Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Mary TV: December 31, 2019 Reflection - New Year's Eve - Let a Saint pick you!


Apparition Hill - where heaven meets earth!
(c) Anthony Zubac/ Mary TV

 
December 31, 2019
Dear Family of Mary!
As 2019 draws to a close, and we enter into a New Year, this is a good time to choose a new saint for 2020!  Our Mary TV family has a tradition of choosing a saint for the year, by printing out a list of saints which is then cut up, so that each saint is presented on a slip of paper.  The saints are then placed in a container.  On New Year's Day the family or prayer group gathers and they pray for each person for a blessing, and the person picks a saint from the container.  That saint is the saint that chooses them!!

Our Lady has encouraged us to take the saints as our examples and to follow their example.  Here is one message:

October 25, 2014 "Dear children! Pray in this time of grace and seek the intercession of all the saints who are already in the light. From day to day may they be an example and encouragement to you on the way of your conversion. Little children, be aware that your life is short and passing. Therefore, yearn for eternity and keep preparing your hearts in prayer. I am with you and intercede before my Son for each of you, especially for those who have consecrated themselves to me and to my Son. Thank you for having responded to my call."


When we choose a saint, we can pray to them every day.  In that way they can become a daily example to us of how to live in the light, and an encouragement on the way to holiness.  It is amazing how meaningful the saint that we receive can be. Here is an example:
 
On the way out of church on Sunday, our parish had baskets of saints prepared for choosing a saint, and each parishioner was invited to choose a saint for 2020.  It was wonderful to see the people praying and then diving into the container to receive their saint.  One man was encouraging his children to choose a saint, and he seemed so excited.  As we passed, he said to us, "This is just wonderful!  I just chose my saint, and guess who it is!!!"  Then he held up the paper and on it was written, "The Sacred Heart of Jesus".  His face was filled with joy and  light!!  Having Jesus as his saint for 2020 was an inexpressible joy!!  He told us he was so very happy, and stunned!! 

Choosing a saint can actually change your life!  So if you haven't started this tradition in your family or parish, I am including a PDF of our list of saints for 2020.  You can print this list out, and cut it up, and then pray together for the saint that will choose you!!
 
Let's not forget that tomorrow is the Feast of the Mother of God.  This title of Mary is so important and earth shaking!!  Let's pray to understand it more and more!  May 2020 be the year the the Mother of God is Crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth for all to see!!

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
(c)Mary TV 2019

Here is the PDF of the list of saints for 2020:
 
 
 
 And here is the link to find the list on our website:

 
 
 




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

Monday, December 30, 2019

Mary TV: December 30, 2019 Reflection - Christmas Homily by Archbishop Hoser


Archbishop Hoser giving the homily at Midnight Mass, 2019

 
December 30, 2019
Dear Family of Mary!

Here is the transcript of the English Translation of the Homily for Midnight Mass at St.James Church, given by Archbishop Hoser.  It is amazing!!

Christmas Midnight Mass
December 24-25, 2019
Papal Visitor - Archbishop Henryk Hoser
 
 
Christ, Son of Justice, was bestowed upon us by the Virgin Mary.
 
Silent Night, Holy Night!
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.
Holy Infant so tender and mild.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace,
Sleep in Heavenly Peace!
 
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters; Parishioners and Dear Pilgrims,
 
The great Christmas Liturgy begins at the threshold of night, at the Vigil Mass. At Midnight, the first solemn mass is celebrated, which is called the Shepherd's Mass, the Midnight Mass. It is followed by the Dawn Mass, the Mass of the Angels. The third mass is the Christmas Day Mass, which is called the Mass of the Kings.
 
Midnight is now upon us. It is a great night! An extraordinary night, during which we keep watch. A night in which we feel nostalgia, in which we rejoice! To us a child is born! To us a son is given!
 
This night is preceded by time of expectation, spiritual and material preparation. Prayer in the Advent and the renewal of the Sacrament of Reconciliation have revived and empowered us. And some even have experienced this here in Medjugorje.
 
There have been three great nights in the history of mankind that preceded this one. The first was the night of creation, when God said, "Let there be light!" And there was light! The second was the night of Abraham, the night of faith, when God said, "Look to the Heavens and count the stars, if you can count them." And then, He added, "So will your descendants be." Thus, Abraham became the father of all believers. The third was the night of the Exodus out of Egypt and the liberation from slavery. On that night, I will pass through the land of Egypt, the Lord will punish all the Egyptian gods as well. We find ourselves in a night of Bethlehem, a Holy Night. After 33 years of the earthly life of the One born this night comes the great night of the Resurrection of the Lord.
 
