Wednesday, June 03, 2009

FROM MARK MALLETT:



Raise Your Sails (Preparing for Chastisement)

Sails
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. (Acts 2:1-2)

THROUGHOUT salvation history, God has not only used the wind in his divine action, but He Himself comes like the wind (cf. Jn 3:8). The Greek word pneuma as well as the Hebrew ruahmeans both "wind" and "spirit." God comes as a wind to empower, purify, or procure judgment (see The Winds of Change).
I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on land or sea or against any tree… "Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." (Rev 7:1, 3)
This past Pentecost morning, we prayed:
…send your Spirit into our lives with the power of a mighty wind… Liturgy of the Hours, Morning Prayer, Vol II
SHAKEN BY THE WINDS
Whether they are the winds of a personal trial or The Great Stormgathering over the earth, many of you are afraid—shaken by the circumstances in your own life, by the astounding decline in morals, or by what our Lady has warned will come upon an unrepentant world. Discouragement is setting in, if not despair. As I prayed about this, a word came to me:
Each moment—and the Divine Will contained in it—are the wind of the Holy Spirit. In order to sail forward toward your goal: union with God—one must always raise the sail of faith mounted upon the mast of one’s will. Don’t be afraid to catch this Wind! Never be afraid where the winds of God’s Will take you or the world. At each and every moment, trust the Holy Spirit who blows where He wills according to My plan. Even though these Divine Winds may carry you into a great tempest, they will always carry you safely where you need to go for the good and sanctification of your soul or the correction of the world.
This is a beautiful word of assurance! For one, the Spirit is in the wind, even if it bears chastisementIt is the will of God, for the present moment is where God is living, acting, guiding, dwelling, intersecting with the activity of men. Whatever it is, whether it is a great consolation or trial, good health or sickness, peace or temptation, living or dying, all is permitted by the hand of God and ordered to the sanctification of your soul. Each and every moment the Divine Will of God blows in your life within the present moment. All that is required of you is to simply raise the sails of trust into the Winds of the moment and, turning the rudder of obedience, do that which the moment requires, the duty of the moment. Just as the wind is invisible, so too, hidden within this moment is the power of God to transform, sanctify, and make you holy—yes, hidden behind the mundane, the ordinary, the unglamorous; behind crosses and consolations, the will of God is always there, always working, always active. The soul must pull up the anchor of rebellion, and this Holy wind will blow it towards the harbor for which it is destined.
Jesus said,
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8)
The Divine Winds can suddenly change, blowing this way one moment, and that way the next. Today, I am sailing in sunshine, tomorrow, I am thrown into a terrible storm.
But whether the seas of your life are calm or whether great waves assail your from every side, the response for you is always the same: to keep your sail raised by an act of the will; to do the duty of the moment whether it is a gentle breeze or a harsh spray of sea salt passing over your soul. For within this divine action is the grace to transform you.
My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work. (John 4:34)
The Divine Wind is the necessary force to move your life toward the Harbor of Holiness. What God asks of you is to be docile to this Will, with the trust of a child.
Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 18:3)
AND THE FRUIT WILL COME
Do you lack peace in these times? joy? love? kindness? I asked the Lord once,  
Why? Why have all my efforts in prayer, daily Mass, regular confession, spiritual reading, and incessant begging not born the fruit of conversion I so desire? I still struggle with the same sins, the same weaknesses!
And He answered:
Because you have not embraced Me in the distressing disguises of My Holy Will. You have embraced Me in My Word, in My Eucharistic Presence, and in My Mercy, but not in the disguise of trials, troubles, contradictions, and crosses. You do not bear the fruit of My Spirit, because you do not remain in my commandments. Is this not what my Word says?
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. (John 15:4)
How do you remain in Me?
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love… Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. (15:10, 5)
My commandments are My Holy Will for you hidden each day in the present moment. But when My Will is not agreeable to your flesh, you refuse to remain in it. Instead, you begin to look for Me in the more agreeable forms of My presence, rather than remain in My love, in My commandments. You adore Me in one form, but you despise Me in the other. When I walked the earth, many followed Me when I presented Myself in the form which was agreeable to them: as healer, teacher, miracle-maker, and triumphant leader. But when they saw their Messiah in the disguise of His poverty, meekness, and gentleness, they walked away, looking instead for a powerful political leader. When they saw their Messiah presented to them as a sign of contradiction to their lifestyles, a sign of light and truth and conviction, they would not remain, and looked for one who would applaud their decadence. When they saw their Messiah in the distressing disguise of a sacrificial lamb, bloodied, bruised, scourged, and pierced through as the embodiment of a trial and a Cross, they not only refused to remain with Me, but many became angry, mocked and spit upon Me. They wanted the Man of Wonders, not the Man of Sorrows.
So too, you love Me when My will is agreeable to you, but when My Will appears in the disguise of the Cross, you abandon me. Listen carefully again to My Word if you wish to unlock the fruit of holiness in your life:
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness… Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life (James 1:2,-3, 12)
Just as the Lily of Life sprung from the Tomb, so too, the fruit of My Spirit, the crown of life, will spring from the soul who embraces My Holy Will in all its disguises.
Do not be afraid, my dear brother! Do not be anxious, dear sister! The Will of God is blowing this very moment in your life and in the world, and it carries within it all that you need. His Holy Will is your sacred refuge. It is your hiding place. It is the wellspring of grace, the tomb of transformation, and the rock upon which your life will stand when the Storms, which are here and coming, plunge the world into its hour of purification.
At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it. (Heb 12:11)
PUBLISHED IN: DAILY JOURNALSPIRITUALITY | ON JUNE 2ND, 2009 |

The Fire of My Love "Seek True Treasues" by Rita Ring, February 17, 1994

Hans Memling's The Last Judgment, which depict...

