Mary TV Daily Reflection 11/9/2012

(c)Mary TV 2012

May we be determined apostles of Our Lady!

+

J.M.J.

November 9, 2012

The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Dear Family of Mary!

“Dear children, as a mother I implore you to persevere as my apostles. I am praying to my Son to give you Divine wisdom and strength. I am praying that you may discern everything around you according to God’s truth and to strongly resist everything that wants to distance you from my Son. I am praying that you may witness the love of the Heavenly Father according to my Son. My children, great grace has been given to you to be witnesses of God’s love. Do not take the given responsibility lightly. Do not sadden my motherly heart. As a mother I desire to rely on my children, on my apostles. Through fasting and prayer you are opening the way for me to pray to my Son for Him to be beside you and for His name to be holy through you. Pray for the shepherds because none of this would be possible without them. Thank you.”(November 2, 2012)

We return to this sobering message of November 2, to again pray over it and respond to it with all our hearts. Mother Mary calls us to “witness the love of the Heavenly Father according to my Son.” We might wonder what this means. But it is clear that Jesus reveals the Father. And so to understand the love of the Heavenly Father, we have only to look at Jesus. And what does Jesus reveal? His total self-gift upon the cross. The love of the Father is the same. It is total self-gift to us, His creatures. The Father loves us with everything He is and has. This gift of love is His most precious possession. It is Jesus. The Father gives us Jesus. Jesus gives us the Father. They open up their most precious relationship, break it open for us to enter in. We can scarce take it in.

But now, for us to live that love, we must give it in the same way. We must love as Jesus and the Father love. And in these most difficult days, when the foundations of our lives are shaking, we must be determined to love even when it is not easy. Caryll Houselander faced the difficult days of war in England, when London was being bombed incessantly by the Germans. She faced that terrible time, with determination. She worked as an emergency aide, caring for the wounded. Every night she endured the bombardment, with fear and trembling. But she offered it all for souls. Here is something she wrote about that difficult time:

We are in the world now as Christs; in the midst of this storm. We are here to keep Christianity alive, to keep Christianity pure, intact, to ensure by our own lives in Christ that the gates of hell shall not prevail against Christendom. This cannot be done if there is the least compromise with love; if we do not try to cast out fear by loving acts, if we do not use the energy grief gives us in loving acts, if we do not imitate Christ literally, we shall succumb to hate or to despair.

Our war work, then, is difficult. It is just the work that Christ Himself feared in Gethsemane, and yet faced and accomplished, and will accomplish in each of us. It demands from us wisdom to see clearly and to keep our balance, and to discipline and order our lives to that end, but it demands also blind faith. All His “hard sayings” must be accepted literally; we must obey Him absolutely, trust Him absolutely, and for His sake love absolutely. With this attitude we can work and hope for peace, for oneness of all human creatures, for the promised blessedness, when “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more. For the former things are passed away.” (Caryll Houselander. This War is the Passion. P. 16-28)

Caryll understood how little she was, and vulnerable, but she also understood that Christ was within her, working through her with His love. And so she set about cooperating with that love during the worst moments of England’s history. We may feel that our times are getting dark. And they are. But we too must recognize Christ within us, working through us with His love, so that our families, neighbors, colleagues, friends, and fellow citizens will not be without hope and love. We can be Christ-bearers to them, through our love and prayers. That is our job. Our Lady wants us to be her apostles. Hasn’t she told us: ”My children, great grace has been given to you to be witnesses of God’s love? Do not take the given responsibility lightly. Do not sadden my motherly heart. As a mother I desire to rely on my children, on my apostles.” She wants us to bring God’s love into these days of darkness. She is relying on us. This is what she has raised us up to do! Like Caryll, we must be brave and keep the Christianity alive and pure! We must love.

If you haven’t watched Fruit of Medjugorje, Episode 34, I highly recommend it. Fr. Romain is a living example for us of one who has lived the life of an apostle of Our Lady. She taught the people of Rwanda the same things she is teaching us. And they were well prepared. May we listen to Our Lady of Medjugorje with all our hearts.

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan

©Mary TV 2012

PS.  Father Petar Vlasic, the pastor of St. James Parish, Medjugorje, passed away yesterday.  He will be buried today in the parish cemetery behind the church.  Let’s pray for his soul, that he will enter into the rest and peace of God.   

PPS. Don’t forget Marija Pavlovic Lunetti’s visit to the University of Notre Dame, November 15, 2012, Live at  www.marytv.tv !! 6:00 pm EST! Those who can, come to the JACC at Notre Dame, to join in the evening of prayer.

