Mary TV February 28, 2017 Reflection - A time of Grace!

(c) Mateo Ivankovic 2016

J.M.J.

February 28, 2017

(Fat Tuesday)

 

Dear Family of Mary!

 

"Dear children! Today I am calling you to profoundly live your faith and to implore the Most High to strengthen it, so that winds and storms cannot break it. May the roots of your faith be prayer and hope in eternal life. Already now, little children, work on yourselves in this time of grace, wherein God is giving you the grace - through renunciation and the call to conversion - to be people of clear and persevering faith and hope. Thank you for having responded to my call." (February 25, 2017)

 

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday! As Our Lady tells us, "...Already now, little children, work on yourselves in this time of grace, wherein God is giving you the grace - through renunciation and the call to conversion - to be people of clear and persevering faith and hope."

 

This is Lent. It is above all a time of grace. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Holy Mother Church sets aside the next 40 days as a special time to seek the Lord, through prayer, fasting, renunciation, and conversion. These days give us the opportunity to test ourselves, to find out if we truly desire the Lord above all else. They also help us to grow in our awareness of Jesus' great act of redemption. The more we understand that we need a savior and that we have a Savior, the more hope and joy we will have! This is Lent!

 

Our Lady said this about Lent in 2006:

"Dear children! In this Lenten time of grace, I call you to open your hearts to the gifts that God desires to give you. Do not be closed, but with prayer and renunciation say 'yes' to God and He will give to you in abundance. As in springtime the earth opens to the seed and yields a hundredfold, so also your heavenly Father will give to you in abundance. I am with you and love you, little children, with a tender love. Thank you for having responded to my call." (February 25, 2006)

Lent is primarily a time of grace. We have only to say "yes" and open our hearts. God will give us the gifts we need to draw close to Him. We should see our fasting and renunciation as great blessings to us, because through them we will open our hearts to the One who loves us.

 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan

©Mary TV 2017

 

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

Medjugorje, Message February 25, 2017

Message of February 25, 2017 Entrusted to Marija  "Dear children! Today I am calling you to profoundly live your faith and to implore the Most High to strengthen it, so that winds and storms cannot break it. May the roots of your faith be prayer and hope in eternal life. Already now, little children, work on yourselves in this time of grace, wherein God is giving you the grace - through renunciation and the call to conversion - to be people of clear and persevering faith and hope. Thank you for having responded to my call." Children of Medjugorje, Inc., PO Box 18430, Denver, CO 80218

Mary TV February 27, 2017 Reflection - The Roots of Faith

(c) Mateo Ivankovic 2017

J.M.J.

February 27, 2017

 

Dear Family of Mary!

 

"Dear children! Today I am calling you to profoundly live your faith and to implore the Most High to strengthen it, so that winds and storms cannot break it. May the roots of your faith be prayer and hope in eternal life. Already now, little children, work on yourselves in this time of grace, wherein God is giving you the grace - through renunciation and the call to conversion - to be people of clear and persevering faith and hope. Thank you for having responded to my call." (February 25, 2017)

 

Our Lady speaks to us of our faith, comparing it to a tree. She wants us to be strong in faith. And so to be strong, our tree of faith must have strong roots. Roots are the foundation of a tree. If a tree has a good root system, it will be able to withstand rough weather. The roots will hold the tree upright. And the good nutrition provided by the roots will ensure that the tree's trunk and branches are strong and supple enough to be blown about without cracking. We need to have good roots if we are going to withstand temptation and strife, maintaining our faith.
Our spiritual root system must be planted deep into the soil of the Bible and the Tradition of the Church, deep into the truths that Christ has taught us, so that they will hold us firm when the winds of apostasy blow around us. Our roots must be able to absorb nutrients from the soil so that we do not become malnourished and brittle. This nourishment comes from prayer and is augmented by hope. Prayer helps us to receive the Water of Life. That Water of Life is the Holy Spirit who pours His life and gifts into us as we pray. Hope in eternal life is our ability to absorb the Water of Life. When we hope we drink in the Spirit, through desire!
In Psalm 1 the image of a tree is used to describe a good man. It makes the case for good roots planted in the right place:

Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree

planted by streams of water,

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1: 1-3)

Notice that a good man, a blessed man, knows where to plant himself. He does not plant himself among those who do not know or love God. He plants himself in the law of the Lord! And when he is planted in the Lord's Law, in the Lord's Word, he is like a tree that has roots deep in the soil, close to a bountiful stream. His roots will always have water and nutrition (the Holy Spirit and the Word of God)! They will be strong and hold him fast in times of trouble.