Why does God honor night so much that He chooses it for such events? There are many reasons. At night, we see light more clearly. Even the smallest light illuminates our darkness. We can also hear better and better understand the word spoken in silence. So, the Light of Christ and His Word reaches us in the night, and in darkness of our soul and our heart.
 
If we are waiting for something in the night, we must keep vigil. Jesus speaks of the coming of the bridegroom. At midnight, the cry rang out, "Here is the bridegroom. Come out to meet him!" Jesus also speaks of the arrival of the thief. Understand this. If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. The coming of the Lord at the end of our lives is equally sudden, unexpected. The Day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.
 
Jesus also gives us the parable of a rich man who enjoys life and trusts in his riches. But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you, and who will get what you have prepared for yourself?"
 
Things can happen secretly in the night. Now, there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, who came to Jesus at night. Oh no! The people who come out of fear, is the church.
 
Tonight, we celebrate the Holy Night full of light. Saint Luke tells us that in the region of Bethlehem, there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby keeping watch over their flocks at night. The Angel of the Lord appeared to them. The Glory of the Lord shone round them, and they were terrified. Night turned into day, because the Glory of the Lord shone through them with the light. Isaiah's prophecy came true. People walking in darkness have seen a great light! On those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned!
 
In the daytime mass, we will hear the words from the beginning of John's gospel that speak of this newborn child. In Him was life, and that life is the light of all mankind. And the light shines in darkness. And the darkness has not overcome it.
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters, let us admit that each of us has experienced painful darkness, and radiant joy. Darkness of reason, the darkness of memory, the darkness of activity, the darkness of suffering of soul and body. There have been times in moments of darkness in the family, at work, at the side of life, that is why we are frightened, concerned, depressive, and desperate. Why are so many young people, even children, committing the drama and disaster of suicide in the very springtime of their lives? Why is this? It is because, we remain in the darkness, spread by the prince of darkness, the prince of world.
 
We must seek the right source of light. And this is the one, the Child born in Bethlehem. He is life! He is the light! He is justice, peace, love and mercy. Without Him, our life goes to ruin. When faith disappears, life's joy disappears, and the meaning of life disappears. He gave Himself to us to redeem us from our wickedness, to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. This is what Saint Titus tells us today.
 
First to get to the stable were shepherds, ordinary and poor people. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news! I will cause great joy for all the peoples. Today in the town of David, a savior has been born to us. He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you, you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the Heavenly Host appeared praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest! And on earth, peace to those on whom His favor rests."
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Fear not! Fear not! Proclaim the good news to the whole world! We are accompanied by the just love of the Lord, of the entire world. Glory to God in the Highest and Peace to His People on earth!
 
Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! And may Peace be with you all! Amen!

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
Mary TV

 
 




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

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Message From Our Lady in Medjugorje to Marija and Jakov - December 25, 2019




"Dear children! I am carrying my Son Jesus to you, for Him to bless you and reveal to you His love, which comes from Heaven. Your heart yearns for peace, of which there is less and less on earth. That is why people are far from God and souls are sick and heading towards spiritual death. I am with you, little children, to lead you on this way of salvation to which God calls you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Annual Apparition to Jakov on December 25th 2019

The apparition began at 2:25 pm and lasted 9 minutes.
Our Lady came with little Jesus in her arms.

Through Jakov, Our Lady gave the following message:
"Dear children, today, on this day of grace, in a special way I am calling you to open your hearts and to implore Jesus to strengthen your faith. Children, through prayer with the heart, faith and works you will come to know what it means to live a sincere Christian life. Often times, children, darkness, pain and crosses overwhelm your hearts. Do not waver in faith and ask 'why' because you think that you are alone and abandoned. Instead, open your hearts, pray and believe firmly and then your heart will feel God's nearness and that God never abandons you - that He is beside you at every moment. Through prayer and faith, God will answer your every 'why' and transform your every pain, darkness and cross into light. Thank you."





Children of Medjugorje, INC, PO Box 18430, Denver, CO 80210
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Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Mary TV: December 24, 2019 Reflection - Christmas Eve 2019!



 
The Cenacolo Christmas Play, Tonight!!
(c)Mateo Ivankovic


 
December 24, 2019
Christmas Eve
Dear Family of Mary!

Today is Christmas Eve!  Mary TV will have a little different schedule today that I want to share with you:

There will be no Hour of Mercy today, because our Team will be very busy arranging for the filming of the Cenacolo Christmas play after the Evening Mass.  There will also not be live Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the little chapel today. 