PPPS.  November 16-18, 2012 Marija will be present at the Northern California Marian Conference in Sacramento California!  She will speak, share her apparition, and answer questions.  There are many other speakers lined up for this conference.  I will speak on Saturday morning on the Messages of Medjugorje, a way of life!  I would love to see any of you who can make it.   

Conference Info:  Woodlake Inn, 500 Leisure Lane, Sacramento, CA  95815

916-686-6354 for information.

asoares999@gmail.com

Habitat for Humanity for Priests

"Sometimes it feels a little bit like we're Habitat for Humanity for priests." Opus Bono's president Joe Maher said. "People don't realize the extent to which Catholic priests are alone and hurting and they don't all have the ability to take care of the poor homes they are living in. Winter can be very cruel and life-threatening to a sick or elderly priest in a broken down 'shack'. We have to make sure they're warm and safe, and that sometimes means a lot of back-breaking physical labor for our staff. We'll do whatever we have to do for a Catholic priest."     Deacon:  we literally have dozens of Catholic priests in dire need waiting in line for our support. The need is so urgent right now. Please, please consider making a donation now to help these poor suffering priests at the link below:   http://www.opusbono.org/donate.html   On behalf of the thousands of priests that have contacted us for help, I thank you!   May Our Lady of Priests be your health and your protection...   Pete

What Just Happened...

Check out this website I found at medjugorje.com

What just happened with this election in the United States of America was penned in They Fired the First Shot 2012, in April 2012. Many people are oblivious to what we are about to enter into. Even if you know the facts, you cannot fathom the dark period we have entered into. A live special broadcast, Thursday evening, November 8, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. on Radio Wave hosted by A Friend of Medjugorje, will delve into what we are now facing, in light of Our Lady of Medjugorje’s messages.

So, what will happen next? After reading They Fired the First Shot 2012, you will know what Obama’s plans are and what will happen next. Tune in to Radio Wave tomorrow night, at 7:00 pm Central Time USA. To listen live online, or for your local online broadcast time click here. http://www.medjugorje.com/radio-wave/listen-live.html

Spread this to all your family, friends, co-workers, everyone. Host a listening get together at your home if necessary. We in this time cannot be left without Our Lady's direction.

Medjugorje parish priest dies at 74

Check out this website I found at medjugorjetoday.tv

by Jakob Marschner
Medjugorje parish priest Fr. Petar Vlasic died in the morning of November 8, at age 74. Initially recluctant to taking on the assignment as parish priest of a major pilgrimage site at a late age, Fr. Vlasic issued remarkable public statements about Medjugorje towards the end of his life.

Fr. Petar Vlasic

With the death of Fr. Petar Vlasic in the early morning of November 8, a new parish priest will come to Medjugorje. Fr. Vlasic’s passing is confirmed on the official parish website.

Medjugorje’s parish priest since August 2007 had battled with cancer. He died at age 74, after 51 years of religious life and 47 years a s a priest.

In Medjugorje as assistant pastor since 1999, Fr. Petar Vlasic accepted his appointment as a parish priest with some reluctance five years ago, thinking the task to be big for a priest of his age. Delegating certain tasks to younger priests, he was quiet but very well-liked.

Fr. Petar Vlasic (left) with Bishop Ratko Peric of Mostar

In what became his last of few major media appearances, in August this year Fr. Vlasic stated the Rome could not ignore Medjugorje, referring to the work of the current Vatican Commission.

In the same interview, he said the Virgin Mary’s apparitions in his parish might well precede Christ’s return, and that the apparitions in Medjugorje followed the pattern known from officially recognized apparitions of Mary.

The body of Fr. Petar Vlasic will exposed in St. James Church on November 9. His funeral will take place at 3 pm.
From http://www.medjugorjetoday.tv/

