the figure at 39,600, a 33 percent drop. Meanwhile, America’s Catholic population rose from 54.5 million to 78.2 million, a 43 percent increase, during the same period.
Although the 39,600 priests seems plenty for America’s 17,413 parishes, it’s not. Presiding over Mass is just one of a priest’s duties, along with hearing confessions, baptizing babies, officiating weddings, counseling parishioners, conducting funerals, teaching schoolchildren, blessing hospital patients, running missions and more. On Easter and Christmas, some parishes in Southwest Florida have a half-dozen or more Masses, often simultaneously on church campuses, to accommodate residents, tourists and seasonal residents….

From http://cal-catholic.com/wordpress/

Mary TV Daily Reflection 5/30/2014 - Novena to the Holy Spirit Day 1


 
 Come!  Holy Spirit!  Come! 
(c) Mary TV 2014
 

J.M.J  
May 30, 2014

Novena to the Holy Spirit, Day 1

Dear Family of Mary!

Today we begin the Novena to the Holy Spirit.  It is the only novena prescribed by the Church.  Our Lady loves this novena, and has often asked us to pray to the Holy Spirit with all our hearts. 
Advent 1983 "Begin by calling on the Holy Spirit each day. The most important thing is to pray to the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit descends on earth, then everything becomes clear and everything is transformed."


Monday, January 2, 1984
"Why have you stopped saying the prayer to the Holy Spirit. I have asked you to pray always and at all times so that the Holy Spirit may descend over all of you. Begin again to pray for that."
The visionaries had stopped saying the prayer to the Holy Spirit thinking that it was said only until Christmas
 
Sometime in October 1984 "I would like to guide you spiritually, but I would not know how to help you, if you are not open... I can help you only if you are accessible to my suggestions; I cannot help you if you are not open. The most important in spiritual life is to ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes, then peace will be established. When that occurs, everything changes around you. Things will change."

Our Lady could not be more clear, "When the Holy Spirit descends on earth, then everything becomes clear and everything is transformed."  and "The most important in spiritual life is to ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes, then peace will be established. When that occurs, everything changes around you. Things will change."  With the Holy Spirit everything will change, everything will be clear, everything will be at peace.

Today we will pray for the Gift and fruit of Charity (love).

Novena to the Holy Spirit Day 1
Charity

Let us bow down in humility at the power and grandeur of the Holy Spirit. Let us worship the Holy Trinity and give glory today to the Paraclete, our Advocate.

Oh Holy Spirit, by Your power, Christ was raised from the dead to save us all. By Your grace, miracles are performed in Jesus' name. By Your love, we are protected from evil. And so, we ask with humility and a beggar's heart for Your gift of Charity within us.
The great charity of all the the host of Saints is only made possible by your power, Oh Divine Spirit. Increase in me, the virtue of charity that I may love as God loves with the selflessness of the Saints.
Amen.

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, through Christ Our Lord,
Amen.

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
(c)Mary TV 2014

PS.  I took a prayerful walk around the Church yesterday afternoon, and here are a few of the things I saw!


 












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

 

Thursday, May 29, 2014

[Video] Never Alone








  Never Alone





apostleshipofprayer

Reflection for 5/29/14

http://youtu.be/RktcNABjanU

www.apostleshipofpra­yer.org

Photos by sailko, Aristeas, Steve Day









Mary TV Daily Reflection - Ascension


     
The Holy Spirit will come upon you! 
(c) Mary TV 2014


J.M.J  
 May 29, 2014
The Ascension of the Lord

Dear Family of Mary,
"Dear children! Pray and be aware that without God you are dust. Therefore, turn your thoughts and heart to God and to prayer. Trust in His love. In God's Spirit, little children, you are all called to be witnesses. You are precious and I call you,  little children, to holiness, to eternal life. Therefore, be aware that this life is passing. I love you and call you to a new life of  conversion. Thank you for having responded to my call." May 25, 2014

Today we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord Jesus into heaven. After spending 40 days with the Apostles and disciples, Jesus made his farewell, saying:    
He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Sama'ria and to the end of the earth." And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.  (Acts 1: 7-9)
Notice the things that were important for Jesus to say as He left His beloved ones:

1. "It is not for your to know the times or seasons.".... Don't try to predict the future, the future is in the Father's hands.  Live in the present and trust Him.
2. "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you"...So don't worry about how you will manage without me! 
3. "You shall be my witnesses...to the end of the earth."  That is your job now, to tell everyone about me. 

