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Dear children! Pray for my intentions...
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CRUSH-PROOF
"Be not crushed on their account, as though I would leave you crushed before them." -Jeremiah 1:17
Often we cannot help being persecuted or even killed, but we can refuse to be crushed. The government might put us in jail, but it cannot crush our spirits unless we let it. We cannot always prevent our enemies from attacking us, but we can always refuse to be manipulated by intimidation into compromise (see Mt 10:26).
If we accept God's grace to be uncrushable, we will stand up and publicly announce what God has commanded us (Jer 1:17). Like John the Baptizer, we will call sin sin, adultery adultery, and lies lies (Mk 6:18). We will stand up for the truth, for Jesus is the Truth (Jn 14:6).
The uncrushed, unintimidated, unmanipulated, and uncompromised are "a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land" (Jer 1:18). They are made this way not by their human strength but by God's grace (Jer 1:18). The uncrushed are invincible (Jer 1:19). Even if they die, they will rise in victory. Don't be crushed; be free, true, pure, holy, victorious, and glorious.
Father, may I not fear those who can only destroy my body (Mt 10:28).
"My mouth shall declare Your justice, day by day Your salvation." -Ps 71:15
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Fr. Jozo Zovko Reflection
May 2, 2006
Message of April 25, 2006
"Dear children! Also today I call you to have more trust in me and my Son. He has conquered by His death and resurrection and, through me,
calls you to be a part of His joy. You do not see God, little children,
but if you pray you will feel His nearness. I am with you and intercede
before God for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Trust is such an important dimension in our human and Christian life. A
child must have trust in his parents and those around him. They speak the truth to him and he accepts everything with trust. This has an
essential influence on him and his formation. A student must have trust
in his teacher and his knowledge. He leans on the teacher's knowledge,
accepting it as his own. A believer must have trust in his priest and
Catechist, in his spiritual director, that they are telling him the truth and are transmitting the faith to him from their experience and the experience of their Church. A person who is sick must have trust in his doctor and his diagnosis and therapy. A guest in a restaurant must have trust in the kitchen and in the food that he is served. Our entire life is permeated with, and leans on, trust. When trust in someone or something is lost, then the entire relationship with that person or movement sinks.
Unfortunately, this happens very often. The sick lose trust in the medicine and the doctors because they do not give them the desired results. Everyone can break the trust which needs to be built and invested in. For this reason every educator, parent, priest and doctor must daily grow and invest maximally in their education and knowledge.
Our Lady, the Queen of Peace, asks for more trust in her and in her risen Son Jesus. Why? At this time, the enemy has moved the hearts of many to write false articles, to confuse the hearts of the faithful and sadden the souls of the uninformed. Every day Satan finds a way and a means to sow his weeds. While pilgrims come to Medjugorje with full trust in the Queen of Peace, to meet her and to enthusiastically accept and live her messages, the enemy speaks ill, attacks in print and at various occasions and presentations. Our Lady desires for us not to be shaken by any gossip or misinterpretation. Our Lady desires for us to have trust in her and in her messages so that the graces that flow through her into millions of hearts do not become blocked by a barrier of mistrust.
How much anguish and pain did Thomas the Apostle, cause his community. He did not believe their experience. He rejected their witness.
Although Jesus continued to contact him, it was as an unbeliever. For this reason, Jesus comes through the closed door before everyone to console them. He calls Thomas, who is present, to look at Him, to touch Him and to place his hands into His wounds. All of this helped Thomas but it also helped the Apostles. In fact, they were all healed. Trust was born and
renewed and Thomas confessed, "You are my God and my Lord." Jesus,
however, did not praise this declaration as a virtue. To the contrary, he
taught his followers for all times that "blessed are those who do not see
but believe" - who believe Jesus, their community and the Church.
