Mary TV: April 18, 2018 Reflection - Become yourself a hymn of praise!

(c)Mateo Ivankovic 2018

 

 

April 18, 2018
Dear Family of Mary!

"...My children, you are those who, along with prayer, need to completely surrender to my Son so that you may no longer live but my Son may live in you - so that all those who do not know my Son may see Him in you and come to desire to know Him.

Pray that in you they may see resolute humility and goodness, a readiness to serve others; that in you they may see that you live your vocation in the world with the heart, in communion with my Son; that in you they may see meekness, tenderness and love for my Son as well as for all brothers and sisters..." (April 2, 2018)

Our Lady wants us to radiate her Son, to be signs of His presence and love for all those who do not yet know Him. She wants us to be as much like Jesus as we possibly can. We must be meek, tender, humble, good, ready to serve, loving, and clearly united to Jesus in our hearts, if we are to help others to find Him. Really our lives must become hymns of praise for Jesus, so that everything we do will point to Him as the source.

St. Augustine speaks about our life with Jesus as a song of praise in the sermon used for the Office of Readings, Third Week of Easter, Tuesday. I just love the concluding paragraphs of this sermon:

My dear brothers and sons, fruit of the true faith and holy seed of heaven, all you who have been born again in Christ and whose life is from above, listen to me; or rather, listen to the Holy Spirit saying through me: Sing to the Lord a new song. Look, you tell me, I am singing. Yes, indeed, you are singing; you are singing clearly, I can hear you. But make sure that your life does not contradict your words. Sing with your voices, your hearts, your lips and your lives: Sing to the Lord a new song.

Now it is your unquestioned desire to sing of him whom you love, but you ask me how to sing his praises. You have heard the words; Sing to the Lord a new song, and you wish to know what praises to sing. The answer is: His praise is in the assembly of the saints: it is in the singers themselves. If you desire to praise him, then live what you express. Live good lives, and you yourselves will be his praise.

This is what Our Lady is saying to us. We must BE a hymn of praise to Jesus through our lives, lived like His. We can show others Jesus, by praising Him with our lives, through our actions, our choices, our service, our kindness, our humility, and our love. We will become a hymn of praise to Jesus by serving Him on earth, and that hymn of praise will draw others to Him as well.

"Live good lives, and you yourselves will be his praise!"

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2018

PS. One of our shipmates, Dr. Jen Prins, has initiated a new ministry out of her response to Our Lady's call in Medjugorje. She has begun a movement designed to attend to the practical needs of our priests, especially parish priests, who have very busy schedules and find it hard to take good care of their own needs. Jen hopes this outreach will bring needed support to our priests through works of mercy and service!

Here is how Jen describes this beautiful movement of love:   

A fruit of Medjugorie, the mission Priests Thriving Not Surviving, Inc. is to:

 ·      Encourage and empower Catholic priests to adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle, and engage in good self-care.  (Jen is preparing a wonderful cook book designed to help our priests cook healthy meals with minimal fuss.)
·      Raise awareness among the lay faithful of the temporal and spiritual needs of priests, and promote works of mercy for our priests.

To raise awareness, we are selling T-Shirts!


These shirts are great gifts for your pastor or can also be worn to spread the word about this new ministry of love.
To make a donation, purchase a fundraising t-shirt, or learn more visit:
www.customink.com/fundraising/prieststhrivingnotsurviving

 

*Savings Tip: order shirts as a group when possible to minimize shipping cost (no additional shipping costs for orders > 4 shirts).

Thank you, Jen, for this wonderful movement of love in response to Our Lady's call! Let's pray for her mission and join in!

 

 

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

Mary TV: April 17, 2018 Reflection - Live your vocation in the world with the heart!