The Last Judgment by Hans Memling Image via Wikipedia

Seek True Treasures

God's Blue Book II Cover

February 17, 1994 5:30 a.m.

Jesus: My little ones, how are you doing? Are you getting bogged down in this weather? Do you know yet that you do not control the elements? You live every day and you think you have much to do to control your actions but you do not see the eyes of Him Who watches over you with loving care.

I give to you this earth and all you need to sustain your life here. Man worries about the earth and if this or that will happen. Man has become so independent that he thinks he controls all things and he needs to worry about his present and future.

You, My favored, chosen ones, know that life here lasts but a moment and like smoke it is gone without a trace. Look at your ancestors. So few people ever remember their ancestors, yet your ancestors thought that at every moment their actions were so crucial. Little ones, you hold on to life. You hold on to these little happenings here and you worry in vain! Look at the big picture, My little ones. Here today, gone tomorrow, and where are you going?

The days go by with such speed. "Oh," you say, "Where have the years gone?" You think every second is so important. You worry, you fret, you wander empty roads and I watch you. I see you with your emphasis on the moment. You are being deceived, My little ones. It is in seeing the moment as part of eternity that you really know what is going on. Each moment you live, you are the teacher about the God Who dwells in your breast. Each moment you live, you are My messenger to this cold, scared world. Nothing you do means anything except as you are serving Me.

Take off your glasses. Behold the life above. See every moment as a drop of the life to come. See every moment as part of eternity. All these drops together make up your pass into My kingdom.

You worry, you wonder, you fret, you hold on. I give you a toothache, I take it away. One second and a toothache is gone. Is that not how it is with life--one second and it is gone? Oh, how those little precious moments seem to die away and you scarce can remember what happened! Yet during people's lives those moments seem earth-shattering. Those moments are yesterday's forgotten memories. You hold on, you fret, you fume and I watch you let go of each moment, only to become forgotten by today.

Store up your moments as part of eternity. Every moment here is part of your pass to My kingdom. How are you living this moment? Is it used to give service to Me and preach My gospel? Are you making all your moments count towards your eternity? Each moment is but a breath and it is gone. Did you use the moment I gave you to do My work? This time is not yours. I can snatch your moments away in one breath. It matters, My children, only as you choose to serve Me and spread My love!

If everyone had God as their primary goal, what love you would possess. What power you would know, because God is the mightiest force. I have all the power. Other power is false power!

Do you get it yet? Do you think anything you hold on to is so precious here? Here today, gone tomorrow, and I snatch you from your seats and you never return to finish what you deemed so important.

Are you comprehending My words here? The body is but an instrument to get you around. Reach with the spirit within. Live from the soul. Communicate with Me in your soul. Look for the unseen world that surrounds you constantly. Die to yourself.

You have a soul at this very moment that is a vibrant spiritual force alive within you. Live from your soul, My little ones. Focus on your soul. Live from your heart. Do not fret and fume for the things of this world. Here today, gone tomorrow, and then forgotten. Today's moments, yesterday's forgotten treasures. Do they mean so much or do you forget what seemed so important?

Reach with the soul. Live for God. Each moment is your chance to store up treasures for eternity. They will never be forgotten. What you do to help others to know Me will never be forgotten. How you loved will never be forgotten. How you gave lives on in those you touched. Your love is like a bubbling brook. It bubbles and keeps on bubbling. Your selfishness dies the moment after you live it.

Love is the force. Love is the power that reflects the God above. Love is not selfish. Love does not demand its own way. Love gives and doesn't stop giving. On the day of judgment it will be found in the hearts of those you touched. Think of only yourself and watch your moments become yesterday's forgotten moments. Love your brothers and watch the world reflect the love you gave, from now to the end.

Love or selfishness? I call you to love. I call you to plant a seed that grows into a mighty oak. Plant My seeds of love. Ask not how you can attain your goal but how you can fulfill the goal of God. Love God, love one another. Too simple, too hard for many.

Love, children. Reflect the God Who dwells within your soul. Store up your moments forever lest they become yesterday's forgotten treasure.

Like ripples on a pond, your love never dies. It reaches on and on and goes into the moments of eternity. Love is lasting. Love never dies. Love God, love one another. Die to yourself and live.


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SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY # 595

The soldiers therefore came: and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him. But after they were come to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.  But one of the soldiers with a spear opened his side: and immediately there came out blood and water. (John 19:32-34)
THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS: God did not suffer the bones of His crucified Son to be broken; and in order that no one might attribute this fact to chance, He announced, fifteen hundred years before, by the type of the paschal lamb, that it would be so. Why, then, did God permit the Sacred Body of His Only-Begotten Son to be pierced with a lance, and His Sacred Heart to be laid open? The Crucifixion being such an all-important event to the whole world, each circumstance of it, however small, must have a meaning, and have been provided for in the plan of Redemption; so that the lance-thrust which transfixed the Sacred Heart must in the wisdom of God have been meant to serve some special end. The end was this: a) to confirm our faith; b) to kindle our love.
a)  The wound inflicted by the lance was, by its nature, absolutely mortal, and left no possible room for doubt that our Lord really did die on the Cross, and that, consequently, His Resurrection was really and truly an awakening from death to life.
b)  When the lance pierced the Heart of Jesus, Blood and Water flowed out. Our Blessed Savior, therefore, shed His Heart's Blood for us, thereby giving us the greatest proof of His love. It was the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus which impelled Him to suffer all the pain and shame that He endured, and to die for us on the Cross; so now, after His Body was completely covered with wounds, and had been tortured to death, He willed further to give His very Heart's Blood for us, and permitted it to be pierced, so that it might pour out its last drops of Blood for us. The Church speaks thus in her Office for the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: "For this was His Heart pierced, that we by means of this visible wound might perceive the invisible wound of His love. How could this love be better proved than by allowing His Heart to be wounded by the lance? Who could help loving this Heart thus wounded?" "Sacred Heart of Jesus, I implore grace to love Thee more and more." 


