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!
SANTA ANA, Calif.,Oct. 10, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- According to the Associated Press, clashes resumed today in Cairo between Christian protesters and Egyptian security forces a day after at least 26 people were killed and 180 injured, including many Christians.
Violence erupted in the streets of Cairo on Sunday when Christians protested the burning of a Coptic church in southern Egypt a week ago, according to press reports.
Dr. Carl Moeller, president/CEO of Open Doors USA, calls for a halt to the violence and for prayers for peace and calm.
"Please pray with me for a halt to the loss of lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ in Egypt," he says. "Pray for calm. Pray for those who have resorted to killing and wounding to stop their actions."
Moeller says that Egyptian Christians are frustrated over a string of church bombings and closures since the firs
t of the year. On New Year's Day a suicide bomber killed 22 Christians in front of the Two Saints Church in Alexandria.
"Instead of more freedom since the end of the Hosni Mubarak regime in January, Christians have been even more targeted by Muslim extremists," he states. "And they feel the current military leaders have done little to protect them and insure their religious rights."
According to Compass Direct News, attacks on Coptic churches are part of a larger and ever-increasing trend taking place in Egypt whereby a government official in a province or municipality grants permission for a church to be built or re-opened and hard-line Muslims threaten violence if services take place. Coptic leaders accuse the government of playing a colluding role in the violence by not enforcing the law, including a recently renewed and expanded Emergency Law, which stipulates imprisonment as a penalty for acts of sectarian strife, "thuggery" and vandalism of private property.
Egypt is ranked No. 19 on the Open Doors 2011 World Watch List of the 50 worst persecutors of Christians. Egypt has by far the largest Christian minority in the Middle East - an estimated 10 million. The population of Egypt is 80 million.
Today Egypt's Coptic church leaders called on followers to fast and pray for three days to mourn Christians killed in the clashes.
Moeller adds: "This is a time for the entire body of Christ to pray for the church in Egypt and the entire region. It is also a time for all peoples of every religion to come together and work for true freedom, democracy and peace."
Open Doors partners with the church in Egypt by:
Bringing awareness of human rights violations
Providing needed employment opportunities for persecuted Christians
Providing resources and training to empower local churches and pastors.
An estimated 100 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ, with millions more facing discrimination and alienation. Open Doors supports and strengthens believers in the world's most difficult areas through Bible and Christian literature distribution, leadership training and assistance, Christian community development, prayer and presence ministry and advocacy on behalf of suffering believers. To partner with Open Doors USA, call toll free at 888-5-BIBLE-5 (888-524-2535) or go to our Website atwww.OpenDoorsUSA.org.
(For more information or to set up an interview, contact Jerry Dykstra at 616-915-4117 or email jerryd@odusa.org.)
Jonah expects nothing less from us Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city located across the banks of the Tigris River from modern-day Mosul, Iraq. It gained biblical fame for being spared by God because it heeded the prophet Jonah’s call to repentance. Today, lack of protection from natural elements and looters has led to the ancient city’s 3,000-year-old ruins being included on a Global Heritage Fund list of world sites on the verge of irreparable loss and destruction. The unrepentant of Jesus’ day seem to have forgotten all about Nineveh. Let’s not make the same mistake. Be a voice for the protection and preservation of great historical sites that remind us of our roots.
CAIRO,October 10, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- On October 9, 2011, a march by Coptic Christians in Cairo to demand an end to the ongoing persecution and discrimination ended with the death of up to 48 Coptic Christian protestors who were beaten, gunned down and bulldozed-over by army tanks in a rampage directed by Egyptian Army personnel, with the assistance of local Islamic extremists.
Hundreds more are believed to have been injured. Exact numbers are yet to be confirmed.
On Sunday, the Blaze reported on violent clashes between Egypt’s military and Coptic Christians (the largest minority in the Middle Eastern nation). What purportedly started out as a peaceful protest against a recent church attack ended in extreme violence that drew thousands into the streets.
Below, see the startling video that has emerged showcasing Egypt’s military running down what appear to be protesters:
The clashes started outside the state television building along the Nile in Cairo and spread to nearby Tahrir Square and the area around it. The Associated Press reports that, “…protesters and military battled each other with rocks and firebombs, some tearing up pavement for ammunition and others collecting stones in boxes.