Our Live programing for Christmas Eve will begin at 4:00 pm

4:00- 5:00 pm - The Daily Rosary with Denis and Cathy

5:00 - 7:15 pm  - the Evening Program (Rosary and Holy Mass)

7:15 - 8:30 pm - The Cenacolo Christmas Play

10:00 - 11:00 pm - Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

11:00 pm to 12:15 am - Midnight Mass at St. James Church! 

I hope you can all join us for these beautiful, prayerful events in Medjugorje!

 In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
 
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019

PS.  On Christmas Day our team in Medjugorje will be at home with their families!  So there will be no live streaming that day, except for Denis and me.  We will do Hour of Mercy and Daily Rosary at the regular time.  Maybe we can pray for our dedicated crew in Medjugorje, that they will be extra blessed this Christmas.  They have done so much for us, to keep us connected with Medjugorje and Our Lady!!
 
Merry and Blessed Christmas!!! 






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

Monday, December 23, 2019

Mary TV: December 23, 2019 Reflection - Christmas Novena Day 9 - Our Lady's blessing



 
Pilgrims bask in the peace of Our Lady on Apparition Hill
(c) Anthony Zubac


 
December 23, 2019
Christmas Novena Day 9
Dear Family of Mary!

Today we pray to accept Our Lady's special blessing which she brings from heaven for us in Medjugorje:

December 25, 1988 "Dear children! I call you to peace. Live it in your heart and all around you, so that all will know peace, peace that does not come from you but from God. Little children, today is a great day. Rejoice with me. Glorify the Nativity of Jesus through the peace that I give you. It is for this peace that I have come as your Mother, Queen of Peace. Today I give you my special blessing. Bring it to all creation, so that all creation will know peace. Thank you for having responded to my call."

In this message Our Lady uses the word "peace" seven times!! In her messages over the years she has used the word "peace" over 500 times! Peace is the central theme for Our Lady of Medjugorje. In this message from 1988 she makes it clear: "It is for this peace that I have come as your Mother, Queen of Peace."

God has sent Our Lady to earth in order to bring peace to His beleaguered children. He once sent His Son, through Mary, to bring peace. That first Christmas night, Jesus was born, the King of Peace. Didn't the angels proclaim it to the shepherds?   

And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.
And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"
 
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." (Luke 2:8-15)

The angels proclaimed "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth PEACE among men with whom he is pleased!"
 
Jesus' coming brought the possibility of peace on earth, something that had not been known since Adam and Eve. Along with sin, there came strife and war. Human relationships were broken, among nations, within nations, in cities and towns, in families, and even within each human heart. Nowhere was there real peace, the peace that comes from God. It just couldn't take root.

Jesus is our peace and gives us peace. And Our Lady has come in these days to teach us how to receive His peace. Her messages are full of sound advice for us in that regard. And along with her messages she brings her blessing. I think that her blessing is the blessing of peace. She says as much in this message:
 
"It is for this peace that I have come as your Mother, Queen of Peace. Today I give you my special blessing. Bring it to all creation, so that all creation will know peace."

Our Lady's blessing is peace. She gives that blessing to all who come to Medjugorje. It is evident. What is the most common comment we hear from pilgrims during and after their pilgrimage? "I have never felt so much peace as I do in Medjugorje." They all feel that peace. It permeates the atmosphere. It fills each heart with calm and quiet. It characterizes every experience. Peace, peace, peace!

This is Our Lady's blessing. It gives the soul a chance to heal. It gives the mind time to process memories and thoughts, and put them in order. It gives the body a chance to heal from stress and overwork. It gives the heart the trust necessary to open to God. This peace is a healing balm. It is Our Lady's presence that brings peace.

And so, today, on the last day of our novena, let's pray for the special blessing of Our Lady! Let's pray for it. We need her blessing very much in these days, so we can carry it to all creation. Now is the time for peace!

Let us pray:
  

May the Virgin Mary help us to open the doors of our hearts to Christ, Redeemer of man and of history; may she teach us to be humble, because God looks upon the lowly; may she enable us to grow in understanding the value of prayer, of inner silence, of listening to God's Word; may she spur us to seek God's will deeply and sincerely, even when this upsets our plans; may she encourage us while we wait for the Lord, sharing our time and energies with those in need.
 
Mother of God, Virgin of expectation, grant that the God-who-comes will find us ready to receive the abundance of his mercy.
 