Live your vocation in the world with the heart!    April 17, 2018 Dear Family of Mary, Dear children! Through the great love of the Heavenly Father I am beside you as your mother and you are beside me as my children, as apostles of my love whom I ceaselessly gather around me. My children, you are those who, along with prayer, need to completely surrender to my Son so that you may no longer live but my Son may live in you - so that all those who do not know my Son may see Him in you and come to desire to know Him. Pray that in you they may see resolute humility and goodness, a readiness to serve others; that in you they may see that you live your vocation in the world with the heart, in communion with my Son; that in you they may see meekness, tenderness and love for my Son as well as for all brothers and sisters. Apostles of my love, you must pray much and cleanse your hearts so that you may be the first to walk on the way of my Son, that you may be the just who are united with the justice of my Son. My children, as apostles of my love, you must be united in the communion which emanates from my Son, so that my children who do not know my Son may recognize the communion of love and may come to desire to walk on the way of life, the way of unity with my Son. Thank you.  (April 2, 2018) I have been praying about this message and wondering what could possibly be said about it!  I think I realize now that there is nothing I can say about it!  Our Lady is calling us to be saints!  She wants each one of us to surrender completely to Jesus, and become saints in our everyday vocations, our everyday lives.  This is how we will be able to help her change the world.  I can't explain it. We all must live it! Today I was led to a short video produced by the Knights of Columbus about a young man named Joe Reali.  Our shipmate, Sue, had told me about him over the past three years.  Joe was the son of her friend and he died unexpectedly in 2015 of an enlarged heart.  Well, after he died, the stories about Joe and how he blessed everyone he knew began to roll in and everyone could see how Joe had been living his faith to the full.  And so the Knights have made a short video about Joe and his impact on his family and community. It struck me that Joe did everything that Our Lady is calling us to do in this message.  He surrendered completely to Jesus, he lived his vocation in the world with the heart, he lived in communion with Jesus.  He did it! So I want to offer you the link to the Knights of Columbus video about Joe Reali.  It is part of a series called, "Everyday Heroes."  https://kofceverydayheroes.org/episode1/  Thank you to the Reali family for allowing the Knights of Columbus to share Joe's story with all of us!  We will pray for you!  What a help it is to us! I think you will see what I mean.  Joe lived a normal life, but in deep communion with Jesus. And this is a good example of what Our Lady is hoping we will do in our lives as well.  Just become those who deeply love God and live it.  This is unusual for me but I feel so happy to share this beautiful story of holiness with all of you. In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2018

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

Mary TV: April 16, 2018 Reflection - Pray for your priests!