At one point, a group of youths with at least one riot policeman among them dragged a protester by his legs for a long distance.” Al-Jazeera has more on the clash:
According to the BBC, the protesters were upset over the military council’s perceived leniency in dealing with individuals responsible for recent anti-Christian attacks. Considering Egypt’s frail nature following its revolution earlier this year, Sunday’s sectarian violence is concerning. BBC has more:
The cabinet has held an emergency meeting ahead of the first funerals of 24 people who died in Sunday’s unrest. [...]
The military called on the government to carry out a quick investigation into the clashes by “forming a fact-finding committee to determine what happened and take legal measures against all those proven to have been involved”.
In a statement read out on state TV, the army also said they would take all necessary measures to maintain security and repeated their commitment to plan for handing power to civilians.
Demonstrators who say they started the protest peacefully claim that they were assaulted by attackers who were wearing plain clothing just before their clashes with security forces commenced. Apparently, some Muslims even came out into the streets to defend the Christians and to rail against the governing council. The results of the clash were gruesome. Reuters reports:
Pictures of smashed faces and dead bodies of what activists said were bodies run over by military vehicles circulated online, with angry comments comparing the violence used by the military to that of Mubarak’s hated police in the uprising.
These events showcase the continued instability that exists in the region.
"Dear children! Also today my motherly heart calls you to prayer, to your personal relationship with God the Father, to the joy of prayer in Him. God the Father is not far away from you and He is not unknown to you. He revealed Himself to you through my Son and gave you Life that is my Son. Therefore, my children, do not give in to temptat
ions that want to separate you from God the Father. Pray! Do not attempt to have families and societies without Him. Pray! Pray that your hearts may be flooded with the goodness which comes only from my Son, Who is sincere goodness. Only hearts filled with goodness can comprehend and accept God the Father. I will continue to lead you. In a special way I implore you not to judge your shepherds. My children, are you forgetting that God the Father called them? Pray! Thank you."
(October 2, 2011 Mirjana)
Our Lady punctuates this message with one word. Pray! This one word conveys her deepest desire for us, her most serious and fervent call. Pray!
"Therefore, my children, do not give in to temptations that want to separate you from God the Father. Pray!"
Satan constantly tries to dislodge our trust in the Father. It worked so well the first time with Adam and Eve that he employs this tactic over and over again. "Don't trust God. He isn't on your side. Look how He lets you suffer. He doesn't list
en to your prayers. He isn't fair; see how He gives so much to your neighbor and leaves you without. He isn't telling you everything. Don't trust him..." If only Eve had prayed to the Father when Satan first approached her...if only she had stayed in communication with God...
"Do not attempt to have families and societies without Him. Pray
!" In this technological age, with all its glitter and speed, we have forgotten that we are creatures. We think we can control our own lives, decide for ourselves, and base our lives on our own wisdom. Are we creatures or did we create ourselves? If we were created, our Creator knows much better than we what will make our lives happy and fruitful. What would life be like if our parents, our teachers, our legislators and our business leaders were all in communication with God the Father? What if we all prayed to Him for guidance, and imitated Him in his benevolence and kindness and love? What if we all prayed...
"In a special way I implore you not to judge your shepherds. My children, are you forgetting that God the Father called them? Pray!"
Our shepherds in the Church as just like us. They are humans. They are weak. They are susceptible to all of Satan's temptations, just like us. The only thing that separates them from us is the "call of God" which drew them into the priesthood. That "call" sets them apart. It also makes them the bridge between heaven and earth for us, in that they administer the Sacraments to us, uniting us to God in a life-saving way. Without them, we would be in disarray. What if we all prayed for our shepherds, daily! What if our first response to a situation with one of our shepherds would be to drop to our knees and pray for him? What if...
You can see how life-changing prayer could be, for us personally, for our families and communities, and for our Church. Pray! Don't give in. Pray! Don't give up. Pray! Pray! Pray!