I find these three things very comforting.  The future is outside our ken, but we are being given the Holy Spirit to empower us and with that Spirit we will be able to witness to the ends of the earth!!  Didn't Our Lady just tell us, "In God's Spirit, little children, you are all called to be witnesses." Like the Apostles, we are being called to tell the world about Jesus, to share the incredible news that Jesus is Risen, that He is Lord and God, and that He loves each one of us so much He would die for us!  This witness is possible only in the power of the Spirit. 

Tomorrow we will begin the oldest novena in our tradition, the Novena to the Holy Spirit.  We will be joining the Apostles in the upper room, waiting for the coming of the Spirit with the help of Our Lady.  She was with the Apostles then, and she is with us now through her presence in Medjugorje.  We can trust her to guide us well in this novena time.  Jesus wanted her to be with His Apostles then, to teach them how to pray and wait.  We need to learn the same. 

Over the next nine days we will wait and learn from Our Lady, by meditating on her messages.  I am excited to make this novena from Medjugorje!! We will start tomorrow!

God bless you all,
Cathy Nolan

(c)Mary TV 2014


PS.  Tom made it to Medjugorje last night, and we are praising God for our safe travels.  Please pray for our work with the team here.  We are praying for all of you, especially on this special feast day.





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

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Mary TV Daily Reflection 5/27/2014


        
 The Double Rainbow over St. James Church May 27, 2014       
(c) Mary TV 2014


J.M.J  
May 27, 2014

Dear Family of Mary,

Denis and I have been wonderfully busy since our feet hit the ground in Medjugorje!  Yesterday at English Mass, the celebrant gave a wonderful homily on Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.  He touched on a topic that we don't often hear addressed in our parishes.  it is a topic can is causing a great deal of confusion in our Church.  So I transcribed the homily for all of you.  This is the homily for May 27, 2014 at English Mass in Medjugorje:


For a lot of us our pilgrimage is coming to an end and we have to come done out of that mountain, so to speak. We have to go back to the reality of life, isn't that right?    I hope after the last week or so that you have been here, that you got what you came for.  The most important thing we should have come for is peace mind.  Everyone of us here needs peace of mind, one way or another.  A lot of us worry about our loved ones at home, have you noticed that?  When they come here, they try to get on the phone and they say we cannot get a connection.  And they are talking about vodophone and meteor and emobile, etc. etc.  But after a few days they begin to forget about home, to forget about the different world outside of Medjugorje.  One fellow told me that he takes off his watch when he comes here because he goes into a different "time zone."  And over the years I have come here, I have noticed that throughout the week, people change.  Some people are confused when they see all these people walking around with Rosary Beads.  As I thought before, some of them were absolute lunatics.  But I have come to realize that this is a very very special place.  Another priest said,"It is a piece of heaven on earth."   
We know that Pentecost Sunday is coming soon, June 8th of this year, so we pray that the Spirit which the Gospel and readings have told us about today, the Spirit of Truth, would set us free.  For a lot of us what we want in our lives is the truth and Christ is the only Way, the Truth and the Life.  A lot of people go to different spiritualities looking for the truth.  The Church in her wisdom came out with a document in 2000 called "Jesus Christ, Bearer of the Water of Life".  I tells us that if we move away from the doctrine of the Christian Church that has been handed down through the centuries, we are actually going away from the true Spirit of Christ.  Fr. Brian said the other day that we should be proud we are Catholic and proud to say we are Catholic, so to go to other spiritualities we are going away from that source which is the wisdom of the Church.  In particular I am talking about the new age practices that are around at the moment. 
As a priest coming up on 25 years, I have noticed that the people involved in these New Age spiritualities get very very confused.  They don't have the peace that people who have found true faith in Jesus Christ have.  When we look at something we are going to embark upon, and I am talking about the new phenomenon called the "nam" which is the New Age phenomenon, Reiki, Yoga, Enneagram, any of that, we need to be aware that the Church tells us in the document "Jesus Christ, the Bearer of the Water of Life" that Jesus Christ is the only Way, the Truth and the Life.  Unfortunately some priests and nuns and religious deacons, and those high up in the church have sent a confusing message to the people of our day.  What we have to do is to read and be faithful to what the Church teaches, because otherwise we have what is called an "a la carte spirituality". 
We all know what "a la carte spirituality" is, we can pick and choose.  If we go to a restaurant, we don't to to the main menu, we want to pick and choose.  Now if we pick and choose, that is not Christianity. That is the Christianity that we want.  But we believe in One God, the Father the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. In other words we believe in the One God, the Father of Jesus Christ, who loved the world so much that He sent His Son into the world to redeem us.  So if we are going to different spiritualities, we are not going to the branch of Jesus.  Then we have our own spirituality.  And the Gospel and St. Paul tell us categorically to be careful about people who tickle the ears and teach you a strange doctrine. 
I recommend that you read that document.  Again it is called, "Jesus Christ, Bearer of the Water of Life."  It will tweak your spirituality and tell you what Jesus Christ is really saying.  There are some books out there that will help people who have gotten involved in these different spiritualitiies.  To name a few: there is a book by Fr. Mitch Pacwa who wrote "Catholics and the New Age."  He tells how he actually got involved with Enneagram and how confused he got.  And there is  Johanna Michaelsen  who wrote"The Beautiful Side of Evil"   and Randall Baer, "The New Age Nightmare."   I recommend that if you are going into any of these practices or are involved in them, just look up where they come from.  The Reiki, which means "divine light" does not mean the Divine Light as we know it, where Christ comes from - Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  He is the light, not these practitioners who take a few courses.  That is not Jesus.  That comes from a different spirituality. 
In just a few moments, if you have not received peace in your life, just ask yourself what spirituality you are following.  People get very confused, we are in a confusing world, but remember what Jesus said, "I am the Way the Truth and the Life.'  It is only when we are close to Jesus, the Jesus of who has been taught to us by the Church Fathers that we will have peace.  If we follow Jesus, we cannot have our own spirituality.  If we follow these gurus and their pseudo or pop spiritualities, we will get very confused.  That is where much confusion in the church is coming from.  Remember the document, "Jesus, Bearer of the Water of Life".  You can find it for free on the internet and it has a reference of the books that will tell you what is acceptable and not acceptable in the teachings of the church.

Our Lady does not want us to have a divided heart.  She has come to bring us back to a whole-hearted relationship with God.  I discovered a beautiful prayer written by Jelena Vasilj that was dictated by Our Lady.  It speaks directly to the concerns expressed by our priest at Mass in Medjugorje.  Here is the prayer.

Petition to God
(Given by Our Lady to Jelena Vasilj, 6/22/1985)
Recite 3 Glory Be's
Oh God, our heart is in deep obscurity,
in spite of our union to Your Heart.
Our heart is struggling between You and satan;
do not permit it to be in this manner!
Every time that the heart is divided
between good and evil,
let it be enlightened by Your light
and let it be unified.

Never permit,
for there to be able to exist in us two loves,
that there can never co-exist in us two faiths,
and that there can never co-exist in us;
lying and sincerity,
love and hatred,
honesty and dishonesty,
humility and pride.
Help us on the contrary,
so that our hearts may be elevated toward You
just like that of a child.

May our heart be ravished with peace
and continue to always have the nostalgia of it.
May Your Holy will and Your love
find a permanent place in us, that at least
sometimes we would really wish to be Your
children and when, Oh Lord,
we will desire to be Your children,
remember our past desires
and help us to receive You again.