[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

[MaryVitamin] Canticle of the Immaculate Heart


Mary Vitamin for June 2nd 
 
Topic: The Magnificat - Canticle of the Immaculate Heart
 
Quote:
St. John Eudes
"I call the Magnificat the true canticle of the most Holy Heart of the Blessed Virgin[because] it originated in her Immaculate Heart and its melody vibrated her heart strings before it found voice on her lips."
The Admirable Heart of Mary, (Loreto Publications: 2004), 289.
 
The Visitation in the Book of Hours of the Duc...

Image via Wikipedia

Meditation:
St. Louis de Montfort
"To thank God for the graces he has given to our Lady, her consecrated ones will frequently say the Magnificat, following the example of Blessed Marie d'Oignies and several other saints. The Magnificat is the only prayer we have which was composed by our Lady, or rather, composed by Jesus in her, for it was he who spoke through her lips. It is the greatest offering of praise that God ever received under the law of grace. On the one hand, it is the most humble hymn of thanksgiving and, on the other, it is the most sublime and exalted. Contained in it are mysteries so great and so hidden that even the angels do not understand them."
 
(If you would like to read more about the Magnificat in the spirituality of St. Louis de Montfort, please see this EWTN link:
 
Resolution:
I will be sure to pray the Magnificat at least once today.I will think of this prayer as the canticle of the Immaculate Heart especially in Evening prayer from the Breviary.
 
Marian Vow:
"The tertiaries shall pray each day with the Church reciting at least the canonical hours of Lauds and Vespers. When this is not possible, in substitution, they are to recite twelve Our Fathers for each canonical hour. It is certainly praiseworthy to recite the canonical hours in community and in the presence of the most Holy Sacrament. The tertiary priests of the diocesan clergy, who already celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours each day, are not obligated to anything else."
Marian Seraphic Pathways, Constitutions #28
 
I give this resolution to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
 
Thanks be to God for graces received.
 

__._,_.___


__,_._,___
Blessings+
Deacon John

Sent from Mt Dora, Florida, United States
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The Fire of My Love "God Is in Your Midst" by Rita Ring, February 16, 1994

God Is in Your Midst

God's Blue Book II Cover

February 16, 1994 Ash Wednesday

Jesus: From the very depths of your soul, I sanctify you. I come to you, God in your heart, and you are made clean. It is in this cleansing that you behold God. He comes to you in your heart and He makes you holy. You are a mere mortal but He raises you to such heights. Who are you, My child, that I love you so much? You are favored and honored by My presence in your soul. Alleluia.

Come and be fed. He gave them manna from heaven. Not by bread alone does man live, but by every word that comes from God!

I am Almighty God. I am your all. I am here in My entirety. Where Jesus is, there is God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Do not try to understand the mystery. Try to experience our immense love, Father, Son and Holy Spirit loving you. And Mary, My mother is always where I am!

Oh, children, can your heart be sad with such honor bestowed on you? Lift up your hearts to God and realize that that which is in your breast is the one, true, magnificent God. He wants to be with you with immense love. Such honor and dignity for you! I am the Alpha, I am the Omega, I am God, child. I come and dwell in your heart. God comes to you with such love and you worry about people and things of this world.

I tell you worry is from Satan and he wants you bowed down. Be filled in your hearts with the immensity of the love of God and live, child. Take off your sack cloth and ashes and spread the good news. Jesus, God, is here and He is dwelling in your midst. He is present in the Eucharist. He is God, present there for love of you.

Wake the village, sound the gong. They are deaf and blind. They think this world is their end, when I am all they ever need! Stand on the roof, proclaim My glory! Tell all I am God and I dwell in your midst. Don't miss an opportunity to spread the good word. Do not flounder around and look for senseless things when God dwells here.

Blare the trumpet, roll the drums, be attentive to My word here. Spread these messages every day. Oh, how hungry they are and how they need to get these love letters from Me. I fill you with My immense love. You give it to your brothers. You possess a key to unlock the hardened heart. You have the medicine for those who are in despair. Do your job, children. It is in serving Me that you attain the greatest reward. All else is of no account.

Spread My words in the streets and villages. Go to the country highways and byways, churches, synagogues--anywhere there is a human creature! Let not your moments be in vain. They are hungry and in need of My words here. You are being called by Me to do My work now, this very moment, this day. Do not tarry, for their days are at hand. Your days must be filled with spreading My words to all who have breath!

Your work is at hand. Do not busy yourself with nonsense. You must do what I ask, and now. Souls are at stake, their lives are at hand, and you possess the key to their lives. Hold not back. I am God and I need you to work this moment, this day, to spread My gospel for Me.

