Mother Mary said at Fatima: "My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the sure way which will lead you to God." St. Thomas Aquinas said: "The things we love tell us who we are!" With that in mind, I will try to post each day something about Our Blessed Lady, items about the Holy Roman Catholic Church, and public domain Catholic books too! I pray you enjoy my ministry!
Below are two albums of pictures that I created:
1. Our grand daughter Adrianna.
2. Tears of Mary!
"Dear children! In this time of grace, I desire to see your faces
transformed in prayer. You are so flooded by earthly concerns; you do
not even feel that spring is at the threshold. You are called, little
children, to penance and prayer. As nature fights in silence for new
life, also you are called to open yourselves in prayer to God, in Whom
you will find the peace and warmth of the spring sun in your hearts.
Thank you for having responded to my call." (February 25, 2020)
This wonderful message is a call to joy! Our Lady wants us to be
transformed by our prayer, freed from our earthly concerns, filled with
new life and basking in the peace and warmth of the spring sun, Her Son,
in our hearts. She wants us to live the joy and peace of a relationship
with God. That is what our Lenten practices are meant to accomplish. And so she tells us we must pray and do penance. It sounds quite dire, but in fact prayer and penance lead to joy!! Let's pray Psalm 51 together to help us respond to Our Lady's call to prayer and penance! Psalm 51 Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
February 27, 2020 Dear Family of Mary! As we
begin our Lenten pilgrimage, we are called by God to make a choice. It
is the choice for life or for death. It is up to us. Each one of us. Do
we want to accept the gift of life He has given us, or do we turn from
God and His ways, which means choosing death? For truly there is only
life in God, to reject Him and His ways removes us from our life
source. We have free will. It is vital we choose. Here is the first
reading for today's Mass from Deuteronomy 30: Moses said to the people: "Today
I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom. If you obey
the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today,
loving him, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments,
statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous and the LORD, your
God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy.
If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led
astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will
certainly perish; you will not have a long life on the land that you are
crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy.
I
call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before
you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that
you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding
his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a
long life for you to live on the land that the LORD swore he would give
to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." (Dt 30: 15-20) Our Lady speaks in the same way in these two powerful messages:
March 25, 1996 "Dear
children! I invite you to decide again to love God above all else. In
this time when due to the spirit of consumerism one forgets what it
means to love and to cherish true values, I invite you again, little
children, to put God in the first place in your life. Do not let satan
attract you through material things but, little children, decide for God
who is freedom and love. Choose life and not death of the soul, little
children, and in this time when you meditate upon the suffering and
death of Jesus I invite you to decide for life which blossomed through
the Resurrection, and that your life may be renewed today through
conversion that shall lead you to eternal life. Thank you for having
responded to my call..."
March 18, 2003 "Dear
children! Particularly at this holy time of penance and prayer, I call
you to make a choice. God gave you free will to choose life or death.
Listen to my messages with the heart that you may become cognizant of
what you are to do and how you will find the way to life. My children,
without God you can do nothing; do not forget this even for a single
moment. For, what are you and what will you be on earth, when you will
return to it again? Do not anger God; but follow me to life. Thank you
for being here."
What a blessing it is that we who hear these words are alive today. We
can choose once more the gift of life God has given us and choose to
support life for our brothers and sisters, from the newly conceived to
the oldest among us. "I call you to make a choice. God gave you free will to choose life or death."
Dearest Mother, help us to understand that life is a beautiful gift
from God that we must choose to accept. God wants us to be partners with
Him in the path of life which can only happen if we obey Him. Help us
to choose life! In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
"Dear
children! In this time of grace, I desire to see your faces transformed
in prayer. You are so flooded by earthly concerns; you do not even feel
that spring is at the threshold. You are called, little children, to
penance and prayer. As nature fights in silence for new life, also you
are called to open yourselves in prayer to God, in Whom you will find
the peace and warmth of the spring sun in your hearts. Thank you for
having responded to my call." (February 25, 2020)
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
March 18, 2015 "Dear
children! With a full heart I am asking you, I am imploring you
children: cleanse your hearts of sin and lift them up to God and to
eternal life. I am imploring you: be vigilant and open for truth. Do not
permit for all that is of this earth to distance you from the true
cognition of the contentment in the communion with my Son. I am leading
you on the way of true wisdom, because only with true wisdom can you
come to know true peace and the true good. Do not waste time asking for
signs of the Heavenly Father, because He has already given you the
greatest sign, which is my Son. Therefore, my children, pray so that the
Holy Spirit can lead you into truth, can help you to come to know it,
and through that knowledge of the truth that you may be one with the
Heavenly Father and with my Son. That is the cognition which gives
happiness on earth and opens the door of eternal life and infinite love.
Thank you."
Our Lady has given us many
signs of her presence and love, but she doesn't want us to stop at
signs, but to move forward in her love. She wants us to recognize the
greatest sign, which is Jesus! Fr. Bill Elder gave a very beautiful
homily on this subject, signs. It was on February 18, 2020, and
Stephanie has transcribed it for us!! I share it here and you can also
hear Fr. Bill give the homily in the English Mass in Medjugorje archive. Fr. Bill Elder:
PS.
(I know I keep sharing this information, but I want to be sure everyone
sees this beautiful opportunity!!) Mike Nolan is leading a pilgrimage
to Medjugorje from April 13 to 22, 2020! Denis and I will be joining
the group! There is still room for more pilgrims. Join us!! Here is
Mike's contact information and website:
February 21, 2020 St. Peter Damian, Bishop, Doctor of the Church Dear Family of Mary! Friday, August 6, 1982 (Feast of the Transfiguration) A response to questions which were asked concerning Confession:
"One
must invite people to go to Confession each month, especially the first
Saturday. Here I have not spoken about it yet. I have invited people to
frequent Confession. I will give you yet some concrete messages for our
time. Be patient because the time has not yet come. Do what I have told
you. They are numerous who do not observe it. Monthly Confession will
be a remedy for the Church in the West. One must convey this message to
the West."