This is what Our Lady wants for us. She wants our faith to be fed by the good waters of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. She wants us to drink up those waters by virtue of our hope. Hope opens us up and keeps us drinking in the gifts of the Lord, making us strong.

This Lent, may we examine where our roots are planted and make conscious choices to dig them up and move them near to streams of Living Water, where we will be able to grow, prosper, and thrive in the Love of our Lord. Then when storms come, we will not be toppled. We will stand in hope and joy!

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2017

 

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

Mary TV February 24, 2017 Reflection - May Jesus be in the heart of each family.

(c) Mateo Ivankovic 2017

J.M.J.

February 24, 2017

 

Dear Family of Mary!

 

Our Lady came to Medjugorje to call not just 6 visionaries, but an entire parish. Her call was to the families of the parish. She wanted the families to become communities of holiness so that she could work through them to minister to the millions of pilgrims that would be coming to their village.

 

She asked the parishioners to pray in the families. It was important to her that each family pray together.

Thursday, October 20, 1983 -For the parish:

"Have all the families consecrate themselves to the Sacred Heart each day. I am very happy when the entire family meets to pray each morning for half an hour."

Friday, January 27, 1984

"Pray and fast. I wish that you deepen and continue your life in prayer. Every morning say the prayer of consecration to the Heart of Mary. Do it in the family. Recite each morning the Angelus, 5 Our Father's, Hail Mary's, and Glory Be's in honor of the Holy Passion and a sixth one for our Holy Father, the Pope. Then say the Creed and the prayer to the Holy Spirit. And, if it is possible, it would be well to pray a Rosary."

She also made it clear that the family prayer would help her mission to be successful:

September 27, 1984 "Dear children! You have helped me along by your prayers to realize my plans. Keep on praying that my plans are completely fulfilled. I request the families of the parish to pray the family rosary. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Finally, Our Lady began to teach all families through her messages. She wanted the families of the parish and families of the pilgrims to be witnesses to the world of the reality of God and His love:

October 25, 2004 "Dear children! This is a time of grace for the family and, therefore, I call you to renew prayer. May Jesus be in the heart of your family. In prayer, learn to love everything that is holy. Imitate the lives of saints so that they may be an incentive and teachers on the way of holiness. May every family become a witness of love in this world without prayer and peace. Thank you for having responded to my call."

December 25, 2006
The apparition began at 3:23pm and lasted six minutes. Our Lady gave the following message:

"Today is a great day of joy and peace. Rejoice with me. Little children, in a special way, I call you to holiness in your families. I desire, little children, that each of your families be holy and that God's joy and peace, which God sends you today in a special way, may come to rule and dwell in your families. Little children, open your hearts today on this day of grace, decide for God and put Him in the first place in your family. I am your Mother. I love you and give you my Motherly Blessing."

July 24, 1986 "Dear children! I rejoice because of all of you who are on the way of holiness and I beseech you, by your own testimony help those who do not know how to live in holiness. Therefore, dear children, let your family be a place where holiness is birthed. Help everyone to live in holiness, but especially your own family. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Our Lady is very aware that it is Satan's plan to destroy the family. And so she has been coming to strengthen our families as a bulwark against Satan's plan. She started in the parish, and has moved out to the families of pilgrims from all over the world. We are now all part of her plan for peace. Our families are important. Our family prayer is important. The faith in our families will be a key element in her Triumph.

 

May we continue to fight for prayer in our families so that we can help Our Lady to win in this gigantic struggle with the enemy. She needs us, gathered as families, to respond to her call.

 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan

©Mary TV 2017

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

Mary TV February 23, 2017 Reflection - Let my angels sing in your hearts!

(c) Mateo Ivankovic 2017

J.M.J.

February 23, 2017

St. Polycarp

 

Dear Family of Mary!

 

"Dear children, I came to you with open arms, so that I could take you all into my arms, under my mantle. I cannot do this while your hearts are filled with false light and false idols. Clean them and let my angels sing in them. Then, I will take you under my mantle and give you my Son, true peace, and happiness. Do not wait my children. Thank you!" August 2, 2005

Our Lady speaks from her great love in this message. She says she has come with open arms! She wants to take us into her arms, under her mantle. This is the desire of every mother with her children. She wants to provide warmth and protection, security and affection for her children. But if her children's hearts do not want her love and protection, she cannot give it.