TAKE FIVE FOR FAITH: Daily renewal for busy Catholics
Sunday, October 9 TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Please be seated Jesus tells perhaps none more masterful a parable than the one about a wedding feast. Parables compare something in a story to something outside the story. As a parable unfolds, the comparison becomes clear and listeners realize they are being challenged to change their behavior or outlook. The parable of the wedding feast has not one but two such moments. First, Jesus’ hearers realized he was pointing out how their rejection of him meant rejecting the Father and the prophets as well. The lucky new invitees to the feast, however, don’t have it much easier, as they find out that merely showing up isn’t enough. What gets you a seat at the table is not who you are or aren’t but whether you have faith and live it.
TODAY’S READINGS: Isaiah 25:6-10a; Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22:1-14 or 22:1-10 (142) “Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
87 years old Domenico Mascheri from Italy had been using hearing devices since the 1970s. But during a Mass in Medjugorje on September 27 he suddenly started to hear the priest still more clearly. One week into his new life with good, un-aided hearing, his wife still cannot understand she does not have to shout anymore.
Thousands of pilgrims gathered for Mass on the outdoor altar behind St. James Church in Medjugorje. It was here Domenico Mascheri regained his hearing after 40 years Domenico Mascheri has gone to Mass all his life. But the 87 years old Italian from Cesena will never forget the outdoor Mass he attended on September 27 in Medjugorje. During this Mass he started to hear by himself after 40 years when he was totally dependent on hearing devices to hear the little he could. When Domenico Mascheri went to Mass that Tuesday evening, it was after two days when he had lived in a completely silent world, his hearing devices having run out of battery, he tells the Bologna-based local newspaper Il Resto del Carlino: “We arrived at the sanctuary on Sunday, September 25. The next morning I realized that I had lost the batteries for my two hearing devices. I found myself in a world of my own because I saw others moving their lips, but I could not hear them.” “I phoned my wife at home, but I could not talk to her. She told me upon my return that I had not heard her screaming. There was no possibility of finding spare batteries, and I resigned myself to continue my pilgrimage in total deafness”, Domenico Mascheri says.
Priest celebrating Mass on the open air altar in Medjugorje After two days in a world without a sound, what should become the great day of the 87 years old dawned on September 27: “On Tuesday I climbed Apparition Hill with the help of a stick. Then, in the evening, what I had never expected happened”, Domenico Mascheri tells Il Resto del Carlino. “At 6 o’clock in the evening, together with five people in my group, I went to the open air Mass in the large square in front of the sanctuary. I sat on a bench, but not hearing what the priest said, I prayed for myself, so I could not answer the celebrant. Then suddenly, while reciting the Ave Maria, about halfway I started to hear the pastor’s voice that gradually got stronger.” “I did not know what to do. The intensity of the celebrant’s voice increased, and at one point became so strong for me, accustomed to not hearing, that I thought I was dreaming. When I realized I was hearing through my ears without any artificial help, I started to cry, but I did not have the courage to say anything to my traveling companions.” “At the evening dinner I loudly told everyone that I had found the batteries. They all asked me where I found them and I said, “they rained down from Heaven.” Everyone understood, stood up, hugged me and then we partied. We came home on Thursday and my wife still does not believe it because shouting to talk has ceased now after 40 years”, Domenico Mascheri tells. “For me it is a miracle, but establishing it shall be to doctors and religious personel. I only know that after many years of suffering, I do not need the equipment. On Monday I will go to my doctor and my specialist, of course without the devices stuck in their ears, and carry out all the tests I have been through in these forty years.” It was a long life of faith that culminated that evening in Medjugorje: “Even as a child. I had a devotion to Jesus, Mary and the saints. I have had an adventurous life and always maintained a steadfast faith. I have always seen the apparitions of Our Lady of Medjugorje on television and felt the desire to go there. From the first time I heard of the miracles, I said that I had to go there”, Domenico Mascheri says. “I am rejuvenated and I feel the weight of my 87 years even less. And all this thanks to the Madonna.“
MANILA, Philippines — Sunday is the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of La Naval. Now enshrined at the Santo Domingo Church on Quezon Avenue. The title “La Naval” was added after the Spanish naval victory over the Dutch in Manila Bay in 1646. The Spanish troops had only two ships to defend the islands against the 18 galleons and other small vessels sent by the Dutch forces. It was a most desperate moment and the Spaniards sought the help of God through the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Spaniards won and attributed the victory to the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary which was then enshrined in the Church of Santo Domingo in Intramuros, Manila. From then on, Filipinos especially those living in Manila celebrate her feast every second Sunday of October. Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of La Naval has been declared the patroness of the Philippine Navy.