Fr. Leon speaks about the 5 Stones of Our Lady - the Fifth Stone - Confession: The last stone is Holy Confession. Our Lady says:
"Got to Confession at least once a month. Make a sincere and humble
confession of all our sins. If the West went to Confession at least once
a month, whole regions of the West would be converted."
Now, to confess your sins, I have a little formula that will help you.
All you have to do is remember these three words and you will know how
to confess. The sentence is: CONFESS YOUR SINS. And by emphasizing each word you will see.
1. Confess. It has to be a confession. If you come and say "Father,
maybe I did this, maybe I did that." The priest may be thinking: "Maybe I
absolve you, maybe I don't." 2. Confess YOUR sins. They must
be yours. "Father, my husband makes me so mad. He's such an idiot. I
think he does it deliberately. Still he is not as bad as my
daughter-in-law. Oh, I don't like her. I don't like the way she is
raising my grandkids. Still she's a saint compared to my pastor. He's
doing all these old-fashioned things; I don't like it." OK. You only
confess other people's sins, I am happy to absolve them, but you can go
to hell...Remember, confess YOUR OWN sins. Life is too short.
3. Confess your SINS. Do not confess emotions, feelings, sentiments.
Confess sins. "Father, my brother is an addict, and I didn't give him
any money. Now I feel so bad." Father says, "You did the right thing."
"I know but I feel so bad." "Well you did the right thing." "I know, but
I still feel so bad." "Well you need therapy." Do not confess feelings.
Resist the temptation to tell stories. (I'm saying this on
behalf of all the priests.) "Father, last Tuesday, no I tell a lie, it
was Bingo night, I remember. The doorbell rang and I went to look
through the peep hole, and it was my friend, Betty. And I was so
frightened I went out my back door, and put on my brown shoes, not my
black ones, then I leapt over the hedge into the alleyway. And in the
meanwhile, Betty ran around back, and she caught me, and she said, 'Oh
Mildred, you are wearing your brown shoes, not your black shoes.'" You
know while you do all this, the poor priest is there thinking, why are
you telling me this, was it a fashion faux pas? Just confess your sins.
You don't have to tell the whole story. And one last thing. I
want you to remember that confession is not just the forgiveness of
sins, it is God giving us His grace, to change us. It is really like a
spiritual ATM Machine. What if an ATM was just throwing out all this
money? And you can take as much as you can carry. If you knew this how
often would you go? How many would go every day? A few honest people.
Everyone would go every day!! If you would do this for rotten treasure,
how much more would you go for treasure in heaven, where thieves cannot
break in and steal, and moths cannot destroy. So, remember
that in Confession God gives us the grace to change our lives. Don't be
afraid of Confession. The priests do not care about your sins. We don't
remember you. We don't look at you and think, "Oh your dirty past, I
know what you have been up to." No, we do not. I'll tell you the truth,
when someone confesses their sins, I think how holy they are. When
someone comes in and tells me how holy they are, it makes me sad. Then
you are closed to grace. And people do that. They tell you "I'm
amazing!!" Don't do that. Just confess your sins humbly. If
you find it hard to confess it is probably because you are not going
often enough. If I go skiing every 7 years, am I going to be a world
class skier? No! If you don't confess your sins regularly, you are not
going to be good at confessing. But don't be afraid of it. And do not
worry about what the priest thinks. We do not care. And besides all of
you go to the next parish to confess, right? I know. I was a pastor
once. These are the Five Stones: Pray with the Heart. Pray the Rosary from the Heart. Holy Mass. Prepare for it and make a thanksgiving. Receive Christ in a state of grace. Holy Bible. Read it every day. Fast
on Wednesdays and Fridays. Pray for the grace to be able to fast. And
in case you are wondering, she means 24 hours - all of Wednesday, all of
Friday. Bread. People ask me can I have raisins on it, or oatmeal.
Bread (which is not cake) and water (which is not vodka or gin). Confession. At least once a month, or if you need to go more often, then more often. Humbly confess all your sins.
These are the Five Stones. The are Our Lady's simple way of converting
us. And actually, if you look in the Catechism, in the section on
conversion, you will see the Five Stones listed there. But she said this
before the Catechism was written. Our Lady has a very simple way to
lead us to Jesus. Don't think of it as boring or difficult. Do it! Do it
while you have the time. Because we don't know how much time is left to
us. I'm not talking about the apocalypse; I just mean that you might be
crossing a road and be knocked down and die. It could be the end of the
world for us personally any day, today. It could be my last day. But
live in such a way that you are ready to go. Whenever that moment might
be. Then you might find that you are living without worrying about
anything anymore. God bless you. God love you.
Thank
you, Fr. Leon! Such practical advice to us as we review the Five
Stones. Confession is a hallmark of Our Lady's program in Medjugorje. It
is as if the Heavenly ATM is pouring out forgiveness non-stop all
around the Church! Here are some messages in which Our Lady calls us to
Confession. This Stone is a hidden treasure for us all. Confession is
Fantastic!!!
March 24, 1985 (Sunday) "Today I
wish to call you all to confession, even if you have confessed a few
days ago. I wish that you all experience my feast day within yourselves.
But you cannot experience it unless you abandon yourselves completely
to God. Therefore, I am inviting you all to reconciliation with God!"
January 25, 1995 "Dear
children! I invite you to open the door of your heart to Jesus as the
flower opens itself to the sun. Jesus desires to fill your hearts with
peace and joy. You cannot, little children, realize peace if you are not
at peace with Jesus. Therefore, I invite you to confession so Jesus may
be your truth and peace. So, little children, pray to have the strength
to realize what I am telling you. I am with you and I love you. Thank
you for having responded to my call."
November 25, 1998
"Dear children! Today I call you to prepare yourselves for the coming
of Jesus. In a special way, prepare your hearts. May holy Confession be
the first act of conversion for you and then, dear children, decide for
holiness. May your conversion and decision for holiness begin today and
not tomorrow. Little children, I call you all to the way of salvation
and I desire to show you the way to Heaven. That is why, little
children, be mine and decide with me for holiness. Little children,
accept prayer with seriousness and pray, pray, pray. Thank you for
having responded to my call."