Pray for our priests!   April 16, 2018   Dear Family of Mary! August 15, 1985 "Dear children! Today I am blessing you and I wish to tell you that I love you and that I urge you to live my messages. Today I am blessing you with the solemn blessing that the Almighty grants me. Thank you for having responded to my call."   Today I want to share a wonderful homily given by Fr. Alwyn Furtado, CSSp., (not pictured above!) in Medjugorje at the English Mass, April 14, 2018. Fr. Furtado shares so much wisdom, the kind of wisdom that comes from many years as a priest. He has lived the messages of Medjugorje for many years, as you will see. And His words will help us navigate the days ahead.   Fr. Alwyn Furtado, English Mass, April 14, 2018:   I did not introduce myself at the beginning of Mass, so I just want to tell you that my name is Fr. Al Furtado, although I have been called worse things than that! I owe my vocation really, or I should say the training for my vocation to the Irish missionaries. I studied in Ireland and was ordained in Dublin. I am a Holy Ghost Father. I worked for 22 years in the missions in East Africa.   Now we are no longer called Holy Ghost Fathers because after Vatican II we gave up the Ghost and are now called "Holy Spirit Fathers", or "Spiritans".   My message to you today is firstly, prayer for priests. In so many of her messages Our Blessed Mother has asked to pray for priests. And you know, somebody said to me once, "Why do priests need prayer? There they are on the altar, celebrating Eucharist, the Sacraments and all. Do they really need to be prayed for?"   I answered, "Well look at the words of St. Paul. 'Taken from among men to the things that pertain to God. And he prays for the people, but also for his own sins.'"   Priests face many, many trials and crosses. Just about six years ago I was in East Africa. I was there for Ash Wednesday. Actually I had worked there for many years. And this priest, a secular priest, who worked in the Cathedral there, and I were distributing ashes. I got back to California, because I now live there, on the first Sunday of Lent, which was about four days later, and I got word that this priest was getting out of his car to visit one of our mission stations that was way out of town, and as he was getting out of his car, he was shot three times in the head. As you know, East Africa, Mombasa, Zanzibar, is very Islamic. But it is not the local people, who are very friendly. In the Catholic school there, about 75 % of the children enrolled are Muslim. About two years later another priest who was walking in the marketplace, had acid thrown on his face. So you see that today, even in missionary endeavors, priests have to face so many tribulations in order to give witness, or one might say in order to accept the great command which was given by Christ, that you heard on the Sunday after Easter, "Go and teach all nations."   So priests, not only missionary priests, but all priests face many, many tribulations today. And so you need to keep them in your prayers in answer to Our Blessed Mother, in so many of her messages.   My second message to you would be, well I just finished reading the book "My Heart Will Triumph" by Mirjana. I just finished the book actually. And what amazed me was when she met Our Holy Father, St. John Paul II, he said to her in the private audience that she had with him, in answer to her, "Go and take care of Medjugorje. I would go to Medjugorje if I was not Pope."   Now we think that the Pope can do anything. No he cannot. He is caught up in the protocol of the Vatican. And so his hands are really tied. Even Pope Francis today would like to do a lot of things the best way he can, but he has to follow protocol.   And then the Pope said to Mirjana, "Medjugorje is the hope of the entire world." If you can get hold of that book, you can read it, "My Heart Will Triumph." He said Medjugorje is the hope of the entire world.   Now I know that many of you will be buying Rosaries, and articles that we will bless after every Mass. You will be taking them home with you to your friends. I wonder how many of these friends will use them? They may take the Rosaries and put them in a drawer. Leave them there. But you could do something more to make that hope a reality. And you may say, how can we do that? Answering the call of Medjugorje in your life.   When you are here you receive special graces and blessings from the Blessed Mother. When you go back after a week, after a month you will really strive to do all the things, the promises you make. I would advise you here to write them down, what you are going to do.   So when you go back, and you have these Rosaries, invite one or two of your friends, invite them some time during the week and say the Rosary together. Then have a cup of tea or something and make it a sort of a prayer meeting. We started one of these and 28 years later in California, in the archdiocese, it is still going on. And the prayer group has grown quite a bit, quite a few families. And it has helped the children too, to have the spirit of prayer.   And we come to the Bible, to reading the Bible. Now for a long time many have thought that reading the Bible is a Protestant practice. And there we have Our Blessed Mother telling us to open the Bible! And you know St. Jerome said, "To know the Bible is to know Christ."   But we may wonder when are we going to read the Bible? First of all, get a Bible! Put it in a place, maybe on the dining room table, or in the sitting room where it is evident to all. There is a story told of a priest who was invited to dinner and he went to the house. And the husband left a note on the table, "Mary, don't forget to dust the Bible for the Pater is coming to dinner." And the priest saw the note. So there you are.   You know it is so very important. Keep it and read it. It is important. Especially the life of Christ. The letters of St. Paul. Now you might find the Old Testament very hard to understand. But there we have the actual words of Jesus.   And the other thing we can to is to reach out to people. And have prayer in the family. I was in Dublin last year, and as you know they were preparing for a visit from Pope Francis, who is coming to Ireland. And one of the things will be an emphasis on the family. Well I know it is very hard today, but have prayer in the family. It brings that spirit of unity. So often we hear the injunction of Fr. Peyton, "The family that prays together, stays together." So why do we have this great disruption, the breakdown of the nuclear family? That is because of the lack of prayer.   But even in society, the family is the nucleus of society. Those of you who are from Ireland are praying for this 8th Amendment. But many of you ten years ago would have said this would be impossible to happen in Ireland. But it did not happen overnight. It happened because we stopped praying. The family stopped praying. The children grew up without knowing the prayers. They grew up in an environment that was so secular. And so when secularization comes into our society, it becomes harder and harder to live the message of Christianity. And especially to live the message of Mary.   So my brothers and sisters, these two messages today, pray for your priest, and secondly, make that hope, make that realization that Medjugorje is the hope of the entire world, bring it into realization by responding to what Our Blessed Mother has requested.   And my Mass this morning is offered for your intentions, as we pray together to the Blessed Mother, for yourselves, for your families, and as you pray for healing of soul and body, and there we have it in the Eucharist itself. So let us pray for a greater devotion to the Eucharist because that is as you know, the center of our Christian lives. So with that I say, have a wonderful pilgrimage, God bless you, but take the message of Medjugorje with you and live it. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen   Thank you, Lord, for Fr, Al!! Thank you for our priests who help us to live Our Lady's messages. We need them to guide us. Let's pray for our priests!   In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2018