This year’s theme, “Ina ni Kristo, Ina ng Buhay” focuses on Mary’s love for life and family. The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph is regarded as the model of all Christian families today. The theme invites all devotees of the Blessed Mother to reflect on Mary’s role in strengthening the bond among the members of the Holy Family and her role today in keeping families all over the world patterned after the Holy Family of Nazareth.
As we celebrate her feast on Sunday, let us lift up our prayers of thanksgiving and supplication through her intercession. We know that through her, God will listen to our prayers. May we also learn to value life and always respect the sanctity of marriage and family. Let us pray to her for our families that the grace of God may always flow to them and the Filipino families continue to be agents of life and love.
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of La Naval, keep us always obedient and faithful to God like you and through you, may we always triumph over the forces of darkness in our society. Amen. Ave Maria!
“St. Catherine of Genoa so hungered for this heavenly bread that she could not see it in the priest’s hands without feeling as though she were dying of love, so great was her desire to possess it, and she would cry, ‘Ah! Lord, come into me! My God, come to me, I can bear it no longer! Ah! My God, come, if it please thee, into my inmost heart; no, my God, I can bear it no longer. Thou art my whole joy, my whole happiness, and the only food of my soul.’
“Happy the Christian who comprehends this. If we understood it even a little, we could only desire life so far as it meant the happiness of making Jesus Christ our daily bread. Created things would be nothing to us; we should despise them that we might cling to God alone. All we did and undertook would tend only to make us ever more worthy of receiving him.”
“When you go to Holy Communion you must always have an intention, and say, when you are on the point of receiving our Lord’s Body: ‘O my good Father, who art in heaven, I offer thee, at this moment, thy dear Son, as he was taken down from the Cross and laid in the arms of the Blessed Virgin, and offered by her to thee as a sacrifice for us. I offer him to thee by the hands of Mary to obtain such and such a grace: faith, charity, humility…’ My children, mark this well: whenever I obtained a grace, I asked it in this way, and it has never failed.”
St. John Vianney
You can receive complimentary materials to make your Consecration to God through Mary’s Immaculate Heart ( important spiritual protection at this time in salvation history) at myconsecration.org... where you can also learn about Our Lady of Las Lajas.
Michael La Corte Anthony Mullen Executive Director MyConsecration.org World Apostolate of Fatima, USA 222 S. Manoa Road A Pontifical Association of the Faithful Havertown, PA 19083 visit us at: www.wafusa.org visit us at: http://www.myconsecration.org
In 1997, I began to experience excruciating pains in my back which slowly encircled my rib cage. The pain was akin to having a wire circle your body and pulled 24 hours a day. The pain was dismissed as recurring muscle pain but as the months passed, I knew it was much worse.
When my legs started weakening and the pain became intense, I learned what was wrong. There was a tumor lodged in my spinal cord; there was no cure. The tumor could gradually increase in size, not change, or decrease, but the end would be the same: it would rupture and I would end up paralyzed.
In the year 2000, as I was going down the stairs after attending mass, I felt a sudden twist in my left leg. In the wee hours of the morning, I felt terrible, terrible pain in my back. I had no way of asking for help for my husband was out of town, our bedroom door was closed, and the phone in my room would not work. What the doctors had warned me about was happening: my arterial malformation was rupturing. I couldnt do anything but pray, close my eyes and sleep.
In the morning I could hardly feel anything from my waist down. What followed was a 6-hour operation to remove the blood clot in my spinal cord. I became paralyzed. What was to become of the rest of my life?
At home, I was left alone practically the whole day. My husband and daughter had to earn a living. My only companions were caregivers and helpers. I was dependent on them for practically everything. I cried often, and in those days my will to live reached its lowest point. If there was a God, why did I turn out this way?
But while still in the hospital, three of my neighbors Ed and Lydia Rosal, and Pinky Santiago visited me. I didnt even really know them in a very neighborly way. Ed Rosal offered to give me Holy Communion everyday and though I was never a daily churchgoer, I said yes. Then Lydia (his wife) and Pinky introduced me to the Cenacle. What was that?
