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Fr. Jozo Zovko: He that can separate you from the alter is your only enemy.

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Fr. Jozo Zovko speaks on the Holy Eucharist


Place your life upon this altar. You will witness how a priest will place a drop of water within a chalice full of wine. That drop of water intermingles with the wine and signifies you in the Holy Mass. You can become one, unite with and intermingle with Jesus. That is why the Holy Mass is called Communion ...union with God ...you and your God together ...that is the Holy Eucharist. All of us together and Jesus. That is the church, and that is where the one, holy Catholic apostolic church comes from.
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 "He who can separate you from the altar is your only enemy. There is no other" 
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Every time we come into the church and celebrate the Holy Mass, that is our embrace, our hanging onto Our Lord and saying, "Lord where would we go, for you are the Word of Life." Where did the martyrs gain so much strength from? In the Church, where did the witnesses gain their strength from? To date, in this year, 23 missionaries have been murdered around the world in four months. That is a lot. How can a man give his life for Jesus simply, with delight? It is the Holy Mass that does this within us, so that for you I'm able to give my very eyes, my arms and my life, my everything as Jesus gave His all; and the same way the Christian must give his all.

 Yes, once again, I must return to the Holy Mass and the Holy Eucharist. Why is it that churches and sects do not tolerate the Mass, do not respect Our Lady? Because they go hand-in-hand. Yes, they go together. Our Lady teaches to come to love Jesus, to fall in love with Him, and that is why she places us before the Holy Eucharist, and pleads with us to pray before this holy, blessed Sacrament, so from Jesus we may learn to become bread for others; so that I not have fear to say, "Take this, all of you, of me, and eat of it."

I know a lot of Anglican and Protestant priests, ministers, that were in Medjugorje.

 I know of a Presbyterian bishop that I have met from Washington. He had sent a multitude of his priests to Medjugorje as well. When I was in Washington a few years ago, I visited him because he visited me and came to Medjugorje.

 He had a problem, a cross, that was inflicted upon him. His son was shot in Vietnam and became paralyzed. When his son returned from the war, he said to his wife, "Let us make a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. I believe Our Lady will hear us." And Our Lady gave a miracle. The son was healed and converted the parents. The bishop desired that all of his priests come to know Our Lady. Eight of those priests to date have become Catholic priests, without any shouts, without publication, without media. Our Lady works in miraculous ways. She was always the sign, the sign of a better world, the sign of peace and unity in the Church, the sign of our salvation. May it also truly be the same in your city or town. Let us commence this Holy Mass by preparing ourselves and involving this great grace.

"I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY, CATHOLIC CHURCH"

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St. Anthony Church, West Warwick, Rhode Island 

"On this rock I will build My church, and the jaws of death shall not prevail against it." -Matthew 16:18

At the Masses of Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday, all the Catholics of the world will be asked to renew their baptismal promises. The last of the baptismal promises is: "Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy, catholic Church?", etc. When we renew our baptismal promises, we acknowledge that we were baptized in one Spirit into one body, the Church (1 Cor 12:13).

 In baptism, we have committed ourselves to remain faithful to one another as members of the body of Christ. Thus, we are obligated to celebrate Mass each Sunday with the other members of Christ's body, and to go to Confession annually to be reconciled with the Church. We must also pray for, support, serve, and obey the Church.

 Moreover, it is not an option for a Catholic to join another Christian denomination or religion. This would be denying our baptismal promises.
 
Do you love the Church as Jesus loves the Church? If you are to make the last baptismal promise, you must be willing to lay down your life for her (Eph 5:25). In baptism, we have made the commitment to love the Church unconditionally, even when it is most unlovable. This is humanly impossible, but the Holy Spirit, Who birthed the Church, will give us the grace to love the Church. In the power of the Spirit, love the Church and live the new life through baptism.

When Heaven Calls--Assignment from Our Lady

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My Assignment from Our Lady
By Theresa G.

I went to Medjugorje at the end of May and while I was praying on the top of the Apparition Hill, I felt that Our Lady was calling the priest of my parish to go there so that She could renew his priesthood mission. I felt really awkward about that, I generally do not feel things about other people. I did not know if it was my imagination or it was a real message for him. I also knew that he did not believe in Medjugorje, and that he had no desire to go there. I pondered in my heart what to do. I prayed. I thought it could be my imagination, but also that if this were a real message for him, I had no choice but to tell him. The fact that he didn't believe in Medjugorje really put me off. Eventually I decided to tell him, but with great humility and love (explaining that it might have been my imagination). It took me almost 2 months, but I finally went to see him, gave him a blessed rosary from Medjugorje as a present and told him what had happened to me.