For 25 years certain individuals have rejected the experience of the Church. They do not accept the fruit nor value it. They have the courage to stand up against the messages which are fundamental references of Christianity and faith: The call to daily prayer together, the call to live the Eucharist and to celebrate Sunday as the "Lord's Day", the call to daily living of the Word of God and the call to sacrifice, confession and penance as the way of conversion. Where does the audacity come to devalue conversions that we are witnesses of? These are wondrous changes of life at the level experienced by the apostle Paul, before and in Damascus.
People, have lost trust because of gossip and casting of shadows on the
visionaries by proclaiming them as manipulators. We are all witnesses
of these six visionaries and their difficult and responsible journey before God, the Church and millions of pilgrims. They are not deceivers who run away from the place of events, from the battle-field with such powerful godlessness of our time. Instead, with fasting, vigils, prayers, sacrifices and their personal witness, they always show the way to new pilgrims.
We are grateful for the perseverance of so many priests who accompany
their pilgrims and gather their precious experiences of immeasurable
graces and gifts which Our Lady gives to them. We are grateful to, and in awe of, the priests in Medjugorje who in humility serve the millions of needy hearts which desire to remove 'the old person' in the Sacrament of Confession. We are grateful to them for making the daily Mass and Liturgy solemn - a real Feast.
The Queen of Peace desires to tell us not to give in to gossip and lies and not to be disturbed by the propaganda of the enemy. Instead, she desires for us to have a simple trust in her graces and plans, in her messages and fruit that, until now, she has given to her people. Those who have converted do not permit us to place the messages and the Queen of Peace in discussion. All those who were healed from incurable illnesses, do not permit us to doubt in the apparitions and the Queen of Peace. All of the graces that changed millions of hearts do not permit us to debate about the writings of the unbelievers.
How are we to stop the spreading of mistrust? Only with fasting and prayer. The enemy shakes before a Christian who fasts and prays and the
dust that he raises is blown away by the wind. Fear not. All of that is a sign that we are on the right way - Jesus' way, Our Lady's way.
My Dear chosen brothers and sisters, do not only have more trust but a
complete trust in the Mother and Jesus. As always, let us enthusiastically respond to the call. Let us cling to the messages that through the Mother, we may be a part of His joy and peace. We pray and that is why we feel God. We pray and that is why we meet our God who guarantees to us "Wherever there are two or more of you gathered in my name, there I will be." Dear Jesus, each time we have felt your Divine nearness and love.
Thank you.
This month we will pray for the following intentions:
1.For all the millions of pilgrims who are preparing to come to Medjugorje to meet the Mother and find peace and conversion.
2.For all the Croatian Bishops and priests whom our Pope calls to be
"Bridge builders" Builders of peace, love and unity.
3.For the success of our annual meeting on May 27th and 28th 2006, that
they will be the days of our Pentecost.
My dear brothers and sisters, I am so happy because I sent home a group
of Koreans from the seminar who are preparing for their Baptism. I met
the greatest surgeons and musicians of todaywho converted in Medjugorje. I am grateful for you and your prayers and fasting. I warmly greet you, I pray for all of you and I wait for you at the annual meeting.
Yours most Sincerely,
Fr. Jozo Zovko, OFM
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Medjugorje Parish Priest - We Are Called To Holiness
Published on Aug 27, 2014
We are called to holiness.
Fr Jozo Zovko presents these five messages, the core messages, of what Medjugorje is all about, in a deeper and most profound way:
1 faith
2 prayer
3 fast
4 conversion
5 peace
Fr Jozo Zovko presents these five messages, the core messages, of what Medjugorje is all about, in a deeper and most profound way:
1 faith
2 prayer
3 fast
4 conversion
5 peace
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"RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT" (Jn 20:22)
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; therefore He has anointed Me." -Luke 4:18
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Jesus, and He wants to lavish the Spirit on us (Ti 3:6) in an unrationed way (Jn 3:34). However, to receive the Spirit and grow in the Spirit, we must repent. At the first Christian Pentecost, Peter proclaimed: "You must repent and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, that your sins may be forgiven; then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).