False lights and false idols. These lead us away from Our Lady. False lights are false truths. They are teachings that are not based on Jesus. And false idols are those things that become god for us, ever so unwittingly. They lure us into a relationship of dependence with them, cutting us off from the true God who created us and sustains us. These false gods are addicting and dehumanizing. Our Lady cannot protect us when we are chasing after these false lights and idols.

But then she says something amazing, "Clean them and let my angels sing in them." She wants our hearts clean of the false idols and lights so that we can again draw close to her embrace. But who are these angels and how can they sing in our hearts?

I found a beautiful entry in St. Faustina's diary that gives a clue about these angels singing in our hearts. St. Faustina was seeking God with all her heart one day, feeling that she would die if she did not find Him. And here is what happened: 

One day, when I was at adoration, and my spirit seemed to be dying for Him, and I could no longer hold back my tears, I saw a spirit of great beauty who spoke these words to me: "Don't cry-says the Lord." After a moment I asked, "Who are you?" He answered me, "I am one of the seven spirits who stand before the throne of God day and night and give Him ceaseless praise." Yet this spirit did not soothe my yearning, but roused me to even greater longing for God. This spirit is very beautiful, and his beauty comes from close union with God. This spirit does not leave me for a single moment, but accompanies me everywhere.

On the following day during Holy Mass, before the Elevation, this spirit began to sing these words: "Holy, Holy, Holy." His voice was like that of a thousand voices; it is impossible to put it into words. Suddenly my spirit was united with God, and in that instant I saw the grandeur and the inconceivable holiness of God and, at the same time, I realized the nothingness I am of myself. (471 Diary of St. Faustina)

Well, it seems that as St. Faustina longed for God, she received the grace of having one of the ministering angels dwell in her heart! And the singing!! Holy, Holy, Holy!!! This is heaven in her heart!

I think when our hearts are clean, Our Lady can give us angels to sing God's praises in our hearts, as they do in heaven. I believe it is possible!! Our Lady wants us to have the grace of divine praise! The angels singing in our hearts, "Holy, Holy, Holy!"

 

Think how blessed we are to have such a Mother who not only wants to protect us under her mantle, and hold us in her arms, but who also wants to give us heaven in our hearts in the form of her angels singing God's praises! What a Mother we have!

 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan

©Mary TV 2017

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

Breaking news from South Sudan – Famine Declared - One million are on the brink of starvation

One million are on the brink of starvation I just donated! Deacon John In South Sudan, mothers are used to hearing babies cry because they are hungry. It is a daily reality.  But imagine the heartbreak of a mother whose baby is too weak to cry. Imagine a mother’s pain because her baby is slowly and silently starving to death. Famine in South Sudan has been declared, the first in any part of the world in six years.  Famine means more than hunger. And the facts are shocking. According to the UN: Nearly five-million people (about 42% of population) are in urgent need of food one-million more on the brink of starvation Emergency support for a family struggling to survive means the difference between living and dying, hope and despair. We need your help to provide emergency relief. We’re working with partners on the ground right now, to support extensive food programs for the most desperate. We cannot stand by while vulnerable women and children in this poor, war-torn country suffer from a man-made tragedy. We cannot stand by and watch women and children die from starvation. Can you? Thank you for protecting the helpless, hearing to their cries and taking action on their behalf. Your gift means life. Help Now Yours in gratitude, CMMB-Healthier Lives Worldwide Our mailing address is: CMMB 100 Wall Street, 9th Floor New York, NY 10005

Mary TV February 22, 2017 Reflection - The Rosary, little children, is especially dear to me!

(c) Mateo Ivankovic 2017

J.M.J.

February 22, 2017

The Chair of St. Peter the Apostle

 

Dear Family of Mary!

"Dear children! God gives me this time as a gift to you, so that I may instruct and lead you on the path of salvation. Dear children, now you do not comprehend this grace, but soon a time will come when you will lament for these messages. That is why, little children, live all of the words which I have given you through this time of grace and renew prayer, until prayer becomes a joy for you. Especially, I call all those who have consecrated themselves to my Immaculate Heart to become an example to others. I call all priests and religious brothers and sisters to pray the rosary and to teach others to pray. The rosary, little children, is especially dear to me. Through the rosary open your heart to me and I am able to help you. Thank you for having responded to my call." August 25, 1997

 

Paul from England has sent us a modern day story of the importance of the Rosary! Thank you, Paul, for this beautiful account of your experience with Our Lady! Paul tells us:

 

I would like to share a beautiful story which happened to me during Christmas 2016 and the New Year 2017.