Circulate My letters. Give out My love. You have a job and you work for God. No one is as important as God and I am calling you. This is an urgent message to you, My chosen ones. Spread My message. Hold not back. If they love you or persecute you, pay no mind. I am He Whom you seek, He Whom you love, He Whom you want to please. Turn to Me and I will never turn away.

Turn to Me!

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Protest Eucharist Desecration Videos



Header
 

Send YouTube a message against the Eucharist desecration videos

June 01, 2009

Dear Deacon John, 

Did you know that YouTube continues to allow videos that show the desecration of the Holy Eucharist?

For example, among others, there's a video in which a man takes a Host and mixes it with fresh fruit in a juicer machine.

Did you know that the video maker mocks Our Lord by saying: "I think that even Jesus himself would drink this juice it is so delicious...I can almost see Jesus in that juice already."

He also says: "If you want to make this yourself at home, you might be saying - where can I find that secret ingredient?  Well, I bet if you just think about it hard enough, you'll be able to figure it out."

Finally, he mocks Our Lord before drinking the 'Jesus Juice' in these words:

"Jesus, we thank you for this juice.  May it nourish my body.  And   thank you for giving me the idea as I sat in church..."

Deacon John, this is a sacrilege!  And don't you consider it shocking that YouTube allows someone to post this type of offensive speech on its video sharing site?

So please send your protest message to YouTube.
   
The good news is that tens of thousands of Catholics joined our previous email protests against similar desecration videos on YouTube.  Other Catholic sites and groups here and abroad joined us, and we were able to get the desecration videos pulled from YouTube --- thank God!

But the spiritual battle to defend the honor of the Holy Eucharist is far from over.  And the posting of new desecration videos on YouTube move you and I to act today, to reach millions more Catholics out of the one billion Catholics worldwide.  Ultimately, I hope 100,000 people sign this protest message to YouTube.

Will you help do it by passing on this message to your friends and family?

And please send your protest message today to YouTube.

Your friend in Mary,
Robert Ritchie
Robert E. Ritchie, Executive Director


 

 



P.S.  If you are pleased with our efforts to stop the host desecration videos on YouTube, please consider giving a small contribution to America Needs Fatima.

Fundraising notice.





 




Act of ReparationO Sacred Heart of Jesus, animated with a desire to repair the outrages unceasingly offered to Thee, we prostrate before Thy throne of mercy, and in the name of all mankind, pledge our love and fidelity to Thee!

The more Thy mysteries are blasphemed, the more firmly we shall believe them, O Sacred Heart of Jesus! The more impiety endeavors to extinguish our hopes of immortality, the more we shall trust in Thy Heart, sole hope of mankind! The more hearts resist Thy Divine attractions, the more we shall love Thee, O infinitely amiable Heart of Jesus! The more unbelief attacks Thy Divinity, the more humbly and profoundly we shall adore It, O Divine Heart of Jesus! The more Thy Sacraments are despised and abandoned, the more frequently we shall receive them with love and reverence, O most liberal Heart of Jesus! The more the imitation of Thy virtues is neglected and forgotten, the more we shall endeavor to practice them, O Heart, model of every virtue! The more the devil labors to destroy souls, the more w shall be inflamed with desire to save them, O Heart of Jesus, zealous Lover of souls! The more sin and impurity destroy the image of God in man, the more we shall try by purity of life to be a living temple of the Holy Spirit, O Heart of Jesus! The more Thy Holy Church is despised, the more we shall endeavor to be her faithful children, O Sweet Heart of Jesus! The more Thy Vicar on earth is persecuted, the more we will honor him as the infallible head of Thy Holy Church, show our fidelity and pray for him, O kingly Heart of Jesus!

O Sacred Heart, through Thy powerful grace, may we become Thy apostles in the midst of a corrupted world, and be Thy crown in the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

Praise and adoration ever more be given to the most Holy Sacrament! 

Medjugorje Headlines

Our Lady Uncharacteristically Gives a Vision of Something Besides Herself at the End of the Apparition


Our Lady Queen of Peace of Medjugorje’s June 2, 2009 Message
To Mirjana Soldo Given on the Day for Non-Believers
“Dear children! My love seeks your complete and unconditional love, which will not leave you the same as you are, instead it will change you and teach you to trust in my Son. My children, with my love I am saving you and making you true witnesses of the goodness of my Son. Therefore, my children, do not be afraid to witness love in the name of my Son. Thank you.”
Mirjana said, “Our Lady blessed all of us present here and all religious articles we have for the blessing.” At Our Lady’s departure, Mirjana said that she was able to see the cross, and where the horizontal and vertical part of the cross meet, Mirjana was able to see the Heart surrounded by a Crown of Thorns. Mirjana also said that Our Lady was not sad.
Our Lady told us June 25, 1991:
 
“…If you pray, God will help you discover the true reason for my coming. Therefore, little children, pray and read the Sacred Scriptures so that through my coming you discover the message in Sacred Scripture for you…”
alt
The beautiful smiles of Mirjana in ecstasy will be remembered long after she leaves this world. These are the last human eyes on earth, among the other five visionaries of Medjugorje, who will ever see the Virgin Mary in this way again, as Our Lady has told these visionaries that these are the last apparitions on earth where anyone will be able to see Her, touch Her, hear Her. We who live in this time, hold the treasure of seeing the visionaries in the time Our Lady is appearing. All other Christians, in the future, will have only the pictures of these events to be able to live these moments. We do not comprehend what great grace we have in our hands today!
Jesus tells us that in the future the hearts of men will grow cold and there will be no love.