The people of Jesus' home town, Nazareth, missed the opportunity to receive the Spirit by refusing to repent of not accepting Him (see Lk 4:24ff). The Corinthians had received every gift of the Spirit (1 Cor 1:7), but they did not grow in the Spirit because they refused to continue to repent more and more deeply. They remained infants in Christ (1 Cor 3:1). Life in the Spirit, and continued, deeper life in the Spirit are based on deeper repentance.
When preparing for the Great Jubilee of the year 2000, Pope John Paul II proclaimed: "The Church cannot prepare for the new millennium 'in any other way than in the Holy Spirit'" (Towards The New Millennium, 44, emphasis his). Repent and receive the Holy Spirit in a life-changing and world-renewing way. Then let the Holy Spirit convict you of sin (Jn 16:8), lead you to deeper repentance, and fill you as never before.
Father, make me a disciple of the Holy Spirit.
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Our Lady's Message to Mirjana of September 2, 2014
“Dear children, I, your Mother, am coming anew among you out of love which has no end, from endless love of the endless Heavenly Father. And as I am looking into your hearts I see that many of you accept me as a Mother and, with sincere and pure hearts, you desire to be my apostles. But, I am also the Mother of those of you who do not accept me and who, in the hardness of your hearts, do not desire to come to know the love of my Son. And you do not know how much my heart suffers and how much I pray to my Son for you. I pray to Him to heal your souls because He can do so. I pray to Him to illuminate you with the miracle of the Holy Spirit so that you may stop, always anew, betraying, cursing and wounding Him. With all my heart I pray for you to understand that only my Son is the salvation and the light of the world. And you, my children, my dear apostles, always carry my Son in your hearts and thoughts. In this way you are carrying love. All those who do not know Him will recognize Him in your love. I am always beside you. In a special way I am beside your shepherds because my Son has called them to lead you on the way to eternity. Thank you, my apostles, for your sacrifice and love.”
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The Medjugorje Message: Vicka celebrates her 50th birthday
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| http://crownofstars.blogspot.com/ |
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Apparizione a Mirjana 2 Settembre 2014 a Medjugorje
Medjugorje: Our Lady's Apparition to Mirjana
Published on Sep 1, 2014
With permission of Denis Nolan - Marytv's President ( many thanks)
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A Taste of Heaven on Earth
Featured article from September's Spirit of Medjugorje
Medjugorje – A Taste of Heaven on Earth
By Anita B. Cugini
To say I was vaguely aware of Our Lady’s apparitions in Medjugorje in 1981 is as truthful as I can be. My cousin journeyed there in the early years, and returned with stories of the many blessings she experienced. She was the only one I knew of who had actually been there.
My first gentle whisper from Our Lady, urging me to come, began with the purchase of a dingy rosary with crystal beads with blue centers purchased at a yard sale for $1.00. The rosary looked awful, but it flooded me with memories of the same rosary given to me by a grade school Sister. My attempt to clean it was fruitless.
As I began to use it, the chain, crucifix and center medal began to turn gold. Puzzled as to what this could mean, I consulted my cousin, Joan, who said this phenomenon sometimes happened to pilgrims’ rosaries brought to Medjugorje... Her advice was to “pray on them” and see what happened. A year later, while still using the rosary, my cousin encouraged me to write my story and send it to The Spirit of Medjugorjenewsletter.
Shortly after submitting my story, I decided to access the newsletter’s website and learn what I could about Medjugorje. As I read “The Beginner’s Guide”, I was dumbstruck when I realized that Our Lady had asked that the anniversary be celebrated on June 25th – my birthday, and the apparitions began in June 1981, the year our youngest daughter was born! I carefully studied the picture of Our Lady on the newsletter’s website, trying to memorizing how Her dress, veil, and the position of Her hands and arms looked.