November 25, 2002 "Dear
children! I call you also today to conversion. Open your heart to God,
little children, through Holy Confession and prepare your soul so that
little Jesus can be born anew in your heart. Permit Him to transform you
and lead you on the way of peace and joy. Little children, decide for
prayer. Especially now, in this time of grace, may your heart yearn for
prayer. I am close to you and intercede before God for all of you. Thank
you for having responded to my call."
February 25, 2007 "Dear
children! Open your heart to God's mercy in this Lenten time. The
heavenly Father desires to deliver each of you from the slavery of sin.
Therefore, little children, make good use of this time and through
meeting with God in confession, leave sin and decide for holiness. Do
this out of love for Jesus, who redeemed you all with his blood, that
you may be happy and in peace. Do not forget, little children: your
freedom is your weakness, therefore follow my messages with seriousness.
Thank you for having responded to my call."
November 25, 2012 "Dear
children! In this time of grace, I call all of you to renew prayer.
Open yourselves to Holy Confession so that each of you may accept my
call with the whole heart. I am with you and I protect you from the ruin
of sin, but you must open yourselves to the way of conversion and
holiness, that your heart may burn out of love for God. Give Him time
and He will give Himself to you and thus, in the will of God you will
discover the love and the joy of living. Thank you for having responded
to my call."
March 25, 2014 "Dear
children! I am calling you anew: begin the battle against sin as in the
first days, go to confession and decide for holiness. The love of God
will begin to flow through you into the world, peace will begin to rule
in your hearts and God's blessing will fill you. I am with you and
intercede for all of you before my Son Jesus. Thank you for having
responded to my call." July 2, 2007 "Dear
children! In the great love of God, I come to you today to lead you on
the way of humility and meekness. The first station on that way, my
children, is confession. Reject your arrogance and kneel down before my
Son. Comprehend, my children, that you have nothing and you can do
nothing. The only thing that you have and that you possess is sin... Be
cleansed and accept meekness and humility. My Son could have won with
strength, but He chose meekness, humility and love. Follow my Son and
give me your hands so that, together, we may climb the mountain* and
win. Thank you."
July 2, 2011 "Dear
children; today I call you to a difficult and painful step for your
unity with my Son. I call you to complete admission and confession of
sins, to purification. An impure heart cannot be in my Son and with my
Son. An impure heart cannot give the fruit of love and unity. An impure
heart cannot do correct and just things; it is not an example of the
beauty of God's love to those who surround it and to those who have not
come to know that love. You, my children, are gathering around me full
of enthusiasm, desires and expectations, and I implore the Good Father
to, through the Holy Spirit, put my Son faith, into your purified
hearts. My children, obey me, set out with me."
I
know this list is long, but I couldn't leave one of them out!! We can
pray over these messages this weekend. Thank you for joining in this
review of the Five Stones!! May Our Lady bless you abundantly!
PS.
(I know I keep sharing this information, but I want to be sure everyone
sees this beautiful opportunity!!) Mike Nolan is leading a pilgrimage
to Medjugorje from April 13 to 22, 2020! Denis and I will be joining
the group! There is still room for more pilgrims. Join us!! Here is
Mike's contact information and website:
September 26, 1985 "Dear
children! I thank you for all the prayers. Thank you for all the
sacrifices. I wish to tell you, dear children, to renew the messages
which I am giving you. Especially live the fast, because by fasting you
will achieve and cause me the joy of the whole plan, which God is
planning here in Medjugorje, being fulfilled. Thank you for having
responded to my call."
In looking for
messages about fasting, I found at least 186!! Our Lady truly desires
the fast. Over and over again, she has called for "prayer and
fasting..." They go together. Prayer is powered by fasting and fasting
only has meaning through prayer. Let's hear what Fr. Leon says about
fasting:
The fourth stone is
fasting. Our Lady says to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. Fast strictly
on Wednesdays and Fridays. The best fast is on bread and water. With
fasting you can suspend natural laws and stop wars. She also says she
needs our fasting to convert other people.
My
Jewish friend said to me once, you Catholics...when you say fasting you
mean that you don't eat in between meals. Think about our fasting. We
have two days of fasting, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. That's it. Only
two days in Lent. Maybe 60 years ago we had more than 100 days of
fasting. They are all gone now. On those two days - Ash Wednesday and
Good Friday - you can have one full meal and then you can have two small
meals that when added together don't add up to one meal. We call this
fasting. But this is what most people eat on a good day.
But fasting is powerful. Pray for the grace to be able to fast.
Although
Our Lady invites us to fast, she is also strict. She says that no one
is excused, not even the elderly. Only the sick. And then she says, for
the sick, let him who smokes give up cigarettes. Let him who drinks give
up alcohol. Let him who watches television, turn off the TV. In at
least six early messages she says to turn off the TV. You don't need it.
(She might say the same thing about smart phones...)
But
fasting is important. Now Ash Wednesday is coming up, and I know lots
of people will tell you that rather than giving up something you should
add on a new good thing to do. That is not entirely true. Giving up
something that you are entitled to is powerful. Making a sacrifice is
powerful. And Our Lady needs it. She said in Fatima almost a hundred
years ago, more souls go to hell because no people pray and make
sacrifices. (https://marytv.tv/fruit-of-medjugorje/ Fruit show 355)
Fr.