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

Mary TV: April 13, 2018 Reflection -" Completely surrender to my Son!"

(c)Mateo Ivankovic 2018    April 13, 2018 St. Martin I Dear Family of Mary! "My children, you are those who, along with prayer, need to completely surrender to my Son so that you may no longer live but my Son may live in you - so that all those who do not know my Son may see Him in you and come to desire to know Him...." (April 2, 2018) Yesterday we considered St. Paul's great words about surrender, how he said that he no longer lived but that it was Christ who lived in him. This is surrender in its purest form. Our Lady is asking for this kind of surrender. And so, I want to offer a surrender prayer that might help us to begin this process of dying to ourselves and living to Christ. It takes courage and great love to put Jesus in the first place, and try to live His will for us. So this prayer contains some healing elements that are necessary for true surrender. SURRENDER PRAYER God, my Father, I thank you for all that you are, and all that you do for me through your Son Jesus Christ. I praise you for my life, for your mercy and for your Eucharist. In Jesus' name, Father, I place myself entirely in your Heart. I surrender to you my whole self, my heart, my mind, my memory, my imagination, my will, my emotions, my passions, my body, my sexuality, my desire for human approval, my weaknesses, my desires, my sins.   I surrender every person in my life to you. I surrender every situation in my life to you. I surrender every relationship I am in to you. I surrender every concern I have to you. I surrender every fear I have to you. I surrender every doubt I have to you. I surrender all confusion I have to you. I surrender all sadness I am experiencing in my heart to you. I surrender all my wounds to you. I surrender all anxiety and worry I have to you. I surrender all that deceives me in my heart to you. I trust you to care for me and others in a perfectly loving way.   As I have emptied myself, and surrendered everything to you, I ask you now, Father, to fill me with your Holy Spirit and all the gifts and fruits of your Spirit. Holy Spirit you are the source of love, hope, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, tenderness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. Purify my desires. Help me to open my heart to you. Help me to become perfectly receptive as a pure child. Help me to believe in your love for me. Help me to hope in your love. Help me to receive from the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus all grace and virtues necessary for me to become the person you created me to be. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, God Almighty Father.   O Most Holy Immaculate Virgin Mary. I entrust this prayer to your Heart, and ask you to press it to your wounded heart and intercede for me to your Son Jesus. Please help me to be as you are, a perfect disciple, an obedient servant, a true child of God. Amen.     "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal 2:20)   God bless us all, as we surrender all to Him!    In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2018

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

Mary TV: April 12, 2018 Reflection -" that you may no longer live but my Son may live in you"