From then on, I knew that I would journey to Medjugorje. The reasons kept mounting: I found a small statue of Our Lady of Medjugorje at a yard sale, which looked exactly like the picture on the newsletter. Then, I lost my beloved rosary with the golden chains exactly two years to the day I first found it, and in the same way – while going to yard sales! Initially I was saddened by its loss, but quickly realized that it was Our Lady’s way of saying that these beads, which lit the flame of my desire to come to Medjugorje, would be placed in the hands of another in need of a spiritual boost.
I began asking everyone I knew if they would be interested in going to Medjugorje with me. I told my cousin Joan that I would pay for her trip, if she would accompany me. She kept insisting that she was “too old” to go, and no amount of pleading on my part would change her mind. Everywhere I turned, the response was the same…no one was interested.
Joan encouraged me to pray and said she was sure I would make the trip in “God’s time” and a travelling companion would come along. She was right. Five years later, after moving into a different county in my state, I found her.
In 2012, my husband and I moved into a 55+ community and the first thing I did was to join a weekly Rosary group. When I got to know the members, I confided my wish to go to Medjugorje. To my shock, one of them blurted out, “I can’t believe you just said this…my niece has already been there twice and wants to return, but can’t find anyone to go with her.” My journey had begun.
Sharon, my travelling companion insisted we use the same travel agency she used on both of her prior trips some 18 years ago and stay at the same pansion. I put my trust in God and Our Lady and prayed that I had made the right decision.
Initially, we planned to go in May, but then for some reason, we decided to go in June, in time for the 33rd anniversary of the apparitions – my 65th birthday. After I sent my initial payment, time flew. Oddly, I felt no excitement about making my pilgrimage…it didn’t seem real…it seemed more like a dream.
Enter the evil one. For six months prior to departure, his physical and mental attacks were relentless. Family issues with grown children, including two with Lupus, my husband’s nagging cough that five doctors and multiple studies could not explain, and thoughts of my first international trip started the downward spiral of my anxiety. I doubted everything. Would the food be too salty, was the milk pasteurized…would I get “Montezuma’s revenge” from drinking the water? Little things magnified. Would our accommodations be decent and could I share a bathroom? I was hanging on by a thread.
June 19th drew ever closer, while my doubts and anxiety were out of control. At the beginning of June, I was within inches of cancelling. I couldn’t deal with the growing uncertainty (fueled by the evil one) that I felt within me. Then he “hit me with his best shot.” Three weeks before departure, I broke out with the worst case of poison ivy imaginable…my first in 60 years! My arms and legs were riddled with inflamed, oozing pustules which began to migrate to my trunk area. The incessant itching was unbearable and sleep was impossible. In total panic, I went to my primary doctor for relief. When his measures didn’t help, I called the dermatology office, in tears, begging for an appointment as I whined, “If I got onto a plane and sat next to someone who looked like I do, I would run screaming for the flight attendant.” Thankfully they agreed to see me.
Then the first of many miracles occurred…one week from departure, the poison ivy had calmed down. I bought slacks and a long sleeve top to cover up the remnants, and I was flooded with an incredible sense of calm…I WAS going and everything would work out!
My first gentle whisper from Our Lady, urging me to come, began with the purchase of a dingy rosary with crystal beads with blue centers purchased at a yard sale for $1.00. The rosary looked awful, but it flooded me with memories of the same rosary given to me by a grade school Sister. My attempt to clean it was fruitless.
As I began to use it, the chain, crucifix and center medal began to turn gold. Puzzled as to what this could mean, I consulted my cousin, Joan, who said this phenomenon sometimes happened to pilgrims’ rosaries brought to Medjugorje... Her advice was to “pray on them” and see what happened. A year later, while still using the rosary, my cousin encouraged me to write my story and send it to The Spirit of Medjugorjenewsletter.
Shortly after submitting my story, I decided to access the newsletter’s website and learn what I could about Medjugorje. As I read “The Beginner’s Guide”, I was dumbstruck when I realized that Our Lady had asked that the anniversary be celebrated on June 25th – my birthday, and the apparitions began in June 1981, the year our youngest daughter was born! I carefully studied the picture of Our Lady on the newsletter’s website, trying to memorizing how Her dress, veil, and the position of Her hands and arms looked.