May Mary Most Holy, "Woman of the Eucharist" and Virgin of Advent, prepare us all to joyfully welcome Christ's coming and to celebrate worthily his sacramental presence in the mystery of the Eucharist. Amen -St. John Paul II
 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019






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

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Mary TV: December 22, 2019 Reflection - Christmas Novena Day 8 - Encourage each other!



The Holy Family as presented in the Cenacolo Christmas Play 2017
(c) Mateo Ivankovic


 
December 22, 2019
Christmas Novena Day 8

Dear Family of Mary!

Today we pray that we will have courage and become an encouragement to others. We live in difficult times, and it is a temptation to flag in our zeal. But Our Lady is with us to encourage us, and wants us to turn and encourage each other. Here is our message:

December 25, 2001 "Dear children! I call you today and encourage you to prayer for peace. Especially today I call you, carrying the newborn Jesus in my arms for you, to unite with Him through prayer and to become a sign to this peaceless world. Encourage each other, little children, to prayer and love. May your faith be an encouragement to others to believe and to love more. I bless you all and call you to be closer to my heart and to the heart of little Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call."

I think it is important that Our Lady brought Baby Jesus with her on Christmas Day, 2001. She was reminding us of something. We know that little ones in their complete dependence, draw out of their parents an extreme form of courage. Parents with tiny ones never really sleep, they always have one eye open, in case their child would need them. There is a constant vigilance for parents of newborns. Talk about courage! Talk about being signs of encouragement to others. Such self-sacrifice makes those who know them marvel. Such love!!

I wonder if Our Lady wants us to remember the courage it took for her to give birth to Jesus and raise Him in such difficult circumstances. She was the most courageous of all parents. She gave birth in a stable. She was far from her family and had no one but Joseph to help her. She had to flee Bethlehem to protect little Jesus from Herod's men who were sent to kill Him. She and Joseph lived with Baby Jesus as refugees in Egypt for many months, until it was safe to return to Nazareth. They were poor, hardworking people with no status. Mary had much to be vigilant about, but she had courage, because she had complete trust in the Father and total love for her Infant Son and she knew the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

She would never boast about it, but Mary showed incredible courage and in that courage became an encouragement for others. Now she encourages us so much, if we meditate on her life. In turn, she wants us to encourage each other. We need to cheer one another on in the journey we are taking together through life. We need to smile at each other; say words of truth, hope and love; serve one another kindly and generously, and just be good to each other. This is the most basic way to encourage others. But mostly we need to share our faith with others. They need it so much.

May the incredible courage of Mary, as she mothered little Jesus, encourage us as we face the difficulties of our day. May we respond with trust and love, and turn to encourage our neighbors.

Let us pray:

May the Virgin Mary help us to open the doors of our hearts to Christ, Redeemer of man and of history; may she teach us to be humble, because God looks upon the lowly; may she enable us to grow in understanding the value of prayer, of inner silence, of listening to God's Word; may she spur us to seek God's will deeply and sincerely, even when this upsets our plans; may she encourage us while we wait for the Lord, sharing our time and energies with those in need.
Mother of God, Virgin of expectation, grant that the God-who-comes will find us ready to receive the abundance of his mercy.
May Mary Most Holy, "Woman of the Eucharist" and Virgin of Advent, prepare us all to joyfully welcome Christ's coming and to celebrate worthily his sacramental presence in the mystery of the Eucharist.   -St. John Paul II
 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019




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

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Mary TV: December 21, 2019 Reflection - Christmas Novena Day 7 - Seeking and Yearning!



My soul yearns for thee in the night,
my spirit within me earnestly seeks thee.

(c) Anthony Zubac 2018

    
 
 
December 21, 2019
Christmas Novena Day 7

Dear Family of Mary!

Today we ask for the grace to yearn for peace and to seek it! Our Lady tells us that we must pray, pray, pray if we want our yearning to be fulfilled.

December 25, 1998 "Dear children! In this Christmas joy I desire to bless you with my blessing. In a special way, little children, I give you the blessing of little Jesus. May He fill you with His peace. Today, little children, you do not have peace and yet you yearn for it. That is why, with my Son Jesus, on this day I call you to pray, pray, pray, because without prayer you do not have joy or peace or a future. Yearn for peace and seek it, for God is true peace. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Our Lady tells us it is good to yearn. It is important to seek. We must desire what is most important and in our hearts hold vigil for it. Seeking is a function of hope. We receive hope from the Lord, the true hope which is based on our true destiny of life with God for eternity. Hope is hope when it is hope for God. It is the same with yearning and seeking. We yearn for Jesus; we pine for Him. We need Him more than life itself. This is proper yearning.