Mary TV: November 8, 2012 Reflection

(c)Mary TV 2012 Prayer, a joyful meeting!  + J.M.J. November 8, 2012   Dear Family of Mary!   During prayer with our Mary TV team, I pulled a message from our message box, in order to let Our Lady share something with us. Here is that message! I feel that it is timely for all of us, especially on the heels of the American election, which has cast a pall over so many of us. This message was given during the Balkan war that engulfed Medjugorje and all of Bosnia-Hercegovina. Note Our Lady's desire for joy:   "Dear children! Today also I invite you to prayer, a prayer of joy so that in these sad days no one amongst you may feel sadness in prayer, but a joyful meeting with God his Creator. Pray, little children, to be able to come closer to me and to feel through prayer what it is I desire from you. I am with you and each day I bless you with my maternal blessing so that Our Lord may fill you abundantly with His grace for your daily life. Give thanks to God for the grace of my being able to be with you because I assure you it is a great grace. Thank you for having responded to my call." (July 25, 1992)   Our Lady was not about to let her children remain in fear and anxiety, even with the war. She wanted them to find peace and joy in the presence of God, no matter what was happening. She remained with the people of Medjugorje during that war, and protected them with her motherly mantle.   We can expect the same care and protection today. Our Lady wants us to meet God in prayer, to pray with our hearts so that we will be filled with joy. Joy is our strength. We are the Redeemed. We have everything to be joyful about! And on top of that, we have Our Lady with us, each day giving us her maternal blessing. We are the most blessed of people!   I also want to encourage all of you to watch Fruit of Medjugorje tonight at 8:00 pm EST at www.marytv.tv . Tonight we will hear the testimony of Fr.Romain Ragua, a priest from Rwanda who was in Medjugorje last week. He speaks about his life in Rwanda, his experience of the apparitions of Our Lady at Kibeho, and then the terrible sufferings that he and his country endured in the genocide of 1994. At the end of his testimony, he shares that he feels the very same motherly presence and love in Medjugorje that he felt in Kibeho. Our Lady, he says, is coming to lead us to her Son, and to show us how to love one another, to be one family. You will want to hear his testimony, and I think it fits with this message from July 25, 1992.   We are invited to prayer, a prayer of joy! May we respond to Our Lady's call, and live that joy through love.   In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2012   P.S. Don't forget that Marija Pavlovic Lunetti will be speaking at the JACC arena at the University of Notre Dame on November 15, 2012, at 6:00 pm EST! She will also encounter Our Lady during the event. Mary TV will stream the event, live, at  www.marytv.tv . All are invited!! Tell your friends!! Come to the JACC, or join at  www.marytv.tv !!!!   PPS.  November 16-18, 2012 Marija will be present at the Northern California Marian Conference in Sacramento California!  She will speak, share her apparition, and answer questions.  There are many other speakers lined up for this conference.  I will speak on Saturday morning on the Messages of Medjugorje, a way of life!  I would love to see any of you who can make it.      Conference Info:  Woodlake Inn, 500 Leisure Lane, Sacramento, CA  95815 916-686-6354 for information. asoares999@gmail.com   See you there!