I could not believe my ears when he told me that he's been questioning his vocation since last year and he has thought of giving it up completely (you would never tell this - everybody in the parish loves his enthusiasm and love for God!) and recently he has asked God and Our Lady to tell someone what he should do and if he was meant to go to Medjugorje...That person was yours truly. Father kissed the rosary from Medjugorje that I gave him, thanked me a lot for being open to Our Lady's voice and for the courage of delivering Her message. He said that he felt already renewed in his priesthood mission and that he will soon go to Medjugorje.

 I'm so amazed, Our Lady has used someone like me (I'm so unworthy!) to deliver Her message in such a powerful way! This has been a huge grace both for me and for the priest of my parish. I've experienced the real presence of Our Lady with Her maternal love for Her priests! I felt the love of Our Lady for the priests...what a grace! I've also learned that we have to pray for our priests, because even when we think that everything is fine with them, the enemy does not leave them alone, and they might be struggling even if we do not see anything. We really need to pray for our priests every single day, they are so much in need of our prayer and fasting!
  Editor’s note: Because of the personal information about the priest, the author has used a pen name. www.spiritofmedjugorje.org

Incredible story

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 An incredible story
 
"The Doctor who treated the late Mother Teresa."
 
This talk by Dr. George Lombardi holds one absolutely spell-bound from start to finish. 
 

Our Lady's Medjugorje message to Marija of February 25, 2014

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"Dear children! You see, hear and feel that in the hearts of many people there is no God. They do not want Him, because they are far from prayer and do not have peace. You, little children, pray - live God's commandments. You be prayer, you who from the very beginning said 'yes' to my call. Witness God and my presence and do not forget, little children: I am with you and I love you. From day to day I present you all to my Son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Tajci: Love Lives On - Live

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Published on Apr 16, 2013
Tajci's song for those who have blessed us with their lives. Filmed live at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Manitowoc, WI on Palm Sunday 2013 in memory of Nora, the "Little Croatian Lion".
"With deep gratitude to people who inspired this song: Sue, Gerry, Colleen, my Dad and Nora. Special thanks to Bryan Kravec for his thoughts and words." - Tajci
Words and Music by Tajci
Performed by Tajci and Dan Roeder
String/ MIDI Arrangement by Denny Bouchard
Filmed by Danko Puttar

HERE TODAY AND GONE TOMORROW

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"You have no idea what kind of life will be yours tomorrow." -James 4:14

Contrary to Scripture, most of us have many ideas about our lives tomorrow. We don't expect major changes. We certainly don't expect to die. We believe we're in control.
God's Word disagrees; it bluntly states: "You are a vapor that appears briefly and vanishes. Instead of saying, 'If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that,' all you can do is make arrogant and pretentious claims" (Jas 4:14-16). We're just thinking like everybody else, and God's Word calls us "arrogant and pretentious."

The Lord wants us neither to rest on our laurels nor count on the future but live for the present. "Now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation!" (2 Cor 6:2) We're not taking anything for granted. Life on earth is a gift, every heartbeat a grace. There's no guarantee that I will be able to finish writing this sentence, or you will be able to finish reading it. Our lives are fragile, precarious, and fleeting. Anything can happen at any time.
"Only in God is my soul at rest; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Stronghold; I shall not be disturbed at all" (Ps 62:2-3).

Jesus, in a constantly changing world, You are my Rock, my Fortress, my Refuge (see Ps 18:3).

Our Lady of Medjugorje November 25, 2013 Message Dear children! Today I call all of you to prayer. Open the doors of your heart profoundly to prayer, little children, to prayer with the heart; and then the Most High will be able to act upon your freedom and conversion will begin. Your faith will become firm so that you will be able to say with all your heart: ‘My God, my all.’ You will comprehend, little children, that here on earth everything is passing. Thank you for having responded to my call.

The Medjugorje Message: Far from prayer and peace...


Tajci Tatjana Matejas-- interview and her music.