(c)Mateo Ivankovic 2018    April 12, 2018 Dear Family of Mary! "Dear children! Through the great love of the Heavenly Father I am beside you as your mother and you are beside me as my children, as apostles of my love whom I ceaselessly gather around me..." (April 2, 2018)   Our Lady has mentioned many times before that it is the Heavenly Father who has sent her to be with us. It is His desire that we take Mary as our Mother in these days. He sends her to us! He wants us to take great comfort in her presence and to stay beside her. He knows that we are living in a very difficult time, a time of great stress in the world. And so, he allows our Mother to remain among us for this long a time!     "My children, you are those who, along with prayer, need to completely surrender to my Son so that you may no longer live but my Son may live in you - so that all those who do not know my Son may see Him in you and come to desire to know Him..."  (April 2, 2018)   Mother Mary speaks very clearly to us, as we stay beside her. She tells us straight out that we must completely surrender to Jesus. No more halfhearted surrendering. No more holding on to a little bit of our own way, our own desire, our own projects. There is no more time for that. We cannot be divided in our hearts any more.   We must see ourselves like St. Paul saw himself after his conversion. He encountered Jesus, was struck blind, then healed, baptized and given a mission. His mission was to tell the whole world about Jesus. And he did it! Imagine if St. Paul had responded to this great call by saying, "Ok, Jesus, I will spread the word, but I still need to do part time work at the Sanhedrin. They won't be able to function without me..." Ha, ha!! St. Paul instead, dropped every cause, every function, every desire he ever had. He dropped them all. And he became a great Apostle, taking Jesus everywhere, even to Rome. He described his change this way:   "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Gal 2:20)   St. Paul said that he died with Christ, that he was crucified with Jesus. How? His old life was over and was buried with Jesus, completely gone. The life he was living after that was Jesus' life. It was a life completely surrendered to Jesus, so that St. Paul could only do what Jesus was doing in Him. He was surrendered to Jesus so completely that all those who did not know Jesus would see Jesus in St. Paul and come to desire to know Him. St. Paul lived the will of God, not his own will. He was dead to his own will, but alive to Jesus' will. He was alive only to the extent he was doing God's will. This surrender can sound very harsh and unappealing. But wait, isn't the life of Jesus heaven? Isn't the life of Jesus full of light and peace? Isn't the life of Jesus joy, and love, and hope? To have Jesus live within us is to have heaven within us. God's will is heaven! So even if we are suffering on this earth, the inner life we will have will be worth it all. To surrender to Jesus is to surrender to life! So, maybe we can actually do what Our Lady is asking of us. Maybe we can actually say, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."   Surrender!!   In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2018

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

Mary TV: April 11, 2018 Reflection - Through the great love of the Heavenly Father I am beside you as your mother.

(c)Mateo Ivankovic 2018    April 11, 2018 St. Stanislaus   Dear Family of Mary! Because the April 2nd message came in the midst of Easter week and Divine Mercy Novena, we have not had much time to digest this very powerful message from Our Lady. So I present it today in its entirety, so that we can prayerfully receive it. Then we can talk about it in the days ahead.   Our Lady's April 2, 2018 Message:  Dear children, Through the great love of the Heavenly Father I am beside you as your mother and you are beside me as my children, as apostles of my love whom I ceaselessly gather around me.  My children, you are those who, along with prayer, need to completely surrender to my Son so that you may no longer live but my Son may live in you - so that all those who do not know my Son may see Him in you and come to desire to know Him. Pray that in you they may see resolute humility and goodness, a readiness to serve others; that in you they may see that you live your vocation in the world with the heart, in communion with my Son; that in you they may see meekness, tenderness and love for my Son as well as for all brothers and sisters. Apostles of my love, you must pray much and cleanse your hearts so that you may be the first to walk on the way of my Son, that you may be the just who are united with the justice of my Son. My children, as apostles of my love, you must be united in the communion which emanates from my Son, so that my children who do not know my Son may recognize the communion of love and may come to desire to walk on the way of life, the way of unity with my Son.  Thank you.  In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2018

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

Mary TV: April 10, 2018 Reflection - Decide for my Son!