Do you realize the depth of the fall of society and the serious situation of how far man’s heart has sunk? Most would say yes, but in reality, man does not know the full depth, cannot, and will not know. He is too distracted and absorbed in his own affairs and gives tokenism in his love and honor of His Maker. Yes, he speaks of them, saying the words, saying he believes, “God is good. I believe in God.” But action shows most is mere tokenism. Where is the passion? Where is God’s plans over one’s own desires? Where is the action for another’s needs before one’s own? Love can be expressed as “to prefer another’s needs before your own.” St. John, the Apostle, clearly shows in Scripture that love is best displayed by obedience. Love, therefore, is not huggy-cushy, but heroic based in self–denial, giving to others what you do not take even for yourself. Jesus, Himself, showed this when He had so much, yet gave away what He even needed. He said the Son of Man had no place to lay His head. Yet, He had powers. He could have conjured up anything He wanted. Much gold came through Jesus’ hands, all of which He gave away. He preferred other’s needs before His own, even as God. Watching the little children here in the Community of Caritas, we witness often how when they see their mother pick up another child, it makes them immediately want to be picked up. If the mother picks up her own little child, now holding the two, you can often see a complaint and insistence that she put the other child down.

Jesus’ goodness contains no selfishness. He denied His own comforts and now He denies Himself the justice He rightfully could exercise against man for throwing away the passion He suffered, a wasting of the most powerful act done for you for your salvation. And in fact, through entertainments, the seeking of pleasures, the unreasonable enjoyment of things and sports, there is a disregarding of the price Jesus went through for you. Jesus is not selfish with His mother, as the child is. He sends Her to share Her. We take this for granted and we expect that, thinking, “Of course Jesus shares His Mother.” We do not contemplate that of anything, we do not deserve His Mother, the flower of purity. Why expose Her to many who cast away, reject and throw away what She had to watch at the foot of the Cross. Did She not suffer? We do not deserve His Mother because of our hardness, of the multiple times a day we disregard that Jesus was mercilessly tortured to show us to stay pure beings and not to soil ourselves with sin.

Think of the haughtiness of Her Christian children, so absorbed in themselves and with self importance that they may not recognize the signs of the times even though they are in our faces. This past Sunday’s Mass, one of the moms of the Community had to go out because of her baby crying. She stepped outside the main sanctuary area and was surprised to see people outside sitting, talking, chewing gum. Worse still, were the number of people who were on their cell phones, texting or staring at them, giving true honor to their god, while the real God received nothing from them, even at Mass!

Recently we printed a story in the Update for the Retooling of the Tabernacle of Our Lady’s Messages. There is a story of a mom whose daughter wrote us. Her mother had died in her nineties. Her daughter wrote of how many times a day she would kiss the cross around her neck, holding it with love, touching it. This is actually normal behavior that all Christians, young and old, should be in the habit of doing because this Man on this Cross is our God. Really? Yes, really! Why is this said sarcastically? Because the god of most Christians today, the cross they hold, they put to their lips, the cross they embrace, the one they love, that they cannot be without, that they will return home to get if they forget, is their cell phones. One can deny this, but simple observation anywhere in culture proves for the Christian, he is absorbed in something that brings false self-importance, rather than holding a cross that humbles us and says you are not so important, that God is first, we are not. Sure many would say this doesn’t apply to them in the way they use their cell phones, etc., but their action shows otherwise. Do this test. Observe how much people hold a cross compared to how much they hold their cell phones. Is this an unfair comparison? Was it not Our Lady who said:
 
February 25, 1988
“…let the Rosary always be in your hands as a sign to satan that you belong to me…”

Can you imagine what impact would happen if people carried their Rosaries, the cross on the Rosaries in their hands at least the same amount of time they carry their cell phones? Does Our Lady expect that? Yes, She expects that. She said it in the message you just read. If a daughter writes of her mother’s legacy, kissing and holding the cross, what would happen if all who know the Mother would just keep in their hands throughout the day the Rosary, their fingers on the Cross, like many do with fingers on the dial tone? We are not asking for non-believers to do this. It is enough if Christians lived interiorly this sign and exteriorly manifested this action. But many people do not take Our Lady’s words seriously. If we did, we would understand what She wants to do with us, Our Lady said:
 
June 25, 1991
“…There are many people who do not desire to understand my messages and to accept with seriousness what I am saying. But you I therefore call and ask that by your lives and your daily living you witness my presence…”
Our Lady puts out a ‘call and asks’, through Her messages, while many constantly allow the calls from their cell phones and its messages to drown out Our Lady’s words by so much wasted words through this little god they carry, their source of knowledge. But the value of words and the profound waste of words in today’s society is checked by something Our Lady did today in Mirjana’s apparition. In fact, it wasn’t words that spoke the loudest today. The strongest message Our Lady gave today is how powerful you are when you walk down the street with the Rosary and Cross in your hand. Today Our Lady showed just a piece of the Cross, only the section of where the two cross beams meet. A meeting of two directions – a collision at an intersection of God, intercepting man. And in the path of that crash, it is Jesus who we hit, who we injure, who in His goodness forgives our reckless driving of our lives and whose love says from the heart, bleeding at the intersection, “I love. Though you hit Me in your neglect, I love.” You cannot crash at the Cross of the intersection and remain the same. You will change. You must change. Jesus’ heart laid out at the intersection bleeding, teaches, by His witness, what we must do unconditionally when someone crashes into us – Love.
 