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Kathryn Raaker interviews Tajci (Tatjana Matejas) and learns about her life and loves. As a pop star in the former Yugoslavia in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Tajci became a superstar in Central Europe when she electrified an international TV audience, estimated at over a billion people, in the Eurovision Song Contest. By 1991, war had come to Croatia. The young artist sang at giant concerts for peace, entertained wounded soldiers in hospitals and visited those on the front lines. Tajci joined thousands of young people flocking to the churches, now that the atheist regime had fallen. Tajci had experienced a nation of young people looking to her for answers, but she had none. She had come to America to be free of her celebrity, and to find herself. While staying at a retreat house run by the Carmelite Sisters in Los Angeles, Tatiana found her future husband, Matthew Cameron, who encouraged her to tell the story of her own quest for spiritual healing. Today, the list of churches requesting Tatiana's appearances has stretched to nearly a thousand. Because Tajci sings in nine languages, new requests are coming in from around the world—including the Philippines, Latin America, Africa and Europe.

Lenten Retreat and Healing Services

Florida priest Father Richard Pagano finds joy in conversion

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Medjugorje: - Message of Our Lady, for March 2, 2014 given through Mirjana:

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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 you 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. (March 2, 2014)

Catholic Nuns from Ukraine came to Medjugorje

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Greek Catholic Nuns from Ukraine came to Medjugorje
date:3-19-2012

Group of 64 Greek Catholic Nuns, members of fourteen different orders from Ukraine, came to Medjugorje for the first time from March 10 to March 15, 2012. Fr. Petro Kobalj is the organiser of this pilgrimage and he regularly participates in the Seminar for Priests that is organised in Medjugorje every summer. “These nuns wished to come to Medjugorje so they could witness about this place in Ukraine, since many of them work in the houses of mercy. They wanted to learn prayers and to bring that to the convents where they work and live. Here, in Medjugorje, they were able to see what does the living church mean”, said Fr. Kobalj.

Sr. Maria, Sr. Ljubomira, Sr. Tadeja and Sr. Nazarija spoke about their experience of Medjugorje.

* Sr. Marija is the member of the Order of St. Joseph and she told us that she cannot describe with words what she felt in Medjugorje. “I think it was a miracle that happened to me. Before I came to Medjugorje, I had huge pain in my back. Doctors did everything they could. One of the nuns that lives with me was encouraging me and she was saying how everything was going to be all right and I should go to Medjugorje. I told her that I could not walk, and especially not travel. I felt pain while we were travelling, but thanks to dear God I was able to come to Medjugorje.” She said that she experienced a great miracle since she was able to climb Cross Mountain.

 Sr. Ljubomira from the Order of Servants of the Immaculate Virgin Mary witnessed that they have one prayer group thanks to Medjugorje.

*“I am especially grateful to the Queen of Peace, since I deeply felt her presence, she restored peace in my heart”, added Sr. Ljubomira.
medjugorje official

Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God

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Come, O Most Holy Spirit, You who makes all things new. Today grant a miracle in us and through us. Change our hearts. Take from us our hearts of stone and give us a new heart, a heart that knows how to love, how to pray, how to forgive. A heart that knows how to embrace the cross and recognize the will of God and carry it to the end. 

Ash Wednesday--Return to me, says the Lord

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Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
and return to the LORD, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
slow to anger, rich in kindness,
and relenting in punishment.
(Joel 2: 12-13)




Medjugorje: April 2, 2006 - Our Lady's apparitions to Mirjana

“Dear Children, I am coming to you, because, with my own example, I wish to show you the importance of prayer for those who have not come to know the love of God. You ask yourself if you are following me?

My children, do you not recognize the signs of the times? Do you not speak of them? Come follow me. As a mother I call you. Thank you for having responded. ”

Mother Maria

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Uploaded on Feb 26, 2010 Images by Bernard Gallager 
http://crownofstars.blogspot.com/
Mother Maria is composed and sung by Mary Teresa Doogan. The track is from the CD Here is Love by Family Doogan & Friends.
Other tracks on the album are: Dear St Joseph, Days of Elijah, Here is Love, Alleluia, He is Coming, Only a Shadow, O Purest of Creatures, Hail Queen of Heaven, Regina Caeli, Jesus, all for Jesus, The Sun is Shining Brightly, To Jesus Heart all Burning, I Rest Now.
The CD is available direct from Mary.
Email marytdoogan@yahoo.co.uk