(c)Mateo Ivankovic 2018    April 10, 2018   Dear Family of Mary!   Last night (on the Solemnity of the Annunciation) Ivan Dragicevic met with his prayer group at the Blue Cross for prayer. Our Lady came to him during their prayer (approximately 10:00 pm). Here is what Ivan shared after his encounter with Our Lady:   Our Lady came to us joyful and happy.  And she gave all of us her motherly greeting: "Praised be Jesus, my dear children!"  Then Our Lady continued to pray with her arms extended over all of us here.  In a special way she prayed over those of you who are sick present here.  After that Our Lady said, "My dear children!  Also today I call you to abandon that that is of the passing world that is more and more distancing you from my Son.  Decide for my Son.  Accept His words and live them.  Thank you, dear children, for also today having responded to my call!"    After that Our Lady blessed all of us with her motherly blessing and she blessed everything that you have brought to be blessed.  Then I recommended all of you, your needs, your intentions, your families in a special way all those of you who are sick here, your intentions and your desires, that the Mother may pray for all of you and intercede before her Son for you.  After that Our Lady continued for a while to pray over us and she left in that prayer, in a luminous sign of the cross with the greeting, "Go in peace my dear children!"   In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan Mary TV

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

Mary TV: April 9, 2018 Reflection - The Annunciation

(c)Mateo Ivankovic 2018    April 9, 2018 The Annunciation of the Lord [Transferred] Dear Family of Mary! Today we celebrate the great Feast, the Annunciation of the Lord! This feast was transferred to today, because March 25 this year was Palm Sunday. So we had to wait until Holy Week and Easter Week were over, since they are the central days of our Faith. But today, at last, we can honor Mary for her great ascent, her "yes" to God! She chose to accept the Father's invitation to bear His Son, Jesus who was coming to save the whole of humanity! What a powerful day!!! What a central day to our whole relationship to God! This message from March 2, 2014 is a special one. Our Lady refers to the Annunciation in it. She is always so humble when she remembers her life!! See if you can find the reference: March 02, 2014 "Dear children, I am coming to you as a mother and I desire that in me, as in a mother, you may find your abode, consolation and rest. Therefore, my children, apostles of my love, pray. Pray with humble devotion, obedience and complete trust in the Heavenly Father. Trust as I have trusted when it was said to me that I will bring the blessing of the promise. May out of your hearts, from your lips, always come forth 'May your will be done!' Therefore, trust and pray so that I can intercede for you before the Lord, for Him to give you the Heavenly Blessing and fill you with the Holy Spirit. Then He will be able to help all those who do not know the Lord - you, apostles of my love, will help them to call Him 'Father' with complete trust. Pray for your shepherds and place your trust in their blessed hands. Thank you." Yes, she said: "Trust as I have trusted when it was said to me that I will bring the blessing of the promise." This is such a humble way of remembering when the Angel Gabriel came and told Mary she was full of grace, that she had found favor with God, that she would bear a Son and call Him Jesus, because He would save His people! Wow! She received a blockbuster blessing of the promise didn't she!! But she trusted. Mary trusted. And she wants us to trust like she did and does. Here is the Scriptural account of that encounter with the Angel Gabriel that we celebrate today. Wow!!!! In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38) "May out of your hearts, from your lips, always come forth 'May your will be done!'" If we are to trust as Mary trusted, this must be our constant response to the Holy Spirit! "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."   If we can live this kind of trust, we will find great joy in our lives, and even greater in Heaven. Thank you, dearest Mother, for being our Mother! In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2018