I, for a number of years, have prayed the Rosary not every day but when I have had time. I have made a conscious effort to pray this wonderful and powerful prayer and I have received so many graces and blessings from saying the Rosary of which I have lost count,

Before Christmas 2016 I purchased a book by Paul de Marco entitled "Fatima 2017". It was during the days leading up to New Year, before bed one evening, that for a split second I doubted the graces associated with the Rosary due to a particular situation for which I hadn't received an answered. This thought was only for a split second in my mind and then I reflected on the many times I have had blessings and graces received through praying the Rosary previously and felt rather bad for questioning the power of this beautiful prayer.

I eventually managed to fall asleep that night and during my sleep I had the most beautiful and vivid dream. I say dream but I believe it was real and sign from Our Lady. I dreamed that I was looking up to the sky and I witnessed flashes of light and the people around me in my dream shouted out that Our Lady had appeared. As I walked around a corner in my dream I witnessed Our Lady in my dream!

As this occurred I seemed to float past and what I can vividly recall is the immense love that engulfed and radiated from Our Lady towards me - to the point that it made me cry. At this point I awoke and tears were actually streaming down my face uncontrollably. I then remembered what Our Lady said in Medugorje: "If you knew how much I love you, you would cry with joy!" (June 21, 1984)This was a sign to me that Our Lady loves each and every one of us and is teaching us to pray the Rosary and encouraging our faith to grow to be closer to Jesus.

Moving forward to New Year's Day 2017... In previous years, I have pulled a saint from my saint bag thanks to Mary TV Resources. I have hundreds of saints all wrapped up like tombola tickets. I had a good rustle and it is said that the Saint picks you. I grasped for my Saint for the year 2017 and opened. The name on my ticket was "Our Lady of Fatima. To pray for a deeper devotion to the Rosary among Christians!"

It is so wonderful to receive this blessing as I had prior to Christmas purchased Paul De Marco's book "Fatima 2017" and had for a split second doubted the power of the Rosary. I aim to pray the Rosary every day and pray for a deeper devotion to the Rosary among Christians.

I will be traveling to Medjugorje for the 4th time in June of this year with my wife, God willing, and I will say a special thank you to Our Lady for her protection, guidance, immense love and Our Lady's gentle push towards her Son Jesus. 

God bless, Paul - England. 

 

 

Our Lady really does want us to understand how precious the Rosary is! It is powerful. It draws our hearts and minds heavenward. Battles are won through our dedicated prayer of the Rosary. Souls are converted, saved, and purified through the Rosary. And God's plan for our time is activated through the Rosary. Our Lady wants us to pray the Rosary daily, as much as possible, so that she lead us to the time of victory in her heart!

 

Pray the Rosary!!

 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan

©Mary TV 2017

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

Mary TV February 21, 2017 Reflection - Pray the Rosary with a living faith!

(c) Mateo Ivankovic 2017

J.M.J.

February 21, 2017

St. Peter Damian

 

Dear Family of Mary!

"Dear children! Today I call you to begin to pray the Rosary with a living faith. That way I will be able to help you. You, dear children, wish to obtain graces, but you are not praying. I am not able to help you because you do not want to get started. Dear children, I am calling you to pray the Rosary and that your Rosary be an obligation which you shall fulfill with joy. That way you shall understand the reason I am with you this long. I desire to teach you to pray. Thank you for having responded to my call." (June 12, 1986)

St. Louis de Montfort shares a story in "The Secret of the Rosary" in which a woman striving after sanctity learned the value of the Rosary. She longed to win graces for herself, but spurned the Rosary until the Lord showed her what she was rejecting!!

Twenty-sixth Rose

Whatever you do, do not be like a certain pious but self-willed lady in Rome, so often referred to by speakers on the Rosary. She was so devout and fervent that she put to shame by her holy life even the strictest religious in the Church.

 

Having decided to ask St. Dominic's advice about her spiritual life, she made her confession to him. For penance he gave her one Rosary to say and advised her to say it every day. She excused herself, saying that she had her regular exercises, that she made the Stations of Rome every day, that she wore sack-cloth as well as a hair-shirt, that she gave herself the discipline several times a week, that she often fasted and did other penances. Saint Dominic urged her over and over again to take his advice and say the Rosary, but she would not hear of it. She left the confessional, horrified at the methods of this new spiritual director who had tried so hard to persuade her to take up a devotion for which she had no taste.