Leon did a good job of sorting out issues about fasting. And Our Lady
is really good at showing us the good in fasting! Here are several
messages that we can pray over today. Fasting is a difficult interior
struggle that helps us to put our selfish desires aside and focus on
what God wants us to desire, i.e. love, holiness, service, gentleness,
peace, hope, prayer, the Triumph and Jesus!! We are made strong and
good by fasting. And Our Lady can gather up our sacrifices to do great
and wonderful things for the world. Messages about fasting from the Queen of Peace:
December 4, 1986 "Dear
children! Today I call you to prepare your hearts for these days when
the Lord particularly desires to purify you from all the sins of your
past. You, dear children, are not able by yourselves, therefore I am
here to help you. You pray, dear children! Only that way shall you be
able to recognize all the evil that is in you and surrender it to the
Lord so the Lord may completely purify your hearts. Therefore, dear
children, pray without ceasing and prepare your hearts in penance and
fasting. Thank you for having responded to my call."
July 25, 1991 "Dear
Children! Today I invite you to pray for peace. At this time peace is
being threatened in a special way, and I am seeking from you to renew
fasting and prayer in your families. Dear children, I desire you to
grasp the seriousness of the situation and that much of what will happen
depends on your prayers and you are praying a little bit. Dear
children, I am with you and I am inviting you to begin to pray and fast
seriously as in the first days of my coming. Thank you for having
responded to my call."
August 25, 1991
"Dear Children! Today also I invite you to prayer, now as never before
when my plan has begun to be realized. Satan is strong and wants to
sweep away my plans of peace and joy and make you think that my Son is
not strong in His decisions. Therefore, I call all of you, dear
children, to pray and fast still more firmly. I invite you to
self-renunciation for nine days so that, with your help, everything that
I desire to realize through the secrets I began in Fatima, may be
fulfilled. I call you, dear children, to now grasp the importance of my
coming and the seriousness of the situation. I want to save all souls
and present them to God. Therefore, let us pray that everything I have
begun be fully realized. Thank you for having responded to my call."
October 25, 2000 "Dear
children! Today I desire to open my motherly heart to you and to call
you all to pray for my intentions. I desire to renew prayer with you and
to call you to fast which I desire to offer to my Son Jesus for the
coming of a new time - a time of spring. In this Jubilee year many
hearts have opened to me and the Church is being renewed in the Spirit. I
rejoice with you and I thank God for this gift; and you, little
children, I call to pray, pray, pray - until prayer becomes a joy for
you... Thank you for having responded to my call."
January 25, 2001 "Dear
children! Today I call you to renew prayer and fasting with even
greater enthusiasm until prayer becomes a joy for you. Little children,
the one who prays is not afraid of the future and the one who fasts is
not afraid of evil. Once again, I repeat to you: only through prayer and
fasting also wars can be stopped - wars of your unbelief and fear for
the future. I am with you and am teaching you little children: your
peace and hope are in God. That is why draw closer to God and put Him in
the first place in your life. Thank you for having responded to my
call."
February 25, 2003 "Dear
children! Also today I call you to pray and fast for peace. As I have
already said and now repeat to you, little children, only with prayer
and fasting can wars also be stopped. Peace is a precious gift from God.
Seek, pray and you will receive it. Speak about peace and carry peace
in your hearts. Nurture it like a flower which is in need of water,
tenderness and light. Be those who carry peace to others. I am with you
and intercede for all of you. Thank you for having responded to my
call."
March 25, 2007 "Dear
children! I desire to thank you from my heart for your Lenten
renunciations. I desire to inspire you to continue to live fasting with
an open heart. By fasting and renunciation, little children, you will be
stronger in faith. In God you will find true peace through daily
prayer. I am with you and I am not tired. I desire to take you all with
me to Heaven, therefore, decide daily for holiness. Thank you for having
responded to my call."
March 18, 2007 "Dear
children! I come to you as a Mother with gifts. I come with love and
mercy. Dear children, mine is a big heart. In it, I desire all of your
hearts, purified by fasting and prayer. I desire that, through love, our
hearts may triumph together. I desire that through that triumph you may
see the real Truth, the real Way and the real Life. I desire that you
may see my Son. Thank you."
PS.
(I know I keep sharing this information, but I want to be sure everyone
sees this beautiful opportunity!!) Mike Nolan is leading a pilgrimage
to Medjugorje from April 13 to 22, 2020! Denis and I will be joining
the group! There is still room for more pilgrims. Join us!! Here is
Mike's contact information and website:
January 25, 2006
"Dear children! Also today I call you to be carriers of the Gospel in
your families. Do not forget, little children, to read Sacred Scripture.
Put it in a visible place and witness with your life that you believe
and live the Word of God. I am close to you with my love and intercede
before my Son for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my
call."
Our Lady has consistently called us to
reverence and read the Bible. She asks us to place the Sacred Scriptures
in a prominent place in our homes, and to read it together as a family.
Fr. Leon spoke about the Bible, as the third stone in Our Lady's plan
this way:
The third stone is the Holy Bible. Our Lady says: "Put
the Bible in a prominent place in the family home. Let everyone read
from it, even the children. Root it in your heart. Read especially the
Gospel." Now here are we part of the Bible Belt here? (North
Carolina) Yes? OK! You have to know that Bible, because it is our book.
It's a Catholic book! As Father said, we don't have extra books (in our
Bibles as Catholics) but it is just that the Protestants have mutilated
it because of Martin Luther who threw out 7 books he didn't like.
I
remember at my seminary, a Protestant friend came around for dinner,
and I was in the shower and he texted me and he said, "Revelations
3:12", "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice I will enter and I will dine with him."
So, I came out of the shower and saw this message and I thought "I'll
show him that Catholics know the Bible too." So, I wrote back, "Genesis
3:12" "Behold I heard the sound of your voice in the garden, but I was naked and afraid and I hid myself." (Much laughter) This is a true story!
Read
the Bible, every day. Read especially the Gospels. As St. Jerome says,
"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." If you were courting,
you would never believe your beloved if he said, "Oh, I don't want to
hear anything about you. Just let me love you." You would say to that
person, "Welcome to dumpsville, population: you." Right? Get rid of
him... It's the same way, with Jesus. Would Jesus believe that we love
Him if we don't read the Bible? No. We have got to read it.