We open our hearts to you
so that Your holy love will remain in us.
We open our souls to you,
so that they may be touched by Your holy mercy
which will help us to see clearly all our sins,
and will make us realize,
that which makes us impure is sin.

God, we want to be Your children,
humble and devout,
to the point of becoming your cherished and
sincere children,
such as only the Father
would be able to desire that we be.

Help us, Jesus our brother,
to obtain the goodness of the Father in our regard,
and to be good to Him.
Help us Jesus,
to understand well what God gives us,
although sometimes we fail to perform a good act,
as though it were for us an evil.

That's all for tonight.  But I will share several pictures I took yesterday during the Interntional Mass.  An exquisite Rainbow appeared over St. James.  It seemed like a sign that God is still with us and that through Our Lady of Medjugorje, we are safe inside His Heart. 






God bless you all,
Cathy Nolan
(c)Mary TV 2014





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


Asia Bibi's case disappears from the list of hearings, the possibility of an appeal diminishes

ASIA/PAKISTAN -
Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - The first hearing of the appeal for Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy, will not take place today, 27th May, and no one knows if and when it will be scheduled again. This was reported to Fides Agency by the lawyers engaged in the defense team of women. Speaking to Fides Agency, the lawyer, Naeem Shakir, one of the lawyers defending Asia Bibi, does not hide his dismay: "The case was in the list of hearings scheduled for today. Then it suddenly disappeared. We do not know why. I can only say that what is happening is not normal".
The lawyers are waiting for an official reason from the administration of the High Court of Lahore to explain the serious anomaly which results in the lack of justice for an innocent victim.
"At this point we do not know when and if the case will be examined" they explain. Since February the process has been postponed 4 times for various reasons and the trail has never started.
According to observers, the judges of the Court of Appeal do not want to take responsibility to examine the case for fear of retaliation by radical Islamic groups. In the past, judges who acquitted Christians for blasphemy were killed.

Lahore High Court, Punjab, Pakistan
Lahore High Court, Punjab, Pakistan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As Fides learns, bitterness and disappointment can be felt even among Asia’s family members. In the coming days - the woman’s lawyers say - the woman, who is in the women's prison in Multan, will be informed on the latest developments in the case that concerns her.
Asia Noreen Bibi was condemned for blasphemy on June 19, 2009, pursuant to Article 295c of the Penal Code, by the Muslim Mullah, Qari Muhammad Sallam. After a trial before the Court of First Instance in Nankana Sahib, Asia was sentenced to death on November 8, 2010. The Appeal was filed before the Lahore High Court on November 11, 2010. But, for religious reasons and political pressures, only four years after the case has been taken into consideration. Today, the ongoing litany of posponements has not yet allowed the holding of the first hearing. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 27/05/2014)


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Sunday, May 25, 2014

May 25 Medjugorje Message


  
(c) Mary TV 2014
  

J.M.J
May 25, 2014

Dear Family of Mary!

The May 25, 2014 message from Our Lady, Queen of Peace, through Marija:

 
"Dear children! Pray and be aware that without God you are dust. Therefore, turn your thoughts and heart to God and to prayer. Trust in His love. In God's Spirit, little children, you are all called to be witnesses. You are precious and I call you, little children, to holiness, to eternal life. Therefore, be aware that this life is passing. I love you and call you to a new life of conversion. Thank you for having responded to my call."

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan

Mary TV 2014


PS.  Denis and I made it to Medjugorje on time and in good shape!!  Thanks be to God!  And thank you for your prayers!  We will do the Daily Rosary today, live from Medjugorje!!  Can't wait!!