“Dear children! My love seeks your complete and unconditional love, which will not leave you the same as you are, instead it will change you and teach you to trust in my Son. My children, with my love I am saving you and making you true witnesses of the goodness of my Son. Therefore, my children, do not be afraid to witness love in the name of my Son. Thank you.”
Mirjana said, “Our Lady blessed all of us present here and all religious articles we have for the blessing.” At Our Lady’s departure, Mirjana said that she was able to see the cross, and where the horizontal and vertical part of the cross meet, Mirjana was able to see the Heart surrounded by a Crown of Thorns. Mirjana also said that Our Lady was not sad.
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Mirjana said that she was able to see the cross, and where the horizontal and vertical part of the cross meet, Mirjana was able to see the Heart surrounded by a Crown of Thorns.
Designed by Caritas Graphics

Once we leave the crash scene, where our path crosses with Jesus, uninjured because Jesus took the blow, saving us, we must witness His goodness to others in the way He, Himself, teaches us. And when the blows come to us, we must give this goodness that He gave us to others. It is to be given to our neighbors when our encounters with them form a cross.
 
With Love,

A Friend of Medjugorje

P.S. We will talk live on Radio Wave show tonight at 7:00 Central time about today’s message. If you have any questions you would like answered on the show, send the question on the feedback form. Click Here to send a feedback. Thank you. Please remember to pray in gratitude for those who join a core group of four thousand who give at least 14 ¢ a day to provide this site to the world. If you want to join this group to be one of the four thousand, click here. The following is a description and photographs of the events today, Tuesday, June 2, 2009.

Yesterday afternoon, and through the night, it rained in Medjugorje, so pilgrims awoke to a muddy path, filled with puddles, on the way to the Blue Cross. At the Blue Cross, it was also muddy with puddles.

At approximately 4:15 a.m., Caritas Pilgrims walked in a light rain and arrived at the Blue Cross in preparation for the apparition to find only one pilgrim sleeping, as if he had spent the night there. At about 5:00 or 5:30 a.m., a bus of Italian pilgrims arrived and from then until Mirjana arrived thousands streamed in to be in the presence of Our Lady at the Blue Cross. Many Rosaries were prayed in preparation for the Our Lady’s apparition. It did not rain at all during the hours leading up to the apparition, and as the thousands prayed, the clouds were moving away. At one point before the apparition, the sun even came out slightly.

Mirjana arrived at approximately 8:30 a.m. at the Blue Cross, and another Rosary was begun. She actually knelt on a plastic tarp as the area where she received Our Lady was a muddy puddle. There were many priests present at the apparition. Almost the entire Rosary was prayed in Italian, with the exception of a priest who prayed it in Portuguese. Mirjana seemed anxious as the prayer continued by the way she moved and held her hands, often looking as though she was clutching her heart in expectation for Our Lady’s coming. She took several deep breaths, as she often does while waiting for Our Lady on the second of each month. Seconds before Our Lady came, Mirjana looked as though her heart was pounding fast, and then Mirjana opened up her folded hands and raised her head as Our Lady came at approximately 8:46 a.m. In the first seconds of the apparition, tears could be seen flowing down Mirjana’s face. She had a wide range of emotion and gestures during the approximately 4-5 minute apparition. Mirjana cried, she smiled, she looked sad and cringed with a slight shrug of her shoulders a couple times or so as if she was hearing or seeing something painful or awful. She nodded as in agreement and shook her head from side to side as if to say “no.” Mirjana also held her hands together in prayer with her fingers pointing up. She also cupped her hands together with palms facing up, and at some points held her hands about 1 foot apart with palms facing each other.

When looking directly into Mirjana’s face, one could see the end of the apparition coming. Mirjana began to lean forward and up and to focus on an object that was moving in an opposite direction away from her. When Our Lady was leaving, Mirjana moved her head and eyes slightly to the left, as if she was looking up and following the motion of something that had obstructed her view.

The action of Mirjana leaning slightly to the left was noticed before we heard the explanation of Mirjana seeing the Heart on the crossbeams of the cross surrounded by a Crown of Thorns as Our Lady departed.

Mirjana’s head continued to follow Our Lady and she could be seen straining as if to focus as Our Lady disappeared. In these final moments disappointment could be seen on Mirjana’s face.

It took Mirjana over five mintues to collect herself to dictate the message after the apparition.

Pilgrims made it down without any rain, but it began to pour down rain in Medjugorje at 10:00 a.m. and doesn’t look like it will end any time soon!
 
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The expression on Mirjana’s face shows concern in one of her more serious expressions that was visible in the middle of the apparition today. Every part of her face shows deep concentration.
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Towards the end of the apparition, Mirjana leaned to the left, and then a deep frown came upon her face. Though we can’t know for certain, it may have been at this point that she saw the Sacred Heart of Jesus wrapped in thorns in front of the Cross, something very unique to this apparition. Those at the apparition who saw her face, wondered about her expression and how her body was leaning while the apparition was still taking place, but after they heard the description of everything Mirjana saw, it gave an explanation of what they had seen with their eyes. You are witness today of seeing someone who literally saw the Heart of Jesus.
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The last moments of the apparition, as Our Lady ascends back to Heaven, are sweet for Mirjana, but also filled with longing, as separation is always so painful.
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Mirjana takes one last moment to recollect herself in prayer before leaving the site of the Blue Cross to return to her home. She has said many times that at this moment, just after Our Lady leaves, all that she longs for is go back to her bedroom where she can be alone for several hours in prayer. She needs this time of prayer to find the peace and the strength necessary to continue on with her life, as it is so difficult to see Our Lady leave without taking Her with Her to Heaven. Mirjana’s husband , Marco, kneels beside her, and is with her for every apparition.
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There are large groups of Italians in Medjugorje right now. Here, the pilgrims leave the site of the Blue Cross. The rain had stopped at the time pilgrims began arriving for the apparition early this morning, held off all during the time of the apparition and gave time enough for pilgrims to make it back to their “temporary homes” in Medjugorje. At 10:00 a.m., an hour after the apparition, the skies over Medjugorje opened up in a huge rainstorm. Many saw the break in the rain providential, and a grace from Our Lady given for the time of Her apparition.