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

Mary TV: April 8, 2018 Reflection - The Feast of Divine Mercy

Surmanci, Divine Mercy Chapel    April 8, 2018 Second Sunday of Easter Feast of Divine Mercy Dear Family of Mary! We have arrived at the wonderful Feast of Divine Mercy! Let's gather up all the sinners in the whole world and immerse them in the fathomless mercy of God. This is the feast for all of us! Our Lady calls to us: "Dear children! In this time of grace, when God has permitted me to be with you, little children, I call you anew to conversion. Work on the salvation of the world in a special way while I am with you. God is merciful and gives special graces, therefore, seek them through prayer. I am with you and do not leave you alone. Thank you for having responded to my call."  May 25, 2008 God is merciful!! This is what we celebrate today, His Mercy! This is a special time of grace, this is the time to convert and call out to the Lord, asking for His mercy! Saint Faustina was so aware of the special graces being offered in our time, and she was told how to respond to these special graces: The next day, after Communion, I heard the voice saying, My daughter, look into the abyss of My mercy and give praise and glory to this mercy of Mine. Do it in this way: Gather all sinners from the entire world and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. I want to give Myself to souls; I yearn for souls, My daughter. On the day of My feast, the Feast of Mercy, you will go through the whole world and bring fainting souls to the spring of My mercy. I shall heal and strengthen them. (Diary 206) Jesus wants us all, every one of us, to be immersed in the flowing Blood and Water from His Sacred Heart today!! Here is what St. Faustina was told about this feast; When, on one occasion, my confessor told me to ask the Lord Jesus the meaning of the two rays in the image, I answered, "Very well, I will ask the Lord." During prayer I heard these words within me: The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls...These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him. I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy. Ask of my faithful servant [Father Sopocko] that, on this day, he tell the whole world of My great mercy; that whoever approaches the Fount of Life on this day will be granted complete remission of sins and punishment. Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy. Oh, how much I am hurt by a soul's distrust! Such a soul professes that I am Holy and Just, but does not believe that I am Mercy and does not trust in My Goodness. Even the devils glorify My Justice but do not believe in My Goodness. My Heart rejoices in this title of Mercy. (Diary 299-300) And so today we are the blessed recipients of St. Faustina's efforts to spread Divine Mercy. Thank you, dear St. Faustina for your faithfulness to God's call. You have provided this wonderful grace for all mankind! Let us pray: (949) Let the doubting soul read these considerations on Divine Mercy and become trusting. Divine Mercy, gushing forth from the bosom of the Father, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, greatest attribute of God, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, incomprehensible mystery, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, fount gushing forth from the mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, unfathomed by any intellect, human or angelic, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, from which wells forth all life and happiness, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, better than the heavens, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, source of miracles and wonders, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, encompassing the whole universe, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, descending to earth in the Person of the Incarnate Word, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, which flowed out from the open wound of the Heart of Jesus, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, enclosed in the Heart of Jesus for us, and especially for sinners, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, unfathomed in the institution of the Sacred Host, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, in the founding of Holy Church, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, in our justification through Jesus Christ, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, accompanying us through our whole life, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, embracing us especially at the hour of death, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, endowing us with immortal life, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, accompanying us every moment of our life, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, shielding us from the fire of hell, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, in the conversion of hardened sinners, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, astonishment for Angels, incomprehensible to Saints, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, unfathomed in all the mysteries of God, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, lifting us out of every misery, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, source of our happiness and joy, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, in calling us forth from nothingness to existence, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, embracing all the works of His hands, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, crown of all of God's handiwork, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, in which we are all immersed, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, sweet relief for anguished hearts, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, only hope of despairing souls, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, repose of hearts, peace amidst fear, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, delight and ecstasy of holy souls, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, inspiring hope against all hope, I trust in You. (950) + Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Jesus, I trust in You! Thank you for joining in the special time of grace from Heaven. May we all be immersed in the Mercy of God today! In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2018 PS. Mike Nolan and his pilgrimage group have been given a great grace today! They will all traveled to Surmanci, to the Chapel of Divine Mercy. At 1:00 pm their chaplin will celebrate Holy Mass in the Chapel, in honor of Divine Mercy Sunday!! They will be praying for all of us! What a blessing!!