It is interesting that Our Lady brings Baby Jesus with her on Christmas Day. She brings the source of all our hope, the object of all our yearning and the one we seek. She brings Him to bless us and to give us His peace. Everything is there for us on that day!

But we know that we cannot rest on the grace of one day. We must live our lives. And in doing so, it is through prayer that we will find what our hearts desire. We will find union with Jesus, and true peace. Our Lady says, "That is why, with my Son Jesus, on this day I call you to pray, pray, pray, because without prayer you do not have joy or peace or a future." Prayer helps us to express our yearning and our seeking.

Prayer helps us connect with the Lord, who is the answer to all our yearning and seeking. And prayer opens our hearts to the graces the Lord wants to give us so that we can travel through this world of time and space, and finally enter the eternal Kingdom of Heaven for which we yearn.

Yearning and seeking is indeed what fills much of the Old Testament. Our older brothers, the Hebrew people, yearned for God and sought Him as best they could. We can pray as they did. They show us how to express the depths of our hearts to God. Jesus will always answer such prayer.  

My soul yearns for thee in the night,
my spirit within me earnestly seeks thee.
For when thy judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. (Isa 63:9)

It is good to seek the Lord, to yearn for Him. It is this kind of prayer that will keep us moving in the right direction!!

Let us pray:

May the Virgin Mary help us to open the doors of our hearts to Christ, Redeemer of man and of history; may she teach us to be humble, because God looks upon the lowly; may she enable us to grow in understanding the value of prayer, of inner silence, of listening to God's Word; may she spur us to seek God's will deeply and sincerely, even when this upsets our plans; may she encourage us while we wait for the Lord, sharing our time and energies with those in need.

Mother of God, Virgin of expectation, grant that the God-who-comes will find us ready to receive the abundance of his mercy.

May Mary Most Holy, "Woman of the Eucharist" and Virgin of Advent, prepare us all to joyfully welcome Christ's coming and to celebrate worthily his sacramental presence in the mystery of the Eucharist.
-St. John Paul II

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019
 




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

Friday, December 20, 2019

Mary TV: December 20, 2019 Reflection - Christmas Novena Day 6 - Conversion


A Pilgrim leans on the Risen Christ Statue in prayer!
(c) Anthony Zubac

    
 
 
December 20, 2019 Christmas Novena Day 6 - Conversion

Dear Family of Mary!

Even on Christmas Day Our Lady spoke about conversion. Every day, it seems, is a day to convert. As the Psalmist says: "
O that today you would hearken to his voice! Harden not your hearts" (Ps 95:7-8)! God speaks to us every day, calling us to turn to Him, to follow Him, to listen to Him, to love Him. O, that on this day and every day, may we listen and turn, which is to convert. Even on Christmas Day, and maybe especially on Christmas Day, we are called to conversion, because we are shown our Savior, come as a little Child, to lead us in our turning back to God!

Our Lady has told us:
December 25, 2002 "Dear children! This is a time of great graces, but also a time of great trials for all those who desire to follow the way of peace. Because of that, little children, again I call you to pray, pray, pray, not with words but with the heart. Live my messages and be converted. Be conscious of this gift that God has permitted me to be with you, especially today when in my arms I have little Jesus - the King of Peace. I desire to give you peace, and that you carry it in your hearts and give it to others until God's peace begins to rule the world. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Our Mother has been sent by God to us in this time, to give us peace, and to help us convert and find our way to God. She has come amidst great turmoil on the earth. Never has godlessness been so prevalent. Never have so many suffered so much at the hands of evil. Into this turmoil, the Queen of Peace is descending, bringing the King of Peace in her arms. She has come to help us live every day in conversion of heart and great prayer.
This is a time of great stress, but of even greater grace. May we use every moment to convert, to turn to God. We may in fact turn the tide as well, and bring a time of peace as Our Lady wishes and desires.

Let us pray:
 
May the Virgin Mary help us to open the doors of our hearts to Christ, Redeemer of man and of history; may she teach us to be humble, because God looks upon the lowly; may she enable us to grow in understanding the value of prayer, of inner silence, of listening to God's Word; may she spur us to seek God's will deeply and sincerely, even when this upsets our plans; may she encourage us while we wait for the Lord, sharing our time and energies with those in need.

Mother of God, Virgin of expectation, grant that the God-who-comes will find us ready to receive the abundance of his mercy.