Mary TV: November 7, 2012 Reflection

Blessed John Paul II A Champion of God's Truth!     + J.M.J. November 7, 2012   Dear Family of Mary!   "Dear children, as a mother I implore you to persevere as my apostles. I am praying to my Son to give you Divine wisdom and strength. I am praying that you may discern everything around you according to God's truth and to strongly resist everything that wants to distance you from my Son. I am praying that you may witness the love of the Heavenly Father according to my Son. My children, great grace has been given to you to be witnesses of God's love. Do not take the given responsibility lightly. Do not sadden my motherly heart. As a mother I desire to rely on my children, on my apostles. Through fasting and prayer you are opening the way for me to pray to my Son for Him to be beside you and for His name to be holy through you. Pray for the shepherds because none of this would be possible without them. Thank you." (November 2, 2012)   "I am praying that you may discern everything around you according to God's truth..."   Discernment is a precious gift. It is a gift given to each person. The Holy Spirit is the giver of this gift. He instills it in our hearts. But He delivers it through Mother Church. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through our Catholic Church, through the Holy Bible (which the Church compiled in the early years), through the living Tradition (which has been passed down from the Apostles) in which the Christian life is described and nurtured, and in the Moral Teaching of the Church which has developed and continues to develop as new challenges to the good arise in the world. We are given the tools for discernment through the Teachings of the Church. Then the Holy Spirit helps us to use those tools to apply the truth to our situations. It is a marvelous gift we have been given.   Our Lady prays that we will discern everything around us according to God's Truth. She is praying that the Light of Divine Truth will shine in our hearts through the guidance of Holy Mother Church. The Teachings of the Church are that Light. But it seems that for many years there was a darkening of that Light in many dioceses in the world. After Vatican II, confusion was sewn in our seminaries, our universities, our parishes. Many of us did not know the teachings of the Church in their fullness. And so, we could not discern according to God's Truth very well.   Blessed Pope John Paul II honestly faced up to this situation in 1993, when he published Veritatis Splendour, his Encyclical on the Moral Teachings of the Church. He wrote at that time:   Today, however, it seems necessary to reflect on the whole of the Church's moral teaching, with the precise goal of recalling certain fundamental truths of Catholic doctrine which, in the present circumstances, risk being distorted or denied. In fact, a new situation has come about within the Christian community itself, which has experienced the spread of numerous doubts and objections of a human and psychological, social and cultural, religious and even properly theological nature, with regard to the Church's moral teachings. It is no longer a matter of limited and occasional dissent, but of an overall and systematic calling into question of traditional moral doctrine, on the basis of certain anthropological and ethical presuppositions. At the root of these presuppositions is the more or less obvious influence of currents of thought which end by detaching human freedom from its essential and constitutive relationship to truth. Thus the traditional doctrine regarding the natural law, and the universality and the permanent validity of its precepts, is rejected; certain of the Church's moral teachings are found simply unacceptable; and the Magisterium itself is considered capable of intervening in matters of morality only in order to "exhort consciences" and to "propose values", in the light of which each individual will independently make his or her decisions and life choices.   In particular, note should be taken of the lack of harmony between the traditional response of the Church and certain theological positions, encountered even in Seminaries and in Faculties of Theology, with regard to questions of the greatest importance for the Church and for the life of faith of Christians, as well as for the life of society itself. In particular, the question is asked: do the commandments of God, which are written on the human heart and are part of the Covenant, really have the capacity to clarify the daily decisions of individuals and entire societies? Is it possible to obey God and thus love God and neighbour, without respecting these commandments in all circumstances? Also, an opinion is frequently heard which questions the intrinsic and unbreakable bond between faith and morality, as if membership in the Church and her internal unity were to be decided on the basis of faith alone, while in the sphere of morality a pluralism of opinions and of kinds of behaviour could be tolerated, these being left to the judgment of the individual subjective conscience or to the diversity of social and cultural contexts.   5. Given these circumstances, which still exist, I came to the decision - as I announced in my Apostolic Letter Spiritus Domini, issued on 1 August 1987 on the second centenary of the death of Saint Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori - to write an Encyclical with the aim of treating "more fully and more deeply the issues regarding the very foundations of moral theology",9 foundations which are being undermined by certain present day tendencies. (Encyclical Letter, Veritatis Splendour. N.4-5)   Blessed John Paul II was not afraid to speak openly about the confusion in the Church. He wanted all of us to know that there is a Truth, it is God's Truth, and it can be found in the teachings of the Church. This Encyclical is very deep but well worth reading. Maybe if Our Lady is asking us to discern everything by God's Truth, it would be good to fill our minds with the truth given to us in this encyclical. Here is the link to the full text: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_06081993_veritatis-splendor_en.html     The Holy Father spoke very much like Our Lady in her message when he said, "At the root of these presuppositions is the more or less obvious influence of currents of thought which end by detaching human freedom from its essential and constitutive relationship to truth." We can discern because we are free beings. God has given us a mind to think with, so we can choose our own way. But our freedom is best expressed when we have the truth to work with. And that is what Our Lady wants us to have, the Truth to work with. May we all seek the Truth, given to us by God through the Church, so that we can discern well!   In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2012

Mary TV Daily Reflection 11/6/2012

"But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise,  

God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong... "

(1 Cor 1:27)

Picture (c)Mary 2012   

  

+

J.M.J.

November 6, 2012

 

Dear Family of Mary!

 

"Dear children, as a mother I implore you to persevere as my apostles. I am praying to my Son to give you Divine wisdom and strength. I am praying that you may discern everything around you according to God's truth and to strongly resist everything that wants to distance you from my Son. I am praying that you may witness the love of the Heavenly Father according to my Son. My children, great grace has been given to you to be witnesses of God's love. Do not take the given responsibility lightly. Do not sadden my motherly heart. As a mother I desire to rely on my children, on my apostles. Through fasting and prayer you are opening the way for me to pray to my Son for Him to be beside you and for His name to be holy through you. Pray for the shepherds because none of this would be possible without them. Thank you."(November 2, 2012)

 

Mother Mary calls us her apostles. She is sending us out to spread the good news. Jesus sent out his apostles to spread the Gospel, the incredible news that God has become Man and that we are saved by Him through faith in Jesus. Now Mary is sending us to share the same news, with the added joy that she is with us to help us receive our salvation. This is her time!!

 

And so she is praying for us in a special way so that we will be equipped to spread the good news!! And what does she pray for? "I am praying to my Son to give you Divine wisdom and strength." Wow! Divine wisdom and strength! Who wouldn't want this wisdom and strength? But wait a minute, what does she mean by Divine wisdom and strength? Certainly we are not going to turn into super-humans. Well, not in terms of what most people would think.