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Mary TV: April 7, 2018 Reflection - Divine Mercy Novena Day Nine

April 7, 2018 Easter Saturday Divine Mercy Novena Day Nine   Dear Family of Mary! On this last day of the novena we pray for "lukewarm" souls. These are souls who have lost their fervor. They have closed their hearts to God's call, and love has grown cold. These are souls who no longer put God in the first place. Our Lady worries very much about these souls as well: "Dear children! As a mother, I desire to be of help to you. With my motherly love, I desire to help you to open your heart and to put my Son in the first place in it. Through your love for my Son and through your prayer, I desire for God's light to illuminate you and God's mercy to fill you. In this way, I desire for the darkness, and the shadow of death which wants to encompass and mislead you, to be driven away. I desire for you to feel the joy of the blessing of God's promise. You, children of man, you are God's children - you are my children. Therefore, my children, set out on the ways on which my love leads you, teaches you humility and wisdom, and finds the way to the Heavenly Father. Pray with me for those who do not accept me and do not follow me - those who, because of hardness of their hearts, cannot feel the joy of humility, devotion, peace and love - the joy of my Son. Pray that your shepherds, with their blessed hands, may always give you the joy of God's blessing. Thank you." March 18, 2014 Jesus instituted the Feast of Mercy for all souls, including lukewarm souls. He wants all souls to approach Him with trust, even those who have failed in their love and grown cold. No one is excluded from His Mercy! On one occasion, I heard these words: My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the Fount of My Mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.  (Diary 699) Let us pray: Divine Mercy Novena, Day Nine: Today bring to Me SOULS WHO HAVE BECOME LUKEWARM, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy.  Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls, who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen. Link to directions on how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet (by the Marians of the Immaculate Conception in Stockbridge, Massachusetts): http://thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/praythechaplet.php  Tomorrow is the great Feast of Divine Mercy! May we celebrate this day with all our hearts! It is the Day of Mercy for all souls. In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan (c)Mary TV 2018

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Mary TV: April 6, 2018 Reflection - Divine Mercy Novena Day Eight

(c) Mary TV 2017 Divine Mercy Chapel  Surmanci- Medjugorje April 6, 2018 Easter Friday Divine Mercy Novena Day 8   Dear Family of Mary!   Today we pray for the Souls in Purgatory. Jesus once told St. Faustina that between Him and all souls there is a bottomless abyss that separates us from Him. But He told her this abyss is filled with His Mercy which lifts us to Himself. May the Souls in Purgatory be lifted up to Jesus on this Feast of Divine Mercy!   Our Lady told us to pray for the souls in Purgatory every day! November 6, 1986 "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."   And St. Faustina was taken to Purgatory by her Guardian Angel, where she experienced their plight and developed a great love for the souls in Purgatory. Here is her description of that experience:   I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They   were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames which were burning them did not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave   me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God. I saw Our Lady visiting the   souls in Purgatory. The souls call her "The Star of the Sea." She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. [I heard and interior voice] which said, My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it. Since that time, I am in closer communion with the suffering souls. (Diary 20)   Let us pray:   Divine Mercy Novena Day Eight:   Today bring to Me THE SOULS WHO ARE DETAINED IN PURGATORY, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice. Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of Purgatory, that there, too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. Amen.   Link to directions on how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet (by the Marians of the Immaculate Conception in Stockbridge, Massachusetts): http://thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/praythechaplet.php   In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2018 PS. This chapel at Surmanci contains a miraculous image of Jesus, Divine Mercy.  You can read a short account of the miracles associated with the Image here: http://www.spiritofmedjugorje.org/april2012.htm PPS. Susan Tassone has written several books with prayers for the Souls in Purgatory.  One of them is focused on St. Faustina and her dedication to the Souls in Purgatory.  It is entitled:  St. Faustina Prayer Book for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.  It is available from Our Sunday Visitor:  https://www.osv.com/Shop/Product?ProductCode=T1759

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