They gave me a book and asked if the Cenacle could be held in my house every First Friday. I hesitantly agreed. I found it difficult to believe that the Blessed Mother would make herself present in our midst during the Cenacle. There were times when everyone would be deep in thought over the message, whereas I couldnt understand what the message was all about. Words such as consecration, abandonment, interior and exterior docility were strange terms to me. By Gods grace and Mama Marys help and guidance, these words slowly became alive and relevant in my life.
I began to look forward to our Friday Cenacles and as the years passed, I felt transformed little by little. I began to understand Gods plan in my life and the importance of consecrating oneself to Our Lady. I gradually learned to accept my wheelchair, my disability. I realized that ones life is not ones own, that it must be spent in the service of others and for God.
I learned to live in the present moment, with trust in Gods providence and Mama Marys protection. I realized the importance of praying for the sanctification of priests.
Contrary to what I initially thought, the past seven years proved very fulfilling. The Cenacle and my wheelchair have made a profound difference in my life. In letting Mama Mary take charge, my life was never the same again.
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It can be hard to pray in our busy modern world. I think that the rosary is a remedy for our dilemma. Each Hail Mary is like a step towards heaven, calling to mind the Divine Mysteries of Jesus' life. Slow down, pray and take one step at time. God bless you,Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR Saint Joseph Friary, Harlem, NY
"My dear friends, be aware of the great gift that priests represent for the Church and the world. Through their ministry the Lord continues to save mankind, to make Himself present, to sanctify. Give thanks to God and above all remain close to your priests with prayer and support, especially in moments of difficulty". May 5th, 2010 General Audience
We provide life-saving care for thousands of priests experiencing difficulties. Please join us as a partner in mission today.
Opus Bono Sacerdotii is a Catholic charity that in partnership with our benefactors, assist bishops, religious superiors, and Vatican officials in finding solutions for the proper care and treatment of priests who are experiencing difficulties. In the past nine years since our founding we have been contacted by thousands of priests and many bishops, including the Holy See.
I would like to ask you to consider joining us as a partner in mission by making a donation today, so that we can provide much needed support to Catholic priests experiencing difficulties for their healing and renewal. A Catholic priest needs your help right now!
I look forward to hearing from you soon and may Our Lady of Priests be your health and your protection!
Feast of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Dear Family of Mary!
"Dear children! Today, like never before, I invite you to prayer. Let your prayer be a prayer for peace. Satan is strong and desires to destroy not only human life, but also nature and the planet on which you live. Therefore, dear children, pray that through prayer you can protect yourselves with God's blessing of peace. God has sent me among you so that I may help you. If you so wish, grasp for the rosary. Even the rosary alone can work miracles in the world and in your lives. I bless you and I remain with you for as long as it is God's will. Thank you for not betraying my presence here and I thank you because your response is serving the good and the peace."
(January 25, 1991)
On this beautiful feast, let's listen to Blessed John Paul II speak from his heart about the Rosary. I quote here from his Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae. No one understood better than Blessed John Paul II how peace hangs in the balance in our day. And no one comprehended more completely how that balance is in the hands of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. And her hands are empowered by our Rosaries, prayed from the heart. The Rosary is the perfect tool, because not only does it provide intercession for the world, but it transforms those who employ it. We are changed as we pray and the world is changed as well. Blessed John Paul II wrote:
40. The grave challenges confronting the world at the start of this new Millennium lead us to think that only an intervention from on high, capable of guiding the hearts of those living in situations of conflict and those governing the destinies of nations, can give reason to hope for a brighter future.
The Rosary is by its nature a prayer for peace,
since it consists in the contemplation of Christ, the Prince of Peace, the one who is "our peace" (Eph. 2:14). Anyone who assimilates the mystery of Christ - and this is clearly the goal of the Rosary - learns the secret of peace and makes it his life's project. Moreover, by virtue of its meditative character, with the tranquil succession of Hail Marys, the Rosary has a peaceful effect on those who pray it, disposing them to receive and experience in their innermost depths, and to spread around them, that true peace which is the special gift of the risen Lord (cf. Jn 14:27; 20:21).