May Mary Most Holy, "Woman of the Eucharist" and Virgin of Advent, prepare us all to joyfully welcome Christ's coming and to celebrate worthily His sacramental presence in the mystery of the Eucharist. -St. John Paul II
 
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019




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

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Mary TV: December 19, 2019 Reflection - Christmas Novena Day 5 - May the King of Peace bless you today


May the King of Peace bless you today and give you peace!
(c) Mateo Ivankovic 2017
    
 
 
December 19, 2019
Christmas Novena Day 5 - Peace

Dear Family of Mary!

Today we pray for peace. Our Lady has come as the Queen of Peace in Medjugorje. Her focus throughout these 38 years has been to establish peace.
"Dear children! Today I rejoice with you and I am praying with you for peace: peace in your hearts, peace in your families, peace in your desires, peace in the whole world. May the King of Peace bless you today and give your peace. I bless you and I carry each one of you in my heart. Thank you for having responded to my call."
(December 25, 1994)    
 
Our Lady shows us the hierarchy of peace in this message. Peace does not start with governments and the powerful people. Peace is not a political agenda. Peace is far more personal and difficult than that.

Our Lady says that she is praying for us for peace. This is amazing! She is intimately connected to us, as our Mother and our intercessor! Her prayers are probably what is keeping us afloat.

But her list of objectives for peace teaches us so much:

Peace in your hearts: Our Lady begins here. In our hearts. There will be no peace in the world if there is not peace in our hearts. And there will be no peace in our hearts unless we take responsibility for it. No one can make us peaceful. We must choose to build peace in our hearts. With God's forgiveness and help, and Our Lady's prayers, we must make peace in our hearts, through forgiveness of all who have wounded us, through humility and profound repentance for our sins, through letting go of our past and embracing God's future for us, and for choosing love, we can make peace in our hearts. Peace in our hearts is a daily process in which we surrender to God our entire self, and joyfully let Him lead us!

Peace in your families: As we build peace in our hearts, it will spread to our families. Forgiveness, generosity, repentance, humility, and love coming from us can heal many wounds in our families. And prayer for our families can change so much. We can take the first step for peace in our families, and then God can do the rest!

Peace in your desires: This is always a sure sign of our conversion, when we begin to desire what makes for peace. God knows what will make peace in our lives and in the world. He knows how we fit into the grand scheme. So if we turn to Him to give us His desires for us, we will help to build peace all around us. It is a matter of choosing the life we were destined to live!

Peace in the whole world: It seems impossible that by building peace in my small and unimportant life, I can help to change the whole world. But it is true, because we are each very important to Our Lady's plan. Peace depends on each one of us. God loves and respects each of us so much that He would have it no other way. We are all part of His great plan for peace.

May the King of Peace bless you today and give you peace!

Let us pray:
    
May the Virgin Mary help us to open the doors of our hearts to Christ, Redeemer of man and of history; may she teach us to be humble, because God looks upon the lowly; may she enable us to grow in understanding the value of prayer, of inner silence, of listening to God's Word; may she spur us to seek God's will deeply and sincerely, even when this upsets our plans; may she encourage us while we wait for the Lord, sharing our time and energies with those in need.
Mother of God, Virgin of expectation, grant that the God-who-comes will find us ready to receive the abundance of his mercy.
May Mary Most Holy, "Woman of the Eucharist" and Virgin of Advent, prepare us all to joyfully welcome Christ's coming and to celebrate worthily his sacramental presence in the mystery of the Eucharist.
(St. John Paul II)
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019
 
 




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


Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Mary TV: December 18, 2019 Reflection - Christmas Novena Day 4 - Open your heart to God!


  Open your hearts to Jesus!
(c) Mateo Ivankovic 2017
    
 
 
December 18, 2019
Christmas Novena Day 4
Dear Family of Mary!

Open your heart to Jesus! This is Our Lady's constant plea:
 
December 25, 1987 "Dear children! Rejoice with me! My heart is rejoicing because of Jesus and today I want to give Him to you. Dear children, I want each one of you to open your heart to Jesus and I will give Him to you with love. Dear children, I want Him to change you, to teach you and to protect you. Today I am praying in a special way for each one of you and I am presenting you to God so He will manifest Himself in you. I am calling you to sincere prayer with the heart so that every prayer of yours may be an encounter with God. In your work and in your everyday life, put God in the first place. I call you today with great seriousness to obey me and to do as I am calling you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

It seems that Our Lady knows that our hearts are rarely open to God. We are prone to closing them up, even locking them and hiding the key. We might think that it is safer to be locked away, to be in hiding, as it were, from God and probably everyone else. We have experienced the shock of being misunderstood, abused or rejected by others. We know how sad and ashamed this rejection can make us feel. Doesn't it make sense to just close our hearts and hide away?
 