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


 

From Mark Mallett: The New Gideon

Mark

The New Gideon




DAWN expels the night. Spring follows the Winter. Resurrection proceeds from the tomb. These are allegories for the Storm that has come to the Church and the world. For all will appear as though lost; the Church will seem utterly defeated; evil will exhaust itself in the darkness of sin. But it is precisely in this night that Our Lady, as the “Star of the New Evangelization”, is presently leading us toward the dawn when the Sun of Justice will rise upon a new Era. She is preparing us for the Flame of Love, the coming light of her Son…
Published in: | on May 23rd, 2014 |

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Spiritual Gems-What is the Root Cause of Unhappiness?-May 24, 2014

What is the Root Cause of Unhappiness?

Souls are unhappy in so far as they distance themselves from God. My Father's great desire, and Mine, would be to see all souls happy, even on earth. When Our Divine Justice inflicts distress or punishment it is ALWAYS out of Love,  and always to bring souls nearer to God who is their sovereign happiness.

Our Lord to Blessed Dina Belanger


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


You can receive complimentary materials to make your Consecration to God through Mary’s Immaculate Heart (important spiritual protection at this time in salvation history) at myconsecration.org... where you can also learn about Our Lady of Las Lajas.

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

Mary TV Daily Reflection 5/24/2014


   

The greatest of these is Love.     
(c) Mary TV 2014


J.M.J  
May 24, 2014
Mary, Help of Christians

Dear Family of Mary!

Today is Day 9 of our novena in honor of Mary, Help of Christians, and in preparation for the message we will receive on May 25 through Marija. Here is a brief summary of how this feast began:

Our Lady, Help of Christians
Auxilium Christianorum, Help of Christians, is one of the many titles given Mary in the Litany, where it first appears in a copy of 1558. Invoking Mary under this title, counter-Reformation Catholics recalled Mary's help against Islamic forces at Lepanto, Greece (1571) and Vienna (1683). In 1815, after Waterloo, Pope Pius VII instituted the feast of Mary, Help of Christians for the Papal States, recalling the date he returned to Rome after captivity under Napoleon: May 24, 1814. Though never extended to the universal Church calendar, devotion to Our Lady, Help of Christians and her feast on May 24 have spread throughout the Catholic world, thanks largely to the missionary efforts of the Salesian order founded by St. John Bosco in the 1800s, which took her as patron.    

Our Lady is a strong help to us all, and we know that we could not sustain our faith without her help. We thank her today for being with us in Medjugorje and for her constant guidance through her messages. May Our Lady, Help of Christians, be our guide through these days leading up to her Triumph!!!

Day 9
"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor 13:13)
 
"Dear children! I am with you in the name of the greatest Love, in the name of dear God, who has come close to you through my Son and has shown you real love. I desire to lead you on the way of God. I desire to teach you real love so that others may see it in you, that you may see it in others, that you may be a brother to them and that others may see a merciful brother in you. My children do not be afraid to open your hearts to me. With motherly love, I will show you what I expect of each of you, what I expect of my apostles. Set out with me. Thank you." (March 18, 2011)

Prayer to Mary Help of Christians
O Mary, You love me with a Mother's heart.
Just as you held your son Jesus in your arms, you hold me in your care.
Help me in my need;
Protect me day by day;
and through your Motherly intercession,
May I become ever more aware of the breath of God living within me.
Mary, Help of Christians, Pray for us. Amen
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2014

PS. Denis and I are traveling to Medjugorje today and tomorrow.  I will try to send the message from Medjugorje Sunday evening. But you will not hear from me until probably Tuesday, May 27, with a reflection. See you from Medjugorje!!!






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

 

[Video] Feast Day: Mary, Help of Christians



English: Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, He...
English: Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, Erin, Wisconsin (Photo credit: Wikipedia)






   Mary, Help of Christians





apostleshipofprayer

Reflection for 5/24/14

http://youtu.be/8Jp4ut1KEaw

www.apostleshipofpra­yer.org

Photos by Enrique López-Tamayo Biosca, Vid Gajšek









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Friday, May 23, 2014

From The Friars eLetter: The Light is Love





Redemption happens in the low places.

For the sinner it is an experience of relief and joy:  At last someone has found me in this place, in this darkness where I’ve been living.  Until now I didn’t know.  Until light walked in and led me out, I had no idea where I was nor how dark the darkness had become.