The Rosary is also a prayer for peace because of the fruits of charity that it produces. When prayed well in a truly meditative way, the Rosary leads to an encounter with Christ in his mysteries and so cannot fail to draw attention to the face of Christ in others, especially in the most afflicted. How could one possibly contemplate the mystery of the Child of Bethlehem, in the joyful mysteries, without experiencing the desire to welcome, defend and promote life, and to shoulder the burdens of suffering children all over the world? How could one possibly follow in the footsteps of Christ the Revealer, in the mysteries of light, without resolving to bear witness to His "Beatitudes" in daily life? And how could one contemplate Christ carrying the Cross and Christ Crucified, without feeling the need to act as a "Simon of Cyrene" for our brothers and sisters weighed down by grief or crushed by despair? Finally, how could one possibly gaze upon
the glory of the Risen Christ or of Mary Queen of Heaven, without yearning to make this world more beautiful, more just, more closely conformed to God's plan?
In a word, by focusing our eyes on Christ, the Rosary also makes us peacemakers in the world. By its nature as an insistent choral petition in harmony with Christ's invitation to "pray ceaselessly" (Lk 18:1), the Rosary allows us to hope that, even today, the difficult "battle" for peace can be won. Far from offering an escape from the problems of the world, the Rosary obliges us to see them with responsible and generous eyes, and obtains for us the strength to face them with the certainty of God's help and the firm intention of bearing witness in every situation to "love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony" (Col 3:14). (John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae. N.40)
Blessed John Paul II, pray for us! Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!
In Jesus and Mary!
Cathy Nolan
P.S. Please pray for Mary TV as we begin to prepare for the live streaming from Vienna on November 17, 2011 at St. Stephen's Cathedral, with visionaries from Medjugorje. We will keep you updated as to the schedule!
Updated Information for Miami/Key Biscayne, Florida USA
Public Event Monday October 24, 2011 A.D.
Location: Saint Agnes Church 100 Harbor Drive Key Biscayne, FL 33149
*All times are Eastern Time USA
3:00 PM - Adoration - From the beginning the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed, through the Rosary and Apparition time, up until Holy Mass begins 5:00 PM - Rosary will begin 6:40 PM - Appariton of Our Lady to Marija followed by Procession of Blessed Sacrament back to the Tabernacle 7:00 PM - Holy Mass
Holy Mass will be followed by a talk from Medjugorje Visionary Marija
For More Information you can call Caritas at: 205-672-2000
1.Hotel Accommodations Making Reservations - Hotels in the area can book up early, so we recommend that you make reservations now. Even if circumstances at this moment do not seem possible for you to come - remember, prayer brings about miracles. So book your plans and pray, pray, pray, and Our Lady will work out the details. Whether it be lack of funds, job, family, etc., surrender to God the problem and give to Our Lady your desires. Pray short, ardent prayers and do novenas to be here. She will take it from there, trust Her.
List of Hotels in Key Biscayne near St. Agnes Church
Key Biscayne Silver Sands Beach Resort - $129.00-$149.00/night Located approximately 1 mile, or 15 minutes walking distance from St. Agnes Church Phone: 305-361-5441 Website: www.silversandbeachresort.net
List of Hotels in Miami
Hotel Urbano - $159.00/night for a double queen room Located in Miami on Breaker Avenue approximately 8 miles, 12 minutes from St. Agnes Church Phone: 305-854-2070 Website: www.hotelurban.com Email: hotelurbano@brickell.com Best Western Premier - $129.99/night for double queen Located in Miami approximately 13.75 miles (25 minutes) from St. Agnes Church Phone: 305-774-6100 Website: www.bestwestern.com for available discounted rates
Holiday Inn - $149.00/night for a king bed Located in Miami approximately 9 miles (20 minutes) from St. Agnes Church Phone: 305-371-4400
Hotel Indigo – $139.00/night double queen Located in Miami approximately 10 miles (25 minutes) from St. Agnes Church Phone: 305-595-6000
View A Larger Map to Saint Agnes Church
2.Directions from Miami International Airport to St. Agnes Church The event is located approximately 15 miles from the Miami International Airport. To get to the event from the airport:
Exit the airport Take 826 East Merge onto 95 South Take the Rickenbacker/Key Biscayne Exit (This will curve to the left into Key Biscayne Exit) approximately 5.8 miles. Exit the freeway, turning left onto South Miami Avenue. Turn right onto the Rickenbacker Causeway which will turn into Crandon Boulevard. There will be a toll booth directly in front of you. The toll charge is $1.50. You will see a sign saying you have now entered Key Biscayne. Stay on Crandon Boulevard for approximately 3-4 miles. The first right off of Crandon Boulevard is Harbor Drive.