From then on, I knew that I would journey to Medjugorje. The reasons kept mounting: I found a small statue of Our Lady of Medjugorje at a yard sale, which looked exactly like the picture on the newsletter. Then, I lost my beloved rosary with the golden chains exactly two years to the day I first found it, and in the same way – while going to yard sales! Initially I was saddened by its loss, but quickly realized that it was Our Lady’s way of saying that these beads, which lit the flame of my desire to come to Medjugorje, would be placed in the hands of another in need of a spiritual boost.
I began asking everyone I knew if they would be interested in going to Medjugorje with me. I told my cousin Joan that I would pay for her trip, if she would accompany me. She kept insisting that she was “too old” to go, and no amount of pleading on my part would change her mind. Everywhere I turned, the response was the same…no one was interested.
Joan encouraged me to pray and said she was sure I would make the trip in “God’s time” and a travelling companion would come along. She was right. Five years later, after moving into a different county in my state, I found her.
In 2012, my husband and I moved into a 55+ community and the first thing I did was to join a weekly Rosary group. When I got to know the members, I confided my wish to go to Medjugorje. To my shock, one of them blurted out, “I can’t believe you just said this…my niece has already been there twice and wants to return, but can’t find anyone to go with her.” My journey had begun.
Sharon, my travelling companion insisted we use the same travel agency she used on both of her prior trips some 18 years ago and stay at the same pansion. I put my trust in God and Our Lady and prayed that I had made the right decision.
Initially, we planned to go in May, but then for some reason, we decided to go in June, in time for the 33rd anniversary of the apparitions – my 65th birthday. After I sent my initial payment, time flew. Oddly, I felt no excitement about making my pilgrimage…it didn’t seem real…it seemed more like a dream.
Enter the evil one. For six months prior to departure, his physical and mental attacks were relentless. Family issues with grown children, including two with Lupus, my husband’s nagging cough that five doctors and multiple studies could not explain, and thoughts of my first international trip started the downward spiral of my anxiety. I doubted everything. Would the food be too salty, was the milk pasteurized…would I get “Montezuma’s revenge” from drinking the water? Little things magnified. Would our accommodations be decent and could I share a bathroom? I was hanging on by a thread.
June 19th drew ever closer, while my doubts and anxiety were out of control. At the beginning of June, I was within inches of cancelling. I couldn’t deal with the growing uncertainty (fueled by the evil one) that I felt within me. Then he “hit me with his best shot.” Three weeks before departure, I broke out with the worst case of poison ivy imaginable…my first in 60 years! My arms and legs were riddled with inflamed, oozing pustules which began to migrate to my trunk area. The incessant itching was unbearable and sleep was impossible. In total panic, I went to my primary doctor for relief. When his measures didn’t help, I called the dermatology office, in tears, begging for an appointment as I whined, “If I got onto a plane and sat next to someone who looked like I do, I would run screaming for the flight attendant.” Thankfully they agreed to see me.
Then the first of many miracles occurred…one week from departure, the poison ivy had calmed down. I bought slacks and a long sleeve top to cover up the remnants, and I was flooded with an incredible sense of calm…I WAS going and everything would work out!
The pansion where Anita stayed
Once I arrived in Medjugorje, I spent the first three days in tears…tears of joy because of all the wonderful things that began to unfold. The first morning at 4:45 a.m., I sat on the balcony listening as two roosters crowed back and forth,with the cross on Mt. Krizevac shimmering in the rising sunlight, and I glimpsed the “Morning Star”…the last star to disappear from the night-turned-day sky. It was there and then it was gone…this was the first of many blessings of the trip.
Day after day, blessings and graces rained down, I continued to sob…I’m nobody special…did I deserve to see these wonders? I saw the sun turn a brilliant shade of turquoise, with undulating ripples radiating from it. When I saw this, I couldn’t bring myself to look away, and had no problem staring into its brilliant light.