Dear Family of Mary....Our Lady's Lenten messages

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(c)Josip Zubac, 2013

J.M.J.
February 13, 2013
Ash Wednesday
Dear Family of Mary!
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"Dear children! This Lent is a special incentive for you to change. Start from this moment. Turn off the television and renounce various things that are of no value. Dear children, I am calling you individually to conversion. This season is for you. Thank you for having responded to my call."(February 13, 1986)
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"Dear children! The second message of these Lenten days is that you renew prayer before the cross. Dear children, I am giving you special graces and Jesus is giving you special gifts from the cross. Take them and live! Reflect on Jesus' Passion and in your life be united with Jesus! Thank you for having responded to my call."(February 20, 1986)
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"Dear children! Today I call you to live Lent by means of your little sacrifices. Thank you for every sacrifice you have brought me. Dear children, live that way continuously, and with your love help me to present the sacrifice. God will reward you for that. Thank you for having responded to my call." (March 13, 1986)
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"Dear children! With the time of Lent, you are approaching a time of grace. Your heart is like plowed soil and it is ready to receive the fruit which will grow into what is good. You, little children, are free to choose good or evil. Therefore, I call you to pray and fast. Plant joy and the fruit of joy will grow in your hearts for your good, and others will see it and receive it through your life. Renounce sin and choose eternal life. I am with you and intercede for you before my Son. Thank you for having responded to my call." (January 25, 2008)
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"Dear children! In this Lenten time of grace, I call you to open your hearts to the gifts that God desires to give you. Do not be closed, but with prayer and renunciation say 'yes' to God and He will give to you in abundance. As in springtime the earth opens to the seed and yields a hundredfold, so also your heavenly Father will give to you in abundance. I am with you and love you, little children, with a tender love. Thank you for having responded to my call."(February 25, 2006)
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"Dear children! Open your heart to God's mercy in this Lenten time. The heavenly Father desires to deliver each of you from the slavery of sin. Therefore, little children, make good use of this time and through meeting with God in confession, leave sin and decide for holiness. Do this out of love for Jesus, who redeemed you all with his blood, that you may be happy and in peace. Do not forget, little children: your freedom is your weakness, therefore follow my messages with seriousness. Thank you for having responded to my call." (February 25, 2007)
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"Dear children! I desire to thank you from my heart for your Lenten renunciations. I desire to inspire you to continue to live fasting with an open heart. By fasting and renunciation, little children, you will be stronger in faith. In God you will find true peace through daily prayer. I am with you and I am not tired. I desire to take you all with me to Heaven, therefore, decide daily for holiness. Thank you for having responded to my call." (March 25, 2007)
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In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2013   http://www.marytv.tv/

My Journey and Mama Mary

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Featured article from March's Spirit of Medjugorje
My Journey and Mama Mary
By Stephen Galdo

     Early on in my teenage years, I struggled with my faith and barricaded myself from God and His love. I got caught up in lust, pride, and various pleasures of the world. After hitting rock-bottom and experiencing depression after my freshman year of college at Penn State Behrend, I immersed myself in volunteer work and my Catholic faith. I knew there was something different about interacting with the poor, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then, I made a TEC retreat (now called Divine Mercy Encounter) and I saw Christ’s true presence in the Eucharist. I felt God’s merciful love for the first time and realized I had been seeing the face of Christ in those I served. I had found my “meaning” and, since then, have never looked back. After coming to know Jesus Christ, I felt God telling me every day in prayer to “Pray the Rosary.” I decided to give it a shot. In the beginning, it was really tough; in fact, I would venture to say it took me about six months to learn how to pray the Rosary. I would fall asleep, and felt I was not able to meditate on the mysteries. However, it was through the Rosary that Mary formed me into who I am today.
     While working a Divine Mercy Encounter retreat, I publically confessed I was open to the priesthood. God really blessed this, because the next day the Capuchin Franciscan Friars of the Renewal showed up at Penn State Behrend for Mass. I was so amazed by their humble witness to Christ that I felt called to visit them in the future. During this time I started praying a vocational prayer each day, asking for Mary’s intercession, and of course remained faithful to the holy Rosary. During this time of confusion, my campus minister handed me a book called 33 Days to Morning Glory. I began the process of consecrating myself to Mary, not really sure why, but it seemed like God’s will.
     Finally I made it out to visit the Capuchin Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in New York City. While I was there, I was totally captivated by the friars’ holiness, joy, love, peace, deep prayer life, and service to the poorest of the poor. Most specifically, I love their devotion to Eucharistic Adoration and Our Blessed Mother. This was radically living out the gospel, to the fullest. My heart desired this, but I wondered if it would be too tough for me. During my visit with the friars, one of the founders, Father Glenn, encouraged us to give the Lord 40 days, like Jesus in the desert, for our discernment. The idea was that God would give us an answer about our vocation. I was inspired, and gave the Lord 40 days, and promised to offer up various sacrifices and prayer. During this period, I consecrated myself to Our Lady of Fatima on May 13, 2013. Ironically, I was told this is the same day that Msgr. Peterson [former spiritual advisor of The Spirit of Medjugorje] died – someone whom I never met, but God keeps bringing into my life.