Please remember to pray in gratitude for those who join a core group of four thousand who give at least 14 ¢ a day to provide this site to the world. If you want to join this group to be one of the four thousand, click here. 

 
 

Monday, June 01, 2009

[MaryVitamin] Harp of David


Mary Vitamin for June 1st
 
Topic: The Harp of David and the Immaculate Heart
 
Quote:
St. John Eudes
"The mysterious harp of King David, mentioned in several passages of Sacred Scripture, is another symbolic picture of the holy heart of Mary."
The Admirable Heart of Mary, (Loreto Publications: 2004), 81.
 
Meditation:
St. John continues
"It is an excellent representation because her pure heart was indeed the harp of the true David, namely Our Lord Jesus Christ. He fashioned it with His own hands; He alone always possessed it. No other fingers but His ever evoked its melodies, because her virginal heart never vibrated with sentiments, affections or impulses other than those inspired by the Holy Ghost."
The Admirable Heart of Mary, (Loreto Publications: 2004), 81.
 
Resolution:
Psalm 33
Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp,
With a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.
O sing him a song that is new,
Play loudly, with all your skill.
 
Today, when I turn to my Rosary (my ten-stringed lute) I will give thanks to the Lord with the Immaculate Heart, the true harp of David.
 
Marian Vow:
St. Maximilian Kolbe who first promoted the Marian vow of total consecration was Franciscan and a particular charism of this order is "joy". Here's a quote encouraging those consecrated to Our Lady to cultivate  joy.
 
"The third purpose for which King David used his harp was to praise God and especially to praise Him with joy. In like manner, Christ the second David, not only attuned His holy Mother's heart to praise and bless His divine majesty in every way, but He also induced Mary to seek her joy and bliss exclusively in His praises, and in all the acts she performed for His glory and in His service."
St. John Eudes, The Admirable Heart of Mary, (Loreto Publications: 2004).
 
 I give this resolution to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
 
Thanks be to God for graces received.
 

__._,.___


The Fire of My Love "Musts: Daily Mass, Adoration After Communion" by Rita Ring, February 15, 1994

Mass at Agony Stone_2228

Image by hoyasmeg via Flickr

Musts: Daily Mass, Adoration After Communion

God's Blue Book II Cover

February 15, 1994 4:00 a.m.

Jesus: I was bruised, I was bloodied, I was beaten. I withstood all this for love of you. Do you still think you are alone? I go with you where you go. I never leave your side. I lead and you follow. You are attentive to the inner promptings in your breast. I am ever ready for you to do exactly what I call you to do.

You are losing your intimacy with Me because you are not spending time alone with Me after Communion. This is our time together. You must never be led away from this time.

My union with you is most important. I am telling you that the Mass and adoration after Communion are musts every day. I am present in a way that you do not get at any other time. You must be absolutely alone in front of the tabernacle after Mass. Sit and lose yourself in My love. Focus only on My love. Satan is trying to keep you from Me at this most special moment. Concentrate on Me and only think of Me, pouring My love out to you. Be as if taking a bath in My love. Let Me fill you to the brim. You are alone with Me but you are missing your time after Communion. This is a must in your life!

I am Who am. I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I come to you, My sweet one, with the greatest love. You are My sweet messenger. Trouble not your mind as I am ever by your side. Things will work for I go before you in all your undertakings. Listen to the promptings in your heart and be attentive to all I disclose to you there. Quiet Satan who constantly taunts your mind. He wants you to become frightened and turn away. You must know this is My work.

Nothing will stop My work here! You are being blessed in your relationship to spread this word. I go before you. I am at your side. Do not ever move from your union with Me. I am in your heart at this very moment. Such precious moments, to behold the Son of God within your very soul! You, My beloved, I come to and I use you to do this work!

Do not doubt for one second. Busy your mind with thoughts only of Me. I come, you listen. You are united to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He dwells in your very heart. Oh, how you are favored. Come and adore Me for I am God and I come to you. Who are you to receive such an honor? You, are My beloved, the bride of My soul. I come to you with this ardent love. Come and be so elated. You are filled with such gifts. Alleluia.

God has come to you. Blow the trumpet, sound the horn, jump for joy. Your ardent lover has come to your soul.

Alleluia.

I am the Alpha. I am the Omega. Come and experience the intensity of My love. Sit and be with Me, with thoughts only of how I, Jesus, Son of God, love you. Focus on Me. See My face. See Me, bloodied and bruised, dripping with love for you. I give you My Body. I give you My Blood. I give you My all. Be attentive to only Me and My intense love for you. I dwell there in your spirit. Let Me possess you and permeate your very being. Be filled with My love. You no longer exist of yourself, but only as I exist in you.