Also,
the Bible is powerful. You know, my ancestors are from Singapore, but
their ancestors are from Kerala, in Southwest India. It is very
Catholic. And they all seem to be charismatic. I think there are a lot
of Kerala priests throughout the United States. They are very big into
Charismatic phenomena, and healing through the Scriptures. I have seen
this. They will read the Word of God and people get healed. Through
hearing the Word of God. So, remember that the Word of God is very
powerful. When you Hear the Word of God at Mass you can be healed in
your soul and in your body. Be aware of that. Be open to God and you
will see miracles.
I agree with Fr. Leon, that the Bible is very powerful. The Word of God
is the Truth. And Truth is stronger than evil. If we are struggling in
prayer or being tempted by the enemy, the Word of God will set us on a
good path and free us from temptation. We need the Truth in our day,
because so much confusion has been sown in our families and communities.
The Bible holds that Truth for us, and can help us to stand on solid
ground in our lives. Here are a few things Our Lady has said to us about the Bible:
October 18, 1984 "Dear
children! Today I call on you to read the Bible every day in your homes
and let it be in a visible place so as always to encourage you to read
it and to pray. Thank you for having responded to my call."
August 25, 1996 "Dear
children! Listen, because I wish to speak to you and to invite you to
have more faith and trust in God, who loves you immeasurably. Little
children, you do not know how to live in the grace of God, that is why I
call you all anew, to carry the word of God in your heart and in
thoughts. Little children, place the Sacred Scripture in a visible place
in your family, and read and live it. Teach your children, because if
you are not an example to them, children depart into godlessness.
Reflect and pray and then God will be born in your heart and your heart
will be joyous. Thank you for having for responded to my call."
April 25, 2005 "Dear
children! Also today, I call you to renew prayer in your families. By
prayer and the reading of Sacred Scripture, may the Holy Spirit, who
will renew you, enter into your families. In this way, you will become
teachers of the faith in your family. By prayer and your love, the world
will set out on a better way and love will begin to rule in the world.
Thank you for having responded to my call."
January 25, 2006 "Dear
children! Also today I call you to be carriers of the Gospel in your
families. Do not forget, little children, to read Sacred Scripture. Put
it in a visible place and witness with your life that you believe and
live the Word of God. I am close to you with my love and intercede
before my Son for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my
call."
Holy Thursday, April 19, 1984 To Jelena: "I'm
going to reveal a spiritual secret to you: if you want to be stronger
than evil, make yourself a plan of personal prayer. Take a certain time
in the morning, read a text from Holy Scripture, anchor the Divine word
in your heart, and strive to live it during the day, particularly during
the moment of trials. In this way, you will be stronger than evil."
PS.
(I know I keep sharing this information, but I want to be sure everyone
sees this beautiful opportunity!!) Mike Nolan is leading a pilgrimage
to Medjugorje from April 13 to 22, 2020! Denis and I will be joining
the group! There is still room for more pilgrims. Join us!! Here is
Mike's contact information and website:
February 18, 2020 Dear Family of Mary! The
Second Stone that Our Lady offers us is Holy Mass! She asked the
visionaries to attend Holy Mass daily, as well as the prayer group. Here
is a message she gave through Jelena for the prayer group in 1984: Friday, March 30, 1984
"My
children, I wish that the holy Mass be for you the gift of the day.
Attend it, wish for it to begin. Jesus gives Himself to you during the
Mass. Thus, look forward to that moment when you are cleansed. Pray very
much so that the Holy Spirit will renew your parish. If people attend
Mass with luke-warmness, they will return to their homes cold, and with
an empty heart."
We can see how important
Mass is for Our Lady. As she knows only too well, Jesus gives Himself to
us during the Mass. What else need be said? Fr. Leon spoke about the Holy Mass as the second stone in his talk in North Carolina:
The
second Stone is Holy Mass. Our Lady said we must go to Holy Mass as
often as possible and receive Communion in a state of grace. Go early.
Prepare with silence before Mass. Never leave Mass without making your
thanksgiving. She also said to the villagers that to those who
habitually come late, it would be better for them not to come.
So,
the Mass is obviously very important. Now do not think of the Mass as
if it is boring or tedious. For example, if I said to you, you know my
mother's birthday, I'm tired of celebrating my Mother's birthday,
because you know she gets all her bingo pals, and they come around and
they all make cake. And then they feed me cake. And in the usual
perverse Indian way, they all say, "Oh, you are so fat now!!" And I'm
tired of this abuse. (This story, by the way is fake, she doesn't play
bingo. But her friends do feed me cake and they do tell me I'm fat.)
So,
if I said, alright, I have had enough of this abuse and I'm not going
to celebrate my Mother's birthday anymore, would that be ok? No!! The
reason for that is that my Mother's birthday is about her, not about me.
Mass is not about what we get out of it. Mass is about what we have
come to give Jesus. So, don't ever think, oh I get nothing out of Mass.
I'm bored. No. Who said it had anything to do with you? It's got to do
with what you have come to give Jesus.
What
have you come to bring Jesus? What about the offertory? Because He
wants your whole self, body and soul, put on the paten as the priest
lifts it up. That is what He wants. So, remember the Mass is a
celebration that takes place in heaven. It's not about us down here. We
are all caught up in the Heavenly worship.
Father says it like it is! But I know he is leaving out unsaid. We DO get something out of Mass. Something incredible!! "Jesus gives Himself to you during the Mass!" The Mass is all about Jesus giving Himself entirely to us. And we cannot live without Him. He is our life!!
Below are five messages in which Our Lady speaks about Holy Mass. As we
pray our Rosaries today, let's ponder these messages, and grow more
and more in love with Holy Mass! 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. It suffices for you to think, for example,
where you were with your thoughts yesterday during Mass. When you go to
Mass, your trip from home to church should be a time of preparation for
Mass. You should also receive Holy Communion with an open and pure
heart; purity of heart and openness. Do not leave the church without an
appropriate act of thanksgiving. 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."