 

Later on, when she was at prayer she fell into ecstasy and had a vision of her soul appearing before the Supreme Judge. Saint Michael put all her penances and other prayers on one side of the scales and all her sins and imperfections on the other. The tray of her good works were greatly outweighed by that of her sins and imperfections.

 

Filled with alarm, she cried for mercy, imploring the help of the Blessed Virgin, her gracious advocate, who took the one and only Rosary she had said for her penance and dropped it on the tray of her good works. This one Rosary was so heavy that it weighed more than all her sins as well as all her good works. Our Lady then reproved her for having refused to follow the counsel of her servant Dominic and for not saying the Rosary every day.

 

As soon as she came to herself she rushed and threw herself at the feet of Saint Dominic and told him all that had happened, begged his forgiveness for her unbelief, and promised to say the Rosary faithfully the glory of everlasting life.

 

You who are people of prayer, learn from this the power, the value and the importance of this devotion of the holy Rosary when it is said with meditation on the mysteries.  (St. Louis de Montfort. "The Secret of the Rosary")

 

May we all pray our Rosary with great trust and devotion. It is a gift from heaven for us, especially us, in these tumultuous days.

 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan

©Mary TV 2017

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

Mary TV February 20, 2017 Reflection - Love your neighbor as yourself!

(c) Mateo Ivankovic 2017

J.M.J.

February 20, 2017

Dear Family of Mary!

The LORD said to Moses,

"Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them:

Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.

"You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart.

Though you may have to reprove your fellow citizen,

do not incur sin because of him.

Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

I am the LORD." (Lv 19:1-2, 17-18)

We have such a Good and Great God. See how He taught His people to love their neighbor through Moses, oh so many years ago!! And see how Jesus taught us to love not only our neighbor but even our enemy!

But I say to you, love your enemies

and pray for those who persecute you,

that you may be children of your heavenly Father,

for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,

and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. (Mt 5: 44-45)

Certainly we want to be like our Heavenly Father. Our Lady has also been calling us to the love that comes from God and is of God. Here are some messages:

December 19, 1985 "Dear children! Today I wish to call you to love of neighbor. The more you love your neighbor, the more you shall experience Jesus especially on Christmas Day. God will bestow great gifts on you if you surrender yourselves to Him. I wish in a special way on Christmas Day to give mothers my own special motherly blessing, and Jesus will bless the rest with His own blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call."

July 2, 2008 "Dear children! With motherly love I desire to encourage you to love your neighbor. Let my Son be the source of that love. He, who could have done everything by force, chose love and gave an example to you. Also today, through me, God expresses to you immeasurable goodness, and you my children are obliged to respond to it. Behave with the same goodness and generosity towards the souls whom you meet. May your love convert them. In that way my Son and His love will arise in you. Thank you.

September 2, 2008 "Dear children, Today, with my motherly heart, I call you gathered around me to love your neighbor. My children, stop. Look in the eyes of your brother and see Jesus, my Son. If you see joy, rejoice with him. If there is pain in the eyes of your brother, with your tenderness and goodness, cast it away, because without love you are lost. Only love is effective; it works miracles. Love will give you unity in my Son and victory of my heart. Therefore, my children, love."

December 2, 2004 "Dear children, I come to you as a mother, who, above all, loves her children. My children, I want to teach you to love! I pray for this! I pray that in each of your neighbors you recognize my Son, because the path to my Son, who is true peace and love, leads you through love towards your neighbors. My children, pray and fast that your hearts be open for this my intention."

November 02, 2013 "Dear children, anew, in a motherly way, I am calling you to love, to continually pray for the gift of love, to love the Heavenly Father above everything. When you love Him you will love yourself and your neighbor. This cannot be separated. The Heavenly Father is in each person. He loves each person and calls each person by name. Therefore, my children, through prayer hearken to the will of the Heavenly Father. Converse with Him. Have a personal relationship with the Father, which will deepen even more your relationship as a community of my children - my apostles. As a mother I desire that, through the love for the Heavenly Father, you may be raised above earthly vanities and may help others to gradually come to know and come closer to the Heavenly Father. My children, pray, pray, pray for the gift of love because 'love' is my Son. Pray for your shepherds that they may always have love for you as my Son had, and showed by giving His life for your salvation. Thank you."

May we embrace this love which the Father, the Son, and the Spirit pour out upon us and which Mary receives and shares. This love will change us. And it will change the world!
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2017

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