 

Our Lady knows what she means. St. Paul has already written it all down for us. Here is what he says about Divine wisdom and strength:

 

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart." Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

   

For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption; therefore, as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord." (1 Cor: 17-31)

 

Well, now we know what Our Lady means by Divine wisdom and strength. Our wisdom and strength will be a contradiction to the world's power and wisdom. We are to become small, the least, the lowly, the despised of this world. We are to be foolish in the world's eyes. Our wisdom will come from a higher realm. Our strength will come from another source. To worldly eyes, we will be like Jesus, stumbling blocks and folly. But in that lowliness, we will be strong and wise, because we will be relying completely on God, holding fast completely to Mary, and trusting completely in God's plan for us. We will hold fast, and in that holding, God will work through us to save many, many souls.

 

And we will be filled with joy, in that state of lowliness! Joy from the Holy Spirit will be our go-power! Because we will have the vision of heaven before our eyes to lead us on. Our Lady is with us, she is praying for us, she is holding us by the hand and teaching us. With Our Mother, we can do it!

 

The strength of Jesus is so much greater than the strength of the world. We know it! His strength is resurrection strength! This is what Mother Mary is asking the Father to give us. It is part of her plan for us. May we be willing to receive this gift!

 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

 

Cathy Nolan

©Mary TV 2012

 

PS. Please, pray for the USA today.

 

From The Friars eLetter: Reality

---

Letters of hope and consolation # 15 For many people reality is a burden, something they want to escape from.  Unfortunately, there are so many escape routes available to us today. What is it about reality that so many people find difficult?  It is, I believe, the apparent boredom, the apparent nothingness that appears present to people in the midst of their lives.  Because reality appears empty so many people try to create reality according to their own designs and structures.  The ironic thing is that by escaping reality in order to try and create a better one, we forfeit the chance of ever discovering true happiness. A question I pose to you is; how do you view reality?  Is it merely a random succession of events and occurrences?  Is reality empty, boring, devoid of anything that can stir the human heart?  If you answer yes to these questions then I can guarantee you that you are destined for a life of misery. Reality is an encounter with Jesus Christ!  In every moment of our day, whether we are in prayer, reading, with friends, at work, on a busy street corner, fulfilling one’s duties as a parent or enjoying a walk in nature, Jesus Christ is there whispering to your heart that He is the “more” you desire from life.  By ignoring reality or trying to escape reality as soon as possible you are running from Him who is your only hope for happiness. My prayer for you is that you could become so bold as to stand face to face with reality as it is and leave behind all your escapes, illusions and self-sufficiency.  When that prayer is fully answered there will be no reason to escape anywhere because all that you have been looking for will be directly in front of you. God bless you, Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, NY We need your help! To make a donation click here (PLEASE DO NOT REPLY AS THIS ACCOUNT IS NOT CONNECTED PERSONALLY TO FR. JEREMIAH - THANK YOU)

Mary TV Daily Reflection 11/5/2012

  

Mirjana Soldo encounters Our Lady on November 2, 2012

To view the video go to www.marytv.tv  

+

J.M.J.

November 5, 2012

 

Dear Family of Mary!

 

"Dear children, as a mother I implore you to persevere as my apostles. I am praying to my Son to give you Divine wisdom and strength. I am praying that you may discern everything around you according to God's truth and to strongly resist everything that wants to distance you from my Son. I am praying that you may witness the love of the Heavenly Father according to my Son. My children, great grace has been given to you to be witnesses of God's love. Do not take the given responsibility lightly. Do not sadden my motherly heart. As a mother I desire to rely on my children, on my apostles. Through fasting and prayer you are opening the way for me to pray to my Son for Him to be beside you and for His name to be holy through you. Pray for the shepherds because none of this would be possible without them. Thank you."(November 2, 2012)

 

Today I would like to invite all of you to experience the November 2, 2012 apparition to Mirjana. I would like to invite you all to go to www.marytv.tv and watch the video that is posted on the home page, "Mirjana's Apparition, 11/02/2012". Instead of talking about the message, let's experience Mirjana as she receives that message for us all.

 

I have heard of many people who have had conversion experiences, healings and blessings just through watching a recorded video of an apparition. Mary TV is very blessed to have the video of the November 2, 2012 apparition. Josip Zubac went to a great deal of effort to prepare for this beautiful video of the apparition (including arriving at the Blue Cross in the middle of the night!)! He did a wonderful job!! We are so blessed to be able to experience that apparition through his competent hands.

 

We can talk another day. Today, let's receive the grace of Our Lady's apparition together with open hearts!