April 3, 1986 "Dear
children! I wish to call you to a living of the Holy Mass. There are
many of you who have sensed the beauty of the Holy Mass, but there are
also those who come unwillingly. I have chosen you, dear children, but
Jesus gives you His graces in the Mass. Therefore, consciously live the
Holy Mass and let your coming to it be a joyful one. Come to it with
love and make the Mass your own. Thank you for having responded to my
call."
April 25, 1988 "Dear
children! God wants to make you holy. Therefore, through me He is
inviting you to complete surrender. Let Holy Mass be your life.
Understand that the church is God's palace, the place in which I gather
you and want to show you the way to God. Come and pray. Neither look at
others nor slander them, but rather, let your life be a testimony on the
way of holiness. Churches deserve respect and are set apart as holy
because God, who became man, dwells in them day and night. Therefore,
little children, believe and pray that the Father increase your faith,
and then ask for whatever you need. I am with you and I am rejoicing
because of your conversion and I am protecting you with my motherly
mantle. Thank you for having responded to my call."
January 25, 1998 "Dear
children! Today again I call all of you to prayer. Only with prayer,
dear children, will your heart change, become better, and be more
sensitive to the Word of God. Little children, do not permit satan to
pull you apart and to do with you what he wants. I call you to be
responsible and determined and to consecrate each day to God in prayer.
May Holy Mass, little children, not be a habit for you, but life. By
living Holy Mass each day, you will feel the need for holiness, and you
will grow in holiness. I am close to you and intercede before God for
each of you, so that He may give you strength to change your heart.
Thank you for having responded to my call."
August 2, 2008 "Dear
children; In my coming to you, here among you, the greatness of God is
reflected and the way with God to eternal happiness is opened. Do not
feel weak, alone or abandoned. With faith, prayer and love climb to the
hill of salvation. May the Mass, the most exalted and most powerful act
of your prayer, be the center of your spiritual life. Trust and love, my
children. Those whom my Son chose and called will help you in this as
well. To you and to them especially, I give my motherly blessing. Thank
you."
Thank you, dearest Mother, for the five
stones. You have given us a road map for our lives in these stones. May
we follow you with joy and trust, into the depths of the spiritual
life!
PS.
(I know I keep sharing this information, but I want to be sure everyone
sees this beautiful opportunity!!) Mike Nolan is leading a pilgrimage
to Medjugorje from April 13 to 22, 2020! Denis and I will be joining
the group! There is still room for more pilgrims. Join us!! Here is
Mike's contact information and website:
February 17, 2020 The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order Dear Family of Mary!
October 25, 1989 "Dear children! Today also I am inviting you to
prayer. I am always inviting you, but you are still far away. Therefore,
from today, decide seriously to dedicate time to God. I am with you and
I wish to teach you to pray with the heart. In prayer with the heart
you shall encounter God. Therefore, little children, pray, pray, pray!
Thank you for having responded to my call."
This week
we are going to review the Five Stones of Our Lady. These Stones are the
five basic requests Our Lady has made of us, her program for our
healing and strengthening as her apostles. The first stone is "Prayer
with the heart!" It is the basic stone, the basic call she has given us.
I have transcribed a somewhat hilarious description of this stone,
according to Fr. Leon Pereira! It is from a talk he gave in North
Carolina in March of 2019 at a conference at St. Mark's Church. You can
watch her talk in the Fruit of Medjugorje archive, Show 355! Fr. Leon speaks about the first stone, Pray with the Heart:
The five stones are really the heart of Our Lady's messages in
Medjugorje. The are called the "Five Stones" because of David the
shepherd boy. He goes to meet Goliath with a sling and five pebbles from
the stream. So, these are five weapons that Our Lady gives us.
And the first weapon she says, is "Pray with the heart." Pray from the
heart. Pray with words that comes from the heart. Don't just say words
from the lips. I want you to think about when we apologize. You know,
when you say "sorry". I know you are all polite. Americans are all very
polite. And you are sincere. In England we are not so sincere!! We are
masters of passive-aggression. If someone steps on my foot or bumps into
me, I will turn to them and say, "Sorry..." Meaning, "get off my foot
you idiot!" Or more and more you get to be someone like a politician
caught in hanky-panky. And he or she will say, I am sorry for the
distress this has caused for the people I represent and for my family.
Meaning...I am sorry I got caught, I wish I could get away with it. (I'm
a bit cynical) But when a small child says sorry, they cry.
They cry because they mean it. The sorry comes from the heart. This is
what Our Lady means by pray with the heart. Pray and mean it.
But she says something quite mysterious. She says, "Pray the Rosary from
the heart." What is the Rosary? The Rosary is a time machine. Because
when you pray the third Joyful Mystery, you are not just imagining the
first Christmas. The power of the first Christmas comes to you today.
Now, wherever you are. So, it is a time machine in that sense.
I want to tell you a quick story, I need to tell you this story to
emphasis the Rosary. When I was a kid my parents went out for the
evening and left us to mind ourselves. We got bored, we took down all
the black and white photo albums. And we were looking through these
pictures of my grand mother's family and we were saying, "Oh look, we
are not in these pictures. So, what can we do about that to set that
straight? So, we got a big orange crayon and we drew ourselves in. So,
at my mother's baptism there is a great big, gigantic stick figure of my
sister, looming over the cradle with a crazy grin. At my parent's
wedding, all four of us were waving in the front row! This
reminds me of Renaissance paintings in Italy. Why? (It was a
masterpiece, even if I do say so!!) Why? Because what do you get? You
get the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, with Our Lady, St. Joseph, Angels,
wise men, shepherds, and...Don Cossimo and his wife, Donna Fabritsia.
What are they doing there? That is what the Rosary is, your orange
crayon to draw yourself into that Masterpiece. It's a time machine. The
power of those mysteries comes to you today. Now, when you pray the
Rosary. Now, Our Lady began with the villagers slowly. She
said, "Pray the seven Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glory Bes." This was
the tradition in the village, and they asked her if they should pray it
and she said yes. They prayed it every day. Then she said, "Please add
the Apostles Creed." So, they did. By the way that is her favorite
prayer. Then after a few months she said, "I would like you to pray five
decades of the Rosary." So, they did. And a few months after that she
said, "Now pray every day fifteen decades of the Rosary." The complete
Rosary. And when she said that, the villagers said, "that's too much."