I watched liquid ooze from the knee of the statue of the Risen Christ, much like tear drops running down a bronze cheek. Each night, I assisted at the International Mass, drinking in the cacaphony of different languages being used to pray the Rosary…At the church in Tihaljina, I knelt on the marble floor, inching my way closer to the statue of OurLady. As I stared up into that beautiful face, her garments turned a brilliant white and the flesh on her face was alive with color, even the blush of her cheeks!
Did the evil one leave me alone once I arrived in Medjugorje? Of course not…his determination to disrupt my pilgrimage was impressive. Two of his attempts were anything but benign!
As a special gift for the cousin who led me to Medjugorje, I purchased a crown for her statue of OurLady of Fatima. I took it back to my room and placed it in a bag with other religious articles I had purchased. When I looked for it the next evening, it was gone…I literally tore the room apart trying to find it. It was packed in a small white box, the size of the Rubik’s Cube, making it unmistakable…it simply wasn’t there. Obviously, the evil one was aggravated that I bought this, so he removed it to assert his power. Wrong! I went back the next day and purchased another. This time, it didn’t leave my sight until I returned home.
He unleashed his next assault in Ivan’s private chapel. Our group was invited to his apparition and we were told repeatedly not to tell anyone. The tiny chapel held 30 people and this privilege was by “invitation only.”
We entered the chapel, Italian pilgrims on the right and English pilgrims on the left, and the Rosary began. I sat on the left side of the church, at the end of the second row. Midway through the Glorious Mysteries, Ivan’s apparition began as he widened the distance between his upturned palms (from the pressed palm position in which he prays the Rosary, to greet OurLady, as this is the way She greets him). I could see his lips moving but heard no sound.
About five minutes into the apparition, the young woman sitting directly behind me, let out a feral scream/growl sound that I can only described as inhuman. Not since the 1970’s movie The Exorcist have I heard such a sound. She continued this high pitched keening interspersed with hissing and spitting, and I learned later that she lunged at me. Sister, who led our pilgrimage, got up from the first row (using two canes), and walked back to her. She placed her arms around the woman, who continued to scream, hiss and sob. I heard Sister repeat over and over, “You have to let it out…you have to let it out…” When I turned around, I saw the woman’s contorted face as she clutched a large olivewood crucifix to her chest. Needless to say, the entire chapel was terrified!
The apparition ended and our guide asked Ivan if he was aware of this disturbance. Ivan answered he was not. When OurLady appears, he is in ecstasy…he sees and hears Her alone.
Day after day, blessings and graces rained down, I continued to sob…I’m nobody special…did I deserve to see these wonders? I saw the sun turn a brilliant shade of turquoise, with undulating ripples radiating from it. When I saw this, I couldn’t bring myself to look away, and had no problem staring into its brilliant light.
I watched liquid ooze from the knee of the statue of the Risen Christ, much like tear drops running down a bronze cheek. Each night, I assisted at the International Mass, drinking in the cacaphony of different languages being used to pray the Rosary…At the church in Tihaljina, I knelt on the marble floor, inching my way closer to the statue of OurLady. As I stared up into that beautiful face, her garments turned a brilliant white and the flesh on her face was alive with color, even the blush of her cheeks!
Did the evil one leave me alone once I arrived in Medjugorje? Of course not…his determination to disrupt my pilgrimage was impressive. Two of his attempts were anything but benign!
As a special gift for the cousin who led me to Medjugorje, I purchased a crown for her statue of OurLady of Fatima. I took it back to my room and placed it in a bag with other religious articles I had purchased. When I looked for it the next evening, it was gone…I literally tore the room apart trying to find it. It was packed in a small white box, the size of the Rubik’s Cube, making it unmistakable…it simply wasn’t there. Obviously, the evil one was aggravated that I bought this, so he removed it to assert his power. Wrong! I went back the next day and purchased another. This time, it didn’t leave my sight until I returned home.