 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan

©Mary TV 2012

 

PS. In the USA, we have a very important election tomorrow (Tuesday, November 6, 2012). Please pray for this country, that we will stay faithful to God. And if you are an American citizen, please vote. Every vote counts. Remember that Our Lady once said,"Little children, do not forget that you are all important in this great plan, which God leads through Medjugorje..." (June 25, 2007). We are all important, and even the slightest prayer or action on our part can have great consequences.

 

 

CMMB: Your Weekly Reflection in Prayer 11/4/2012

“Happy are those who have died in the Lord; let them rest from their labors for their good deeds go with them.”   Revelation 14:13   November 4, 2012  All Saints' and All Souls' Day Dear John, Things slow down in November. Autumn is upon us and winter is coming. In the Catholic tradition, the first two days of November are All Saints' Day followed by All Souls' Day. I see this as an opportunity for us to slow down and look back. We remember the deceased. We recall the many friends and relatives who have gone before us. We entrust them to the love and mercy of the Lord. Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen At the same time, we remember that each and every one of us is called to holiness, indeed, called to be saints by a life of good deeds. O God, Who willed that Your only Begotten Son, having conquered death, should pass over into the realm of heaven, grant to Your departed servants that they may gaze eternally on You, their Creator and Redeemer. We ask this through Your Son Who is Risen Lord, now and forever.   Amen Rev. Peter Schineller, S.J., CMMB Board of Directors PS--Thank you for your prayers and concern for the safety and well-being of CMMB staff in the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. Everyone is safe and we thank God for His protection. All at CMMB extend our prayers and best wishes to those who have been impacted by the hurricane. Please visit our website for an update.

Pope Benedict XVI: "It was a splendid day..."

• Print

The "Credo" Against False Gods

This is the overriding objective of the year of faith desired by Benedict XVI. To bring men back to the one true God. And to depose from their thrones the false divinities that dominate the world

by Sandro Magister

via chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it

ROME, November 1, 2012 – A naval battle in the darkness of the storm. This was the spectacle that the Church presented of itself after the first ecumenical council in history, that of Nicaea in the fourth century.

Benedict XVI loves to recall this for the prophets of misfortune today. This battle of everyone against everyone else – he says – in the end produced the "Credo," the same "Credo" that is proclaimed today at all Sunday Masses. It was not a disaster, but a victory of the faith.

The difference between then and now lies precisely here. The deep crisis of the modern-day Church is a crisis of faith. Pope Joseph Ratzinger is so convinced of this that last October 11 he wanted to inaugurate a special year of faith, and every Wednesday, the day of his weekly public audiences, he has set out to explain the "Credo" article by article.

From theologian, the pope is making himself a catechist. His dream is that many teachers may take to the streets all over the world, following his example and going back to teaching men "the central truths of faith about God, about man, about the Church, about the whole social and cosmic reality," in short, the ABC's of the Christian faith.

Getting to the essence even more, Benedict XVI has repeatedly indicated the "priority" of his pontificate in leading men back to God, and "not to any sort of God," but to that God who has revealed his face in Jesus crucified and risen.
Continue reading here: http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1350355?eng=y

Mary in Islam

Mary in Islam and Other Religions

by Edgardo C. de Vera

The Virgin Mary and Indira Gandhi

When Indira Gandhi, President of the largest democracy in the world, was assassinated, the entire world mourned. What no one outside her circle of intimates knew was that she greatly respected the Christian veneration of the Mother of Jesus.

Her private secretary, Dr. Alexander, tells us of this incident when she gave a garden party for her personal staff. As she went around shaking hands with her guests, she pulled Dr. Alexander's wife close to her and whispered: "You're an Orthodox Christian, aren't you? Tell me: what is your Church's attitude towards the Blessed Virgin? Does your Church venerate her as much as the Catholic Church does? Or do you Orthodox Christians have a more reserved attitude?"

The secretary's wife answered "Mary is also highly venerated in our Orthodox Church. We pray to her; we lay before her all our needs; we address her as Mother of God."

A few days after the garden party, a parcel was delivered at the home of the secretary. It contained a small statue of Mary with the Child Jesus. It was a personal gift from Indira Gandhi.

Mary in Islam

For centuries, Islam has been impenetrable to Christian evangelization. In fact at the initial stage of Islam's history, they swept clean the whole Northern Africa of Christianity leaving nothing but only ruins and historical documents to prove Christians were once in those areas of the continent. Islam is the second largest religion of the world, and is growing. Often, it is violently anti-Christian.