Let go, My chosen ones. I come with this love to bestow on you, but you must be in silence. It is your focusing on Me that will send you high into a realm of the spirit. My love is present inside you. Let go and experience Me present within your heart. Let Me love you with My love. Let Me fill you with My lightness. Lose yourself and be entirely in Me. Forget all your earthly cares. The King of heaven dwells in your heart. Would you think of such small concerns if a real king were in your midst? I am in your soul and I am the King of heaven. The feeling in your heart is My intense love for you!

You hold back, when I have so much to give you. Learn to let go. Pray for help from Me and My mother. You will experience My union with you. I long to be united with you but union depends on your openness to Me. Let go, let go. Ascend to the realms of the heavens for I am truly God and I am truly in your soul.

Come that I might fill you. Let Me do My work in you. Let Me immerse you in My love. Just be with Me. Forget your cares. Forget it all and dwell only in Me, with My arms surrounding you and embracing you. Such warmth, such fire, just for you, My beloved, just for you.

Oh, how I love you. What do I do to shake you? I am God and I am within your very breast and you think about the weather or the garbage. Oh, you silly ones. Behold your God within you, deep in your breast, longing and longing for union with you. Let go! Focus on Me, My little ones! I will immerse you in My love. Be with Me in your very breast. Come and be filled by Me.

Alleluia. Alleluia.

This is God. This is God and I am in your breast. What is in your mind? When your bridegroom waits for you, empty your mind and let Me fill you!

Alleluia. You, this day, have been given a Savior and He longs to be with you in the most ardent love.


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Pope concludes Month of Mary in the Vatican Gardens:

VATICAN - Pope concludes Month of Mary in the Vatican Gardens: "In Mary's school we too learn to recognize the Holy Spirit's presence in our life, to listen to his inspirations and to follow them with docility."

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – On the evening of Saturday, May 30, in the Vatican Gardens, there was a procession with the recitation of the Holy Rosary, to conclude the Month of May, Month of Mary. At the end of the celebration. At the close of the celebration, which was presided by Cardinal Angelo Comastri, Vicar General of His Holiness for Vatican City and Archpriest of the Basilica of Saint Peter, the Holy Father Benedict XVI addressed the faithful present, speaking on the connection with Pentecost: "We too, in this penultimate evening of May, from the Vatican hill, ask for the pouring out of the Spirit Paraclete upon us, upon the Church that is in Rome and upon the whole Christian people. The great Feast of Pentecost invites us to meditate upon the relationship between the Holy Spirit and Mary, a very close, privileged, indissoluble relationship."
"In effect, in the New Testament we see that Mary's faith 'draws,' so to speak, the Holy Spirit," the Pope explained, recalling the conception of the Son of God, shortly followed by the visit to Elizabeth: "the Holy Spirit made the child jump in the womb of her elderly cousin; and the whole dialogue between the two mothers is inspired by the Spirit of God, above all the 'Magnificat,' the canticle of praise with which Mary expresses her sentiments. The whole event of Jesus' birth and his early childhood is guided in an almost palpable manner by the Holy Spirit, even if he is not always mentioned."
"We can thus be certain that the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, in his whole hidden life in Nazareth, always found a 'hearth; that was always burning with prayer and constant attention to the Holy Spirit," Pope Benedict XVI said. "The wedding feast at Cana is a witness to this singular harmony between Mother and Son in seeking God's will. In a situation like the wedding feast, charged with symbols of the covenant, the Virgin Mary intercedes and, in a certain sense, provokes, a sign of superabundant divine grace: the 'good wine' that points to mystery of the Blood of Christ. This leads us directly to Calvary... Together the Mother and the disciple spiritually taken in Jesus' testament: his last words and his last breath, in which he begins to send out the Spirit; and they take in the silent crying out of his Blood, poured out completely for us ...In this way Mary's faith sustains the faith of the disciples until the meeting with the risen Lord, and will continue to accompany them even after his ascension into heaven...At Pentecost, the Virgin Mary appears again as Bride of the Spirit, having a universal maternity with respect to those 

The Descent of the Holy Spirit in a 15th centu...

Image via Wikipedia

who are born from God through faith in Christ." 

The Pontiff concluded his reflection, before imparting his Blessing, with this exhortation: "in Mary's school we too learn to recognize the Holy Spirit's presence in our life, to listen to his inspirations and to follow them with docility. He makes us grow in the fullness of Christ, in those good fruits that the apostle Paul lists in the Letter to the Galatians: 'Love, joy, peace, magnanimity, benevolence, goodness, fidelity, meekness, self-control' (Galatians 5:22). I hope that you will be filled with these gifts and will always walk with Mary according to the Spirit." (SL) (Agenzia Fides 1/6/2009)

Links: 
Complete text of the Holy Father's address, in Italian
http://www.fides.org/ita/magistero/bxvi/discorsi/discorso_300509.html



 
 SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY # 594

The soldiers therefore came: and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him. But after they were come to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. (John 19:32-33)
OUR PASCHAL LAMB: Our Divine Savior, crucified on the Jewish paschal feast, is the true Paschal Lamb; and therefore St. Paul says: "Christ, our Pasch, is sacrificed" (I Cor. 5:7). No bone of the typical lamb might be broken (Old Testament Law), and this law was meant to typify that no bone would be broken of the true Paschal Lamb, our Redeemer. This, as you have read, came to pass. 

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)