He unleashed his next assault in Ivan’s private chapel. Our group was invited to his apparition and we were told repeatedly not to tell anyone. The tiny chapel held 30 people and this privilege was by “invitation only.”
We entered the chapel, Italian pilgrims on the right and English pilgrims on the left, and the Rosary began. I sat on the left side of the church, at the end of the second row. Midway through the Glorious Mysteries, Ivan’s apparition began as he widened the distance between his upturned palms (from the pressed palm position in which he prays the Rosary, to greet OurLady, as this is the way She greets him). I could see his lips moving but heard no sound.
About five minutes into the apparition, the young woman sitting directly behind me, let out a feral scream/growl sound that I can only described as inhuman. Not since the 1970’s movie The Exorcist have I heard such a sound. She continued this high pitched keening interspersed with hissing and spitting, and I learned later that she lunged at me. Sister, who led our pilgrimage, got up from the first row (using two canes), and walked back to her. She placed her arms around the woman, who continued to scream, hiss and sob. I heard Sister repeat over and over, “You have to let it out…you have to let it out…” When I turned around, I saw the woman’s contorted face as she clutched a large olivewood crucifix to her chest. Needless to say, the entire chapel was terrified!
The apparition ended and our guide asked Ivan if he was aware of this disturbance. Ivan answered he was not. When OurLady appears, he is in ecstasy…he sees and hears Her alone.
Ivan's Chapel
Once outside, a woman from our group shared what she perceived to be OurLady’s voice as she knelt before the Rosary began. She clearly heard a voice say, “I am going to show all of you a sign…do not be afraid.”
Sister spoke with the woman’s companion who revealed that this woman had been seeing an exorcist once a week for over a year. When Sister heard about the inner voice, she explained that Mary and the devil cannot exist in the same space…when the devil tried to disrupt the apparition by coming out of this woman, he was thwarted by Mary and his attempt to control the apparition was a dismal failure! One final mystery – no one knew these women, where they came from, or how they got in. They weren’t with either group of pilgrims!
Day by day, miracles and blessings continued. I saw Vicka, touched her, and gave her a cord rosary that I made. I also gave one to Ivan. I climbed Apparition Hill and visited Father Slavko’s grave.
June 25th dawned, and my ascent to Mt. Krizevac had finally come. Our guide said it was not an easy task, and if it rained that day, or started to rain while we were climbing, we must stop. Climbing, while difficult on dry rocks, becomes extremely dangerous when the rocks are wet. Serious injuries are common.
Mt. Krizevac was mobbed…pilgrims from around the world prayed while waiting to begin their climb. Everyone knew that making the climb on the Apparition’s Anniversary was very special. I began to climb, walking stick in hand, praying with each step…that OurLady allow me to do this and shield me from harm.
At the Eighth Station (Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem) it began to rain. My heart sank – I didn’t believe it! I knew…wet rocks, climb canceled! I asked for a moment’s rest to see what would happen. I looked skyward, lifting my arms, and begged Mary to stop the rain. Miraculously, it stopped!
As I reached the giant white cross that I first beheld shimmering in the morning’s light, I praised OurLady Queen of Peace for allowing me to do this on my 65th birthday…My dream that began with a crystal rosary found at a yard sale had become a reality…Medjugorje is a taste of Heaven on earth!
Sister spoke with the woman’s companion who revealed that this woman had been seeing an exorcist once a week for over a year. When Sister heard about the inner voice, she explained that Mary and the devil cannot exist in the same space…when the devil tried to disrupt the apparition by coming out of this woman, he was thwarted by Mary and his attempt to control the apparition was a dismal failure! One final mystery – no one knew these women, where they came from, or how they got in. They weren’t with either group of pilgrims!
Day by day, miracles and blessings continued. I saw Vicka, touched her, and gave her a cord rosary that I made. I also gave one to Ivan. I climbed Apparition Hill and visited Father Slavko’s grave.
June 25th dawned, and my ascent to Mt. Krizevac had finally come. Our guide said it was not an easy task, and if it rained that day, or started to rain while we were climbing, we must stop. Climbing, while difficult on dry rocks, becomes extremely dangerous when the rocks are wet. Serious injuries are common.