A certain writer surmised that the gap between Christianity and Islam can be bridged by way of the Virgin Mary. The reason? The Muslims venerate her as the Mother of Jesus. They ranked Jesus with Mohammed and Abraham as a great prophet. And as reference, they say, "Jesus, son of Mary."

The Blessed Virgin Mary is mentioned 34 times in the Quran. In fact, one of the "suras" or chapters bears her name. Hers is the only personal name of a woman found in that sacred book of Islam.

In doctrine, the Quran more than once affirms the virgin birth. The Quran never calls Jesus the son of Joseph, or of any man. Its description of the Annunciation is virtually the same as is found in the Bible, Luke 1:26. The Quran calls Mary "most favored by God". And when she asks the angel (also Gabriel in the Quran), he answers, "Such is the will of God. He creates what he wills. When he decrees a thing, He need only say, 'Be' and it is.”

Is it more than coincidence that the site of Mary's greatest apparition in modern times was in a Portuguese village named after Mohammed's daughter, Fatima? And let us look back about half a century before this to the apparition of Mary in Lourdes, France. Lourdes comes from "Lorus", the Christian name given to Mirat, a Moor commanding officer who became a Christian after his surrender to Charlemagne with the Bishop of Le Puy, Monsieur Turpin. This once impregnable citadel of the Moors is now a place of pilgrimage to an average of 3,500,000 pilgrims annually. It is now known as Lourdes from Lorus-the Christian name given to Mirat when he was baptized.

Veneration of Mary might be the only bridge of understanding between the two largest religions in the world - Islam and Christianity. In fact, the Ramadan message from the Cardinal President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue in 1988 was: "Mary, a model of faith, prayer, and confidence in God".

Subscribe Now to our Free E-Newsletter!

Get the latest articles on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Catholic Faith, straight to your email inbox - Free!

Click here to return from Mary Islam to Understanding Mary.

New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.

Copyright 2009. Totus Tuus, Maria Foundation, Inc.

via all-about-the-virgin-mary.com

November 2, 2012 Medjugorje Message

Our Lady, Queen of Peace   + J.M.J. November 2, 2012 All Souls Day   Dear Family of Mary!   The message from Our Lady of Medjugorje, through Mirjana, November 2, 2012:   "Dear children, as a mother I implore you to persevere as my apostles. I am praying to my Son to give you Divine wisdom and strength. I am praying that you may discern everything around you according to God's truth and to strongly resist everything that wants to distance you from my Son. I am praying that you may witness the love of the Heavenly Father according to my Son. My children, great grace has been given to you to be witnesses of God's love. Do not take the given responsibility lightly. Do not sadden my motherly heart. As a mother I desire to rely on my children, on my apostles. Through fasting and prayer you are opening the way for me to pray to my Son for Him to be beside you and for His name to be holy through you. Pray for the shepherds because none of this would be possible without them. Thank you."   In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan Mary TV 2012

Mary TV Daily Reflection 11/2/2012

 

                  

 Pray for the Souls!   

(the Graveyard in Medjugorje) 

+

J.M.J.

November 2, 2012

All Soul's Day

 

Dear Family of Mary!

 

"Dear children! Today I wish to call you to pray daily for souls in purgatory. For every soul prayer and grace is necessary to reach God and the love of God. By doing this, dear children, you obtain new intercessors who will help you in life to realize that all the earthly things are not important for you, that only Heaven is that for which it is necessary to strive. Therefore, dear children, pray without ceasing that you may be able to help yourselves and the others to whom your prayers will bring joy. Thank you for having responded to my call." (November 6, 1986)

 

Today the whole Church joins together to pray for the Souls who are in the purifying fires of Purgatory. The Church Suffering needs our intercession. They cannot pray for themselves, and are in need of our prayers. What a joy it is to come to their aid, and hasten their entry into heaven!

 

Susan Tassone, the great champion of the Souls in Purgatory, has just published a new book of prayers for the Holy Souls: Prayers, Promises and Devotions for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. It is published by Our Sunday Visitor and is available on their website: www.osv.com

https://catalog.osv.com/images/products/T1254_150.gif

 

This book is packed full of wonderful prayers and devotions for the Souls! I want to excerpt a prayer for the Souls said before the Blessed Sacrament:

 

Place of Light and Peace

O gentlest Heart of Jesus,

ever present in the Blessed Sacrament,

ever consumed with burning love

for the poor captive souls in purgatory,

have mercy on their souls.

Be not severe in Your judgments,

but let some drops

of your precious Blood

fall upon the devouring flames.

and, O most merciful Savior,

sent Your angels to conduct them

to a place of light and peace. Amen. (p. 99)

 

In just a few hours, Mirjana will receive another message for us. I will send it out as soon as I can. Have a beautiful day, praying for the Souls!