Impossible. And she said, "You do not understand what little
time this takes up." What did she mean by that? If you take up the
Rosary and pray it properly, it will take you fifteen minutes. This is
slowly. In Singapore where I grew up, we used to "gabble" the Rosary,
saying it quickly. Even in Singapore we called it "Irish Beads, because
we said it so quickly. If you have ever been to Ireland, you will know
what I mean. And I remember a friend of mine said, "You Catholics, you
are so weird. What is so blessed about a monk's women?" We scratched our
heads, what is he talking about? We didn't understand until we started
the Rosary...Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed art
thou a monk's women..." (Ha ha!) So slow down!!
Remember the Rosary is powerful. The demons hate the Rosary. During
exorcisms the demons will say, "We hate that thing." They use a bad word
for it. Then they say that thankfully most priests don't promote it
anymore. But the Rosary is powerful! Every Hail Mary is a hammer blow to
Satan's head. Every Rosary destroys their power. Chains that bind the
demons. But don't pray it just because it eliminates evil, pray because
it sanctifies us. And Our Lady asks for it. She says, "Pray the Rosary
from the heart every day." (Fruit of Medjugorje - show 355 - Fr. Leon
Pereira speaking at St. Mark's Church in North Carolina in 2019 - https://marytv.tv/fruit-of-medjugorje/ )
PS.
Mike Nolan is leading a pilgrimage to Medjugorje from April 13 to 22,
2020! Denis and I will be joining the group! There is still room for
more pilgrims. Join us!! Here is Mike's contact information and
website:
Medjugorje, February 13, 2020Sr. Lúcia of Fatima Dear Children of Medjugorje, praised be Jesus and Mary!
1. On February 2nd, 2020, Mirjana received her monthly apparition at the Blue Cross. She then conveyed this message: "Dear children!
By the act of the decision and love of God, I am chosen to be the
Mother of God and your mother. But also by my will and my immeasurable
love for the Heavenly Father and my complete trust in Him, my body was
the chalice of the God-man. I was in the service of truth, love and
salvation, as I am now among you to call you, my children, apostles of
my love, to be carriers of truth; to call you to spread His words, the
words of salvation, by your will and love for my Son: that with your
actions you may show, to all those who have not come to know my Son, His
love. You will find strength in the Eucharist-my Son who feeds you with
His Body and strengthens you with His Blood. My children, fold your
hands [in prayer] and look at the Cross in silence. In this way, you are
drawing faith to be able to transmit it; you are drawing truth to be
able to discern; you are drawing love that you may know to love truly.
My children, apostles of my love, fold your hands [in prayer], look at
the Cross. Only in the Cross is salvation. Thank you."
As with all sites linked to Medjugorje, at the request of the
authorities, we relinquish posting the film of the 2nd of the month
apparition with Mirjana. Obedience is always blessed! 2. In France, February is the month we celebrate the feast of Lourdes
(11 February) and St. Bernadette (18 February).This little girl grew up
in poverty, lacking the bare essentials in life (see PS1). It's enough
to know that her little brother would scrape wax from candles in the
village church to try to fill his empty stomach! People looked down on
this family who lived in a sordid cave that was more like a cell. Once,
while questioned, Bernadette heartbreakingly uttered: "She (The Lady)
spoke to me like a person!" Falsely accused of theft, her father was
sent to jail, leaving his wife and children in total poverty. However,
the Soubirous family had the greatest of riches: Theirs was a family
united in a deep faith, in family prayer that never lost fervor, and for
Bernadette, God always came first. The cross planted in her life from
childhood onwards, far from bringing her down, strengthened her
attachment to Christ whose destiny she shared in many ways. It is true
that the cross lived in communion with Jesus can create saints, while
the cross lived without Jesus can lead to despair. In her personal
diary, Bernadette wrote: "Jesus, I do not feel my cross when I look at yours!"
How I wish I could say the same thing! Still a long way to go....
Here, Bernadette gives us the best illustration of the word twice
repeated by the Blessed Mother in this message above: "Fold your hands
in prayer, and look at the cross!" For Bernadette, the cross borne in
her childhood developed further at the convent of Nevers where she
became Sr. Marie Bernard. But she did not become a Saint because of the
suffering she endured, even less so because she saw Our Lady. No, she
became holy because she kept the gaze of her heart fixed upon Jesus,
even in the midst of the storms, which made her suffering
extraordinarily fruitful. She became holy because she was able to offer
to God all the events of her life, and use them to develop the union of
her soul with Christ, according to Mary's school. This union was her
immense treasure, her reason for living, her little Heaven hidden from
the eyes of others. Seen through the eyes of the world, her fate was in
no way enviable, poor and sick as she was, but she would not have
changed places with anyone. The Mother of God did not promise her
happiness of this world, but rather of the other world. (The other
world referred to here does not mean Heaven, rather it's the Kingdom
that is hidden and already present behind the veil of our earthly
realities). May Bernadette help us live through the trials and
anxieties of today, our eyes focused on the one Savior! It is beautiful
that the message of Lourdes begins with the sign of the Cross. Following
Mary's example, Bernadette made the sign of the cross so solemnly that
all who saw her do it were deeply touched. 3. She has the cure for us!
Mary's exhortation to keep our eyes locked on the cross is not
unrelated to the wave of distress caused by the coronavirus that has
taken over China and surrounding areas in recent weeks. Our Blessed
Mother always provides the cure before we develop the disease. Keeping
our eyes glued to the cross is a source of healing, peace and light.
From His open heart, Jesus offers us salvation. Recently, Our Lady told
us: "Trials will come... If you are mine, you will win, for your refuge
will be the Heart of my Son Jesus." Our Mother did not hide from us the
difficulties that are to come. Even nature is in rebellion against man.