Sin has created this inclination. Adam and Eve hid from God after they disobeyed Him. They knew that they had blown it, but somehow, hiding offered them a way out. They were afraid to meet God in the Garden after their eyes had been opened to sin, and to their own nakedness (which signifies their vulnerability).
So, like our first parents, we also sin and hide, or experience others sinning against us, and hide. We just want to be safe inside. Our Lady knows this. And so she calls to us, "Dear children, I want each one of you to open your heart to Jesus and I will give Him to you with love." This is Our Lady's offer. If we will take a chance to open our hearts, she will place Baby Jesus in them. Who is afraid of a tiny baby? Who would want to hide from the New Born King? Baby Jesus is the key to healing our need to hide from God. He is a Baby!! He comes to receive our love and to entrust Himself to us! His presence in our hearts will heal them of shame and guilt and fear and loneliness.

Come, Baby Jesus, and enter my heart and never leave it!!!

Let us pray:
May the Virgin Mary help us to open the doors of our hearts to Christ, Redeemer of man and of history; may she teach us to be humble, because God looks upon the lowly; may she enable us to grow in understanding the value of prayer, of inner silence, of listening to God's Word; may she spur us to seek God's will deeply and sincerely, even when this upsets our plans; may she encourage us while we wait for the Lord, sharing our time and energies with those in need.
Mother of God, Virgin of expectation, grant that the God-who-comes will find us ready to receive the abundance of his mercy

May Mary Most Holy, "Woman of the Eucharist" and Virgin of Advent, prepare us all to joyfully welcome Christ's coming and to celebrate worthily his sacramental presence in the mystery of the Eucharist.   -St. John Paul II


We can add our Rosary to these prayers as part of the Novena!

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019


 




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

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Mary TV: December 17, 2019 Reflection - Christmas Novena Day 3-- Hope!


  Priests and religious at Mirjana's Apparition exercising the gift of hope!
(c) Mateo Ivankovic 2017
    
 
 
December 17, 2019
Christmas Novena Day 3 - Hope!
Dear Family of Mary!
Today we are praying for an increase in our hope. Hope can be a tricky virtue to understand. We can think that hope has to do with achieving or receiving the things we think we need in this life. We can set God up as the one who will give us what we hope for, forgetting that God has a much bigger plan in mind and that our hoped for desires may actually be detrimental to us. The Catechism tells us:

Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. (CCC 1817)

The hope that comes from God is a gift that helps to purify our desires! We start to want the things of heaven more than the things of earth. We start to have a fire in our hearts for Jesus and His love which burns away all our lower desires and helps us to see our life in terms of eternity.
The Virtue of Hope sets our eyes on God. It shows us what is awaiting us, and keeps us positive and moving ahead because we know that God is faithful and will not let us down. Our hope is secure in God!
It is nearly impossible to live without hope. So that is what the enemy does to us, takes away all hope, because we lose sight of what we should be hoping for and feel only the loss of the things of earth.
In this message Our Lady gives us everything we need for a solid Hope:
December 25, 2016 "Dear children! With great joy, today I am carrying my Son Jesus to you, for Him to give you His peace. Open your hearts, little children, and be joyful that you can receive it. Heaven is with you and is fighting for peace in your hearts, in the families and in the world; and you, little children, help with your prayers for it to be so. I bless you with my Son Jesus and call you not to lose hope; and for your gaze and heart to always be directed towards Heaven and eternity. In this way, you will be open to God and to His plans. Thank you for having responded to my call."

How can we lose hope when we have such a Mother!! How can we lose hope when Jesus is our Brother and Lord?
 
Let us pray:
 
May the Virgin Mary help us to open the doors of our hearts to Christ, Redeemer of man and of history; may she teach us to be humble, because God looks upon the lowly; may she enable us to grow in understanding the value of prayer, of inner silence, of listening to God's Word; may she spur us to seek God's will deeply and sincerely, even when this upsets our plans; may she encourage us while we wait for the Lord, sharing our time and energies with those in need.

Mother of God, Virgin of expectation, grant that the God-who-comes will find us ready to receive the abundance of his mercy.

May Mary Most Holy, "Woman of the Eucharist" and Virgin of Advent, prepare us all to joyfully welcome Christ's coming and to celebrate worthily his sacramental presence in the mystery of the Eucharist.   -St. John Paul II

We can add our Rosary to these prayers as part of the Novena!

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019
 




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


Monday, December 16, 2019

December 16, 2019 Reflection - Christmas Novena Day 2- Joy!