Mt. Krizevac was mobbed…pilgrims from around the world prayed while waiting to begin their climb. Everyone knew that making the climb on the Apparition’s Anniversary was very special. I began to climb, walking stick in hand, praying with each step…that OurLady allow me to do this and shield me from harm.
At the Eighth Station (Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem) it began to rain. My heart sank – I didn’t believe it! I knew…wet rocks, climb canceled! I asked for a moment’s rest to see what would happen. I looked skyward, lifting my arms, and begged Mary to stop the rain. Miraculously, it stopped!
As I reached the giant white cross that I first beheld shimmering in the morning’s light, I praised OurLady Queen of Peace for allowing me to do this on my 65th birthday…My dream that began with a crystal rosary found at a yard sale had become a reality…Medjugorje is a taste of Heaven on earth!
Editor’s note: Anita lives in North Wales, PA. Anita shared with me, “The food was delicious, the milk was 2%, we drank well water, and there were more than enough bathrooms for everyone! None of my fears came true.“
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Conversion in Medjugorje
Young pilgrim Sean Hickey from Ireland: „I experienced great conversion in Medjugorje”
22.08.2014
Sean Hickey, 26 years old young man came from Killkeny in Ireland. This summer when he arrived for the Youth Festival was his eighth time. He said that he experienced great conversion during his first visit: „We decided to establish a prayer group in Killkeny and we brought several hundred young people from Killkeny. We meet every Friday and we pray Rosary and finish with the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The influence of Medjugorje at the young people is amazing, their lives are changing as well as lives of the people around them and in that way the whole society in Ireland is changing. I am saying this out of my own experience, how I was able to move, change and convert and how I received a guft of personal relationship with Jesus and Gospa. In the same way I look at tue other young people and how they are growing in their relationship to God. Young people in Ireland are distracted with various contents and it is hard to motivate and move them to these wonderful realities.↧
Paul, Do you not know
Do you not know? (1 Corinthians 6:3)
After confronting the Corinthians on immoral practices, Paul took dead aim at the lawsuits that were springing up between believers. Evidently, the members of the church there were finding it hard to resolve their disputes as brothers and sisters in Christ and were resorting instead to the Roman legal system. So Paul asked three times, “Do you not know … ?” to remind them of what life is supposed to be like when it is marked by the presence of the Holy Spirit.
What about you? Do you not know that the gospel is “the power of God for … salvation” (Romans 1:16)? Do you not know that you were “washed … sanctified … justified in the name of the Lord Jesus” (1 Corinthians 6:11)? Do you not know that you really can “put away” your “old self” and “put on the new self,” created to be like God (Ephesians 4:22, 24)?
Losing sight of the gospel not only waters down our experience of God’s presence; it also opens the door to other problems. One lapse can lead to another, until we wonder how it ever got so bad. Paul had to remind the Corinthians that they belonged to Christ not just so that they would have a more positive outlook but so that they would begin treating one another with respect. As far as Paul was concerned, if they started relying on the power of the Spirit rather than a secular legal system, they would find it much easier to resolve their disputes peacefully and lovingly.
This little episode from the Corinthian church tells us how much we need the Spirit. When we ask him to help keep us clear on the “Do you not know” truths of Christianity, our lives change. We develop a heavenly perspective that keeps us joyful in trouble. We naturally seek to be generous in our relationships. We find it easier to let go of grudges and to forgive as Jesus has forgiven us. The Holy Spirit wants to convince us that the gospel brings fullness of life, not just more of the same old life. So let’s lift our hearts to the Lord and ask for ongoing revelation of all that is ours in Christ.
“Thank you, Father, for revealing the gospel of power, of transformation, and of freedom. Give me grace to live in the fullness of this gospel and not wander from your promises.”
http://wau.org/meditations/current/↧
The Medjugorje Message: A time for miracles
The Medjugorje Message