 

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan

©Mary TV 2012

 

PS Denis made a big announcement last night. Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti is coming to Notre Dame, and will have her apparition during an evening of prayer. Mary TV is going to stream that event, live! November 15, 2012, 6:00 pm EST!!

 

Here is a link to the announcement:

http://www.marytv.tv/MaryTV/news-from-denis/347-visionary-marija-comes-to-notre-dame

 

  

 

 

 

 

Mary TV Daily Reflection 11/1/2012

via campaign.r20.constantcontact.com

Holy Mass during the Youth Festival
It feels like heaven!
+
J.M.J.
November 1, 2012
All Saints Day

Dear Family of Mary!

"Dear children! May this time be a time of prayer for you. My call, little children, desires to be for you a call to decide to follow the way of conversion; therefore, pray and seek the intercession of all the saints. May they be for you an example, an incentive and a joy towards eternal life. Thank you for having responded to my call." (October 25, 2010)

Today, we celebrate all the saints in heaven, known and unknown! We sing praise to God for them and rejoice at their heavenly beatitude. Holy Mother Church rejoices for the saints, because they are like graduates who have made the grade! They are the heavenly alumni of the school of holiness here on earth and we who are still in that school look to them, in the words of Our Lady, as "an example, an incentive and a joy towards eternal life."

The Gospel for this feast day is Matthew 5: 1-12. If we wonder what it takes to graduate from the school of holiness that we earthlings are in, this Gospel is the course syllabus! It is the outline we need to follow! If we study it well, we will be able to recognize holiness in every situation:

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven." (Matt 5: 1-12a)

Our online Rosary Group just finished a novena in honor of All Saints Day. It is called "The Novena to Our Lady of Medjugorje" and can be found on our website at Novena Brochure. The novena is based on this Gospel of the Beatitudes! If you didn't pray it with us online, you can pray it starting today for nine days, in thanksgiving for this feast and for the saints!

Thanks be to God for His holy saints!! We ask them today to intercede for us all, that one day we will join them in heaven, rejoicing in the Lord for all eternity!!!!

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2012

PS. Don't forget Fruit of Medjugorje!! Tonight, 8:00 pm EDT! Two lovely testimonies tonight of the healing touch of Our Lady in Medjugorje!

(c)Mary TV 2012
A small door in Medjugorje!
It reminds me of the narrow door to heaven!

[Mary Vitamin] All Saints Day

Three saints: George, John of Damascus, Ephrem the Syrian. Part of a triptych, possibly from Constantinople. Early 14th century. 21.4 x 9.5 cm Français : Les trois saints Georges, Jean Damascène et Éphrem le Syrien. Part d'un triptyque, peut-être constantinoplois. Début du 14ième siècle. 21,4 x 9,5 cm (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Madonna painted by Alfonso Maria de' Liguori, saint (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mary Vitamin for November 1^st  

Topic: The Example of the Saints

Quote:

St. Pio of Pietrelcina
"Love Our Lady and make her loved."

Devotion to Our Lady, (Academy of the Immaculate: 2001), 112.

Meditation:

Father Stefano Manelli, FI

"Love moves people to speak of the one they love. We know that the Church's greatest orators and writers have spoken, written, and sung Our Lady's praises with tireless zeal and love. We may cite, for example, St. Ephrem, St. John Damascene, St. Bernard, St. Alphonsus Liguori. But there has not been a Saint and there will never be any true devotee of Mary who does not feel a need to share his love of Our Lady with others. In big ways or small, the true devotee does all that he can to accomplish this in accord with the inspirations and talents he has received."

Devotion to Our Lady, (Academy of the Immaculate: 2001), 112.

Resolution:

Today, I will pray for the opportunity to share my love of Our Lady with others, I will be particularly careful to cultivate joyful and pleasant demeanor. Who would want to hear of Our Lady from me if I am sullen, sour or impolite?

Marian Vow:

Father Manelli

"In order to move souls to love Mary, St. Maximilian ventured to make great, self-effacing personal sacrifices.  But he went ahead undaunted, carrying on with hard work and privation: fainting spells on the train, having to celebrate Mass while supported by two friars, repeatedly coughing up blood, becoming emaciated, even proving himself unpopular with certain persons. He never stopped. His love for the Immaculate would not let him rest from his feverish activity."

Devotion to Our Lady, (Academy of the Immaculate: 2001), 114.

I give this resolution to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Thanks be to God for graces received.

Related sites: Castle of the Immaculate & AirMaria