Medjugorje Bread
     Also, during this time, Our Lady led me to the Medjugorje devotion. One day on a service retreat, Joseph Goodwin, now a seminarian in the archdiocese of Denver, told me he was hungry and had not eaten all day. He explained to me this so-called “bread and water fast” Our Lady had asked us to do. Instantly, I was intrigued, and after some prayer, decided to take on this practice myself on Wednesdays and Fridays or at least attempt to. In the past, I had never really fasted and did not really understand it. However, I saw the Lord started to bear fruit through this. The Holy Spirit was totally convicting me of my sins and introduced me to this concept of redemptive suffering. This became a new weapon for me in the spiritual life! I started to research Medjugorje and found all the messages fantastic and fruitful in my own life!
     During this period of 40 days, I managed to fail at keeping my commitments, thinking less and less about my vocation, and even worse – forgetting I was doing the 40-day discernment! Towards the end of the 40 days, I, too, like Jesus, ended up in the desert – but in Las Vegas, Nevada for a wedding. I truly was in “sin city,” and never had felt a more evil presence in my life. Peddlers would try to hand me and my siblings cards for “call girls” and I avoided them by making the Sign of the Cross. It was very sorrowful to experience this. As Our Lady of Fatima says, “More souls go to hell because of sins of the flesh.” After the wedding, before I went to bed, I was utterly frustrated with the Lord. I remembered the first promise of the Rosary was that Mary will send you signal graces. So that night, I asked Mary to give me a concrete sign about my vocation. The next day, on my return home to Pittsburgh, I ran into a Friar of the Renewal in the Pittsburgh airport! Thank you, Mama Mary! When I arrived home, I realized it was the 41st day of my discernment. How merciful Our Lord is and always honors His word. I realized it was time to start taking this call a lot more seriously. After further discernment with my spiritual director and additional visits to the Friars, the Lord convicted me that this was my call.
     I was instantly hit with a roadblock after I desired to enter the Friars: educational loans. However, through God’s Divine Providence, I was led to a group called “The Labouré Society,” which helps people with religious and priestly vocations overcome student loans through a fundraising ministry. I am fundraising with my class of 18 aspiring vocations, who are all prevented from continuing formation in priestly and religious life due to our educational loans.
     In fraternity, I ask for you to join me in support for my vocation. I have applied to the friars, and the community would like me to enter formation as soon as possible. As Christ needed Simon on the path to Calvary, I need your help to give my life to this calling. I am working with The Labouré Society to raise assistance for the hundreds of vocations like mine that are turned away because of student loans. We have prayed unceasingly for vocations, and I assure you, God is answering them. Please consider a tax deductible gift to Labouré to enable these calls to be answered. Most importantly, please pray for me and my fellow aspirants that we may have the courage to respond in faith and echo Mary’s “Yes” to God.
Editor’s note: Stephen is from Plum, PA. To learn more about The Labouré Society, go tohttp://labouresociety.org. What a worthy cause for Lenten almsgiving – an investment in our future!
Source http://www.spiritofmedjugorje.org/index.php 

Medjugorje: -- Mirjana`s apparition March 02, 2014

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Our Lady's Message to Mirjana

"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. "

Who Is Our Real Enemy

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Saint Paul was not shy about naming the devil publicly. Who is our real enemy? Not our rival at work, not our critic at school, not our competitor in business, no other human person.

Our real enemy is Satan.

He is behind all the division, the violence, the hatred, the broken relationships. He is the one who hates all mankind - he and his minions.
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Ephesians 6: 10-18." Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world ruler of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.
Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints..."
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Our Lady's Medjugorje message of February 25, 1988:

"Dear children! Today again I am calling you to prayer to complete surrender to God. You know that I love you and am coming here out of love so I could show you the path to peace and salvation for your souls. I want you to obey me and not permit Satan to seduce you. Dear children, Satan is very strong and, therefore, I ask you to dedicate your prayers to me so that those who are under his influence can be saved. Give witness by your life. Sacrifice your lives for the salvation of the world. I am with you, and I am grateful to you, but in heaven you shall receive the Father's reward which He has promised to you. Therefore, dear children, do not be afraid. If you pray, Satan cannot injure you even a little bit because you are God's children and He is watching over you. Pray and let the rosary always be in your hand as a sign to Satan that you belong to me. Thank you for having responded to my call."
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