The story in Exodus of the Hebrews in the desert helps us to position
ourselves correctly in respect of God. The Hebrew people had turned
away from the Living God who had saved them from slavery, and shifted
toward false gods, the idols of the time. But God loves His people so
much that He did not want them to lose the treasure of true faith and
become perverted. He allowed snakes to appear that had a fatal bite.
That is when Moses intervened, placing a bronze snake on a mast, and all
who looked at it were healed. This image foreshadows the cross of
Christ and the salvation offered to men by Jesus when he was nailed to
the wood of the cross. "Those who look to Him are radiant" (Psalms
34:5). Let us remember this statement made by so many saints: When we
contemplate the wounds of Christ, our own wounds are healed; but when we
look at our own wounds, we sink... "By his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)
Some countries have decided to eliminate Christ from their borders.
They have banned the cross, Christian education is severely sanctioned,
believers are persecuted, etc. But what can become of a nation without
the Savior? "The world without Jesus has no future," Mary tells us.
Jesus, in His humility, does not force any doors that are closed to Him,
He respects our freedom and pulls away. But then, who comes to fill
this void? History shows us that man without God, left to himself and to
his own strength, cannot go far. He invents a false salvation and seeks
happiness in places where it gets lost. He goes so far as to lose
simple human common sense by even trampling natural law. We are entitled
to interpret this kind of event, the appearance of a virus, as a
warning, not in fear, but for the purpose of awakening our conscience
and to fall to our knees. Whether the virus spreads or not, it is
essential to ask for the grace to know how to discern the signs of our
time, and to pray unceasingly. Less commentaries and more prayer! Beware!
God does not send an epidemic or a tsunami. God is innocent of evil. We
cannot by any measure make him responsible for evil. (See PS2, Sr.
Lúcia of Fatima's words). But if God is not invited to remain with His
people, if man believes he can live without Him, then God withdraws, and
with Him the protection He wanted to give to those people. Then, in His
burning desire to save man, He allows the enemy to do as he wills. Then
all kinds of troubles appear, and man ends up crying out to his Savior.
God alone can turn evil into good, and turn a terrible ordeal into a
blessing. Today, the weight of suffering is indeed a heavy burden, but
when our suffering is united with Christ, it becomes fruitful and
redemptive. For this reason, Mary still gives us the key, namely her Son Himself!
"In the cross alone is salvation." Early Christians recognized this:
"There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved." (Acts
4:12) Dear Brothers and Sisters, the ball is in our
court. May today be the day when we begin, or start again, to turn to
God and live His Word! The course that history takes and much of what
will happen depends on us. We cannot imagine the power of even the
simplest of prayers and the least of our little sacrifices offered to
God. Heaven will always thank us for the slightest step we take to
protect life, to help our brothers in distress and value our own life!
4. Our 30-day prayer to St Joseph. On February 17
begins our appeal to the tender heart of St. Joseph! Each year, our
household prays to St Joseph for 30 consecutive days, during which we
live in his company, imploring him for all our needs. Don't hesitate to
join us in honoring the one who was chosen by God to be the spouse of
Blessed Virgin Mary and whom the Child Jesus called "Daddy". His litanies
teach us about who he is and what he does, blending gentleness and
power. Let us pray to him together until his feast day on March 19, and
let us ask him for a sign of his goodness! Here is a beautiful 30 day
prayer to him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3mn8A_qVd8 5. Our next Live Broadcast on the message of the 2nd (in French) will be on March 3rd at 9 p.m. www.enfantsdemedjugorje.fr The complete February 3rd broadcast can be seen at https://youtu.be/UPCqSAWpA_g 6. Don't miss our new short films! Subscribe to the YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCveRmNCjId_yX6zkqz9VEbQ - Our 9' video on the theme of forgiveness: "Forgive and be free!"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do5c00glBKA
Dearest Gospa, you have experienced trials, and such
trials they were! It is so reassuring for us to know how close you are
to us! You understand us, our suffering is also yours, we have not been
abandoned. We beg you please to dispel our darkness and hasten the
triumph of your Immaculate Heart! Sister Emmanuel + Community of the Beatitudes (Translated from French)
PS1. See the movie "The Song of St Bernadette". PS2. Sister Lúcia of Fatima writes:
"If we do not renounce the path of sin, hatred, revenge that violates
the rights of the human person, immorality and violence, etc. let us not
say that it is God who punishes us in this way. On the contrary, it is
men who prepare their own punishment. In his concern, God warns us and
encourages us to take the right path, respecting the freedom he has
given us. That is why men are responsible. (Excerpt from her letter to
John Paul II on May 12, 1982). Man is jointly responsible, that is, he
collaborates with God. PS3. Bishop Hoser, based in Medjugorje, went to the Cathedral of Toulon
(France) on February 11th, to lead an exceptional Marian evening for
the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, presiding at the evening Mass,
followed by a lecture about Mary, the Sign of Hope and Consolation. A
momentous occasion! PS4. You love Saint Joseph! I
would like to thank all those who sent me their testimony about the
graces received from St Joseph! Keep sending them to me! The more I
have, the more beautiful the book will be, and the more it will honor
this great Saint who people still don't pray enough to. I'm looking for
your help! You can write to me at gospa.fr@gmail.comgospa.fr@gmail.com
PS5. Read and offer your friends books that feed their hearts, helping them to experience true peace! Our books available in English on our website : https://sremmanuel.org/product-category/books/
For those who live in Europe, 'Peace will have the
last word'and 'Scandalous Mercy'are available on amazon. If you live in
the UK or Ireland you can purchase them at www.amazon.co.ukPS6. Do you want to live the school of Our lady at Home? Get all our material from our website, CDs, DVDs, Books, talks....etc. https://sremmanuel.org/shop/ "Truly Sister Emmanuel's Best Work Yet!" The Second Printing is here! Order Today! https://sremmanuel.org/product/scandalous-mercy-god-goes-beyond-boundaries/