When one lives a life of sin so long that the darkness into which he’s immersed himself becomes common place, it is not easy to lead him out.  It is all he knows.  It is comfortable.  On the other hand, for one who, for a while now, has been living in a state of grace, this darkness is that much more dark. That much unfamiliar.  That much abrasive.  For example, for a man who likes his drink, the drunken bar scene is something comical, somehow sociable, but enter a sober man and it is sad and difficult to endure.  Yet it is for those in a state of grace to meet sinners in the dark places of their hearts—to travel into these low places of human existence—this counterfeit world of sin—and bring to them the light that will illumine their need for redemption.

This heaviness of sin can lurk behind the brightest smile in the office or the easiest gait of our school hallways.  Only few can truly discern the hearts of others (let alone their own), but the vast majority of us cannot.  It is for us then to boldly enter into any life (at times like diving into an ocean wave, at times like slipping into a swimming pool).  We are responsible for one another.  How else will they be led out if those who know the way don’t take them by the hand and walk them on?

This darkness pervades souls.  It can be seen everywhere.  Sin lies and many have been deceived.  We’ve forgotten who made us and for what we were made.  Some are content with their vices and others with minimal levels of virtue.  It’s true: we all settle for different levels of existence, nevertheless we ought to strive for the highest, for union with God.  And yet wherever we are on our way up that mountain, it is for us to descend and travel through the low lands in search of the lost souls whether on the streets, in the bars, the office, the parish or even the family.  We must show the world that the light is as relentless as the darkness because there are some who, having been so deceived, have forgotten who they are, and they are surrounded by none capable of reminding them.

+ Br. Joseph Michael Fino, CFR
Paterson, NJ
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[Video] As Jesus Loved








  As Jesus Loved





apostleshipofprayer

Reflection for 5/23/14
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Mary TV Daily Reflection 5/23/2014


   
(c) Mary TV 2014


J.M.J  
May 23, 2014

Dear Family of Mary!

Day 8
"Love never ends." (1 Cor 13:8)  
 

"My children; Again, in a motherly way, I implore you to stop for a moment and to reflect on yourselves and on the transience of this your earthly life. Then reflect on eternity and the eternal beatitude. What do you want? Which way do you want to set out on? The Father`s love sends me to be a mediatrix for you, to show you with motherly love the way which leads to the purity of soul; a soul unburdened by sin; a soul that will come to know eternity. I am praying that the light of the love of my Son may illuminate you, so that you may triumph over weaknesses and come out of misery. You are my children and I desire for all of you to be on the way of salvation. Therefore, my children, gather around me that I may have you come to know the love of my Son and thus open the door of eternal beatitude. Pray as I do for your shepherds. Again I caution you: do not judge them, because my Son chose them. Thank you." (July 02, 2012)

"Dear children! Already for many years as a Mother, I have been teaching you faith and God's love. You have not shown gratitude to the dear Father nor have you given him glory. You have become empty and your heart has become hard and without love toward your neighbors' sufferings. I am teaching you love and showing you that the dear Father loved you but you have not loved Him. He sacrificed His Son for your salvation, my children. As long as you do not love, you will not know your Father's love. You won't get to know him because God is love. Love and don't be afraid, my children, because there is no fear in love. If your hearts are open to the Father and if they are full of love toward him, then why any fear of what is to come? Those who are afraid are the ones who do not love because they are waiting for punishments and because they know how empty and hard they are. Children, I am leading you to love, to the dear Father. I am leading you to eternal life. Eternal life is my Son. Receive him and you have received love." (March 18, 1995)

Day 8
"Love never ends." (1 Cor 13:8)  
 

Prayer to Mary Help of Christians
O Mary, You love me with a Mother's heart.
Just as you held your Son Jesus in your arms, you hold me in your care.
Help me in my need;
Protect me day by day;
and through your Motherly intercession,
May I become ever more aware of the breath of God living within me.
Mary, Help of Christians, Pray for us. Amen
 
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2014





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