St. Agnes Church 100 Harbor Drive Key Biscayne, FL 33149
3.Parking We are expecting large crowds and ask that you please carpool to St. Agnes Church or come by bus due to limited parking in the Church parking lot. There will be event parking signs as you approach the Church directing you to available parking at either Calusa Park or Crandon Park. Both of these parks are within a 5 minute walk from St. Agnes Church. For those who are unable to walk, there will be a drop off point in front of the Church for carpool and bus drop-offs.
4.What is the dress code? Remember you are in a holy place as Our Lady has said on April 25, 1988, “…Understand that the Church is God’s palace, the place in which I gather you and want to show you the way to God… Churches deserve respect and are set apart as holy because God, Who became Man, dwells in them day and night…”
Please, no sleeveless or low cut dresses. No sleeveless or low cut shirts, blouses, or sweaters. Dresses and skirts must be below the knee. Only knee-length shorts will be allowed for both men and women. Capris may be worn. No gym shorts or other short clothing. No mid-drifts or clothing that exposes the back or stomach. No see-through clothing or clothing that has inappropriate writing or pictures on it. Casual dress, jeans, etc., is OK. We are speaking about modest dress. Dress appropriately for the day in preparation to go before the Holy Event of Our Lady’s apparition and other prayer times. Please remind one another that you are coming before the Blessed Virgin Mary, the most pure woman ever created.
This summer in Medjugorje, Marija was greeting pilgrims outside her chapel just before apparition time. It had been very hot the day before and Marjia told pilgrims she wished it would rain “because the rain would make you put more clothes on.” She then spoke strongly to those gathered that what you wear reflects the state of your soul.
5.How important is this event? Those who longed for and who could never afford to go to Medjugorje can have the grace now. Your coming to be in the presence of the Queen of Peace, October 24, 2011, when She appears to Marija Lunetti, visionary of Medjugorje, is a special grace and opportunity for you to pray for yourself and your family.
Our Lady said on May 20, 2011: “Dear children, today more than ever I desire to call you to prayer. Dear children, satan wants to destroy today’s families, therefore I desire to call you to a renewal of family prayer. Pray, dear children, in your families with your children, do not permit access to satan. Thank you, dear children, for also today responding to my call.”
We live in a moment of man’s history, unique and like no other. For those of you who are able to bring your children, know they will one day tell your grandchildren, “I was there.” Even if you must rearrange your schedule for the 6:40 pm apparition on October 24, 2011 of Our Lady, do not let anything keep you from coming to be in Our Lady’s presence. Your children’s schooling, work, other obligations, etc., are not comparable to being in Our Lady’s presence. Let no obstacle block you. Make a decision that will change your life and the life of your family.
Our Lady says on January 25, 1987:
“…comprehend what God’s plan is in your regard. I am ‘with you’ in order that you may be able to bring it about in all its fullness…”
6.Can I take pictures? No video cameras; no cameras, and absolutely no cell phone cameras are allowed. Please remember, do not violate other pilgrims and the reverent spirit of what is happening here.
7.What do I need to bring? Because of the crowds we recommend bringing a blanket with you to sit on.
We also recommend bringing Rosaries, medals, scapulars… anything you would like to have blessed by Our Lady. Bring extra items to be able to pass on to those who were unable to be in Her presence, giving the gift of a holy object blessed by the Blessed Virgin Mary in whose presence you stood. As Our Lady Herself has said on June 23, 1982, “These apparitions are the last in the world.”
8.Does the event cost anything? No, this is a spiritual event of grace freely given from God of which is free to attend.