 
         
The joy of this little one is an image of the joy that Baby Jesus can give to us if we open ourselves to Him this Christmas! 

(c) Anthony Zubac
 

December 16, 2019

Dear Family of Mary!

Today we will pray for the gift of joy! Our Lady has often encouraged us to be joyful. Here is one message:

"Dear children! Today I am with you in a special way, holding little Jesus in my lap and I invite you, little children, to open yourselves to His call. He calls you to joy. Little children, joyfully live the messages of the Gospel, which I am repeating in the time since I am with you. Little children, I am your Mother and I desire to reveal to you the God of love and the God of peace. I do not desire for your life to be in sadness but that it be realized in joy for eternity, according to the Gospel. Only in this way will your life have meaning. Thank you for having responded to my call. (December 25, 1996)

Baby Jesus calls us to joy!!! Is it not true that babies call us to joy? You cannot look upon a little one without smiling inside and out. Their innocence, their inquisitiveness, their openness and trust, their beauty, everything about them calls forth a response of joyful delight in us. How much more does the Baby Jesus evoke joy in our souls as we behold Him in His Nativity in Bethlehem.
Our Lady brings Jesus to us in a special way at Christmas. In this apparition, she was holding Him on her lap. She wants us to be intimate with Her Son. This is all she desires, to bring us into close proximity to Him, and to let His pure love penetrate us to the depths.

May we meditate on the Infant Jesus every day of this novena and every day afterwards. Baby Jesus is calling us to joy! May we respond to His call with open hearts and trust! Let us pray:
May the Virgin Mary help us to open the doors of our hearts to Christ, Redeemer of man and of history; may she teach us to be humble, because God looks upon the lowly; may she enable us to grow in understanding the value of prayer, of inner silence, of listening to God's Word; may she spur us to seek God's will deeply and sincerely, even when this upsets our plans; may she encourage us while we wait for the Lord, sharing our time and energies with those in need.
Mother of God, Virgin of expectation, grant that the God-who-comes will find us ready to receive the abundance of his mercy.
May Mary Most Holy, "Woman of the Eucharist" and Virgin of Advent, prepare us all to joyfully welcome Christ's coming and to celebrate worthily his sacramental presence in the mystery of the Eucharist.   -St. John Paul II

We can add our Rosary to these prayers as part of the Novena!

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019




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

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Mary TV: December 15, 2019 Reflection - Christmas Novena Day 1

 
 
The parish arrives at the Apparition Site on Mt. Podbrdo!     

(c) Anthony Zubac
 

December 15, 2019
Christmas Novena Day One

Dear Family of Mary!

Today we begin the Christmas Novena with the Parish of St. James! Our team will climb with the parishioners each day, praying the Rosary and preparing for Jesus' Birth. The climb is at 2:00 pm each day. Then at 3:00 pm Mary TV will pray the Hour of Mercy, including our novena prayers. www.marytv.tv 

Here are our prayers for today:

Christmas Novena Day 1
The Gift of Faith

"Dear children! I call you today and encourage you to prayer for peace. Especially today I call you, carrying the newborn Jesus in my arms for you, to unite with Him through prayer and to become a sign to this peaceless world. Encourage each other, little children, to prayer and love. May your faith be an encouragement to others to believe and to love more. I bless you all and call you to be closer to my heart and to the heart of little Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call." (December 25, 2001)
 
Our Lady desires that our faith will be an encouragement to others! Our faith can be contagious! Think of how the shepherds' faith grew when they saw the angels singing and praising God on Christmas night, and then found the New Born Baby Jesus in the stable! They must have left, changed forever! A King, born in a stable? A Child, so poor and small who would rule the world one day!

May we allow little Jesus to increase our faith this Christmas too! Let us pray:

    
May the Virgin Mary help us to open the doors of our hearts to Christ, Redeemer of man and of history; may she teach us to be humble, because God looks upon the lowly; may she enable us to grow in understanding the value of prayer, of inner silence, of listening to God's Word; may she spur us to seek God's will deeply and sincerely, even when this upsets our plans; may she encourage us while we wait for the Lord, sharing our time and energies with those in need.
Mother of God, Virgin of expectation, grant that the God-who-comes will find us ready to receive the abundance of his mercy.
May Mary Most Holy, "Woman of the Eucharist" and Virgin of Advent, prepare us all to joyfully welcome Christ's coming and to celebrate worthily his sacramental presence in the mystery of the Eucharist.  (St. John Paul II)
Now let us pray the 7-7-7 prayer, or the Rosary as we have time!

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019
 

 




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