Two Days: Two Amazing Events The Ninth Annual Worldwide Children's Eucharistic Holy Hour and the Eucharistic Family Rosary Crusade By Michelle Laque Johnson
Parents, teachers, principals, and clergy: You are invited to gather the children under your care so that they can participate in the ninth annual Worldwide Children's Eucharistic Holy Hour. The event will air live from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. at 10 a.m. ET, Friday, Oct. 7 – the Feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary – exclusively on EWTN.
Children at home, schools and parishes will be able to join thousands of children at the Basilica to console the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus and to pray for the families of the world. The goal is to gather one million children in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament!
New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond, chair of the USCCB's Committee of the Office of Divine Worship, will preside over the event, which is presented by the World Apostolate of Fatima and the Pontifical Mission Society of the Holy Childhood Association.
Everything you need to participate can be found at http://childrenoftheeucharist-waf.org/files11/holy_hour.html. You will light a candle, gather the children before the most Blessed Sacrament, pray the prayers of Eucharistic Reparation, pray the Entrustment Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and pray the World Mission Rosary for the Families of the World. These prayers, an explanation of the event, registration materials and more can all be found on the website.
Then, beginning at 10 a.m. ET, Saturday, Oct. 8, join the Diocese of Arlington and Eucharistic Family Rosary Crusade live at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for "Adoration and Global Living Rosary." This incredible rosary is prayed by people all over the world, with the first half of each prayer spoken in the speaker's native language and the second half in English! The Catholic Church truly is universal!
Remember family: Our Lady of Fatima pleaded with us to say the rosary to obtain peace in the world. Please don't let her down!
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on a case that involves the "ministerial exception," a provision that bars the government from making employment decisions regarding a church's ministers. The position articulated by Leondra R. Kruger, who represented the Obama administration, was the subject of a revealing series of exchanges with the Justices.
After Kruger dodged a pointed question by Chief Justice John Roberts on the specific religious nature of the case—all she would allow was that associational rights were involved—Justice Antonin Scalia pressed her even further: "That's extraordinary. That's extraordinary. We are talking here about the Free Exercise Clause and about the Establishment Clause, and you say they have no special application?"
Later, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan asked Kruger about this same issue. When Kruger indicated that the "ministerial exception" was not grounded in the First Amendment, Kagan, citing Scalia's concern, said "I too find that amazing, that you think that the Free—neither the Free Exercise Clause nor the Establishment Clause has anything to say about a church's relationship with its own employees."
Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments as follows:
Jesus selected only males to be his apostles. Following suit, the Catholic Church selects only males to be its priests. No one has ever questioned this First Amendment right, until now: the Obama administration wants to gut the "ministerial exception" that allows religious institutions to exercise autonomy in its employment decisions.
What happened yesterday is the icing on the cake: after lying to the American people that Obamacare would not threaten the religious prerogatives of the Catholic Church—it now wants to force Catholic healthcare providers to offer sterilization and contraceptive services (abortion will be next)—it says the government should not be barred from policing the hiring policies of any church. Thus has Obama taken the culture war to new extremes.
Contact our director of communications about Donohue’s remarks:
"How much do we ourselves take on disciplines that truly reflect a modeling . . . where those who claim a Catholic Christian identity will be religious virtuosi responding to the universal call to holiness?"
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Roll call Saint Bruno of Cologne, founder of the Carthusian order in the 11th century, was widely recognized as a holy and learned man. Upon his death in 1101, his Carthusian brothers followed a medieval custom and sent a “roll-bearer”—a member of the community who carried a long scroll of parchment around his neck—to churches and monastic communities throughout the region to announce his death. The communities wrote on the parchment of their sorrow and offered their prayers. Many medieval rolls of this kind have been preserved, but few are as extensive or full of praise as that which honors Bruno: To be precise, 177 witnesses signed Bruno’s roll at his passing. Read up on Bruno’s life and add your own name to the list.
TODAY’S READINGS: Malachi 3:13-20b; Luke 11:5-13 (464) “The one who seeks, finds.”
Montreal (Agenzia Fides) - On the occasion of the missionary month of October, which will culminate on World Mission Day, the Pontifical Mission Societies of the French-speaking Canada put a new video clip online which lasts one minute, produced by the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, which is entitled "Pour un monde meilleur." The video presents a rapid succession of situations in various places in the world that illustrate the commitment of the missionaries in the evangelization and human promotion. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 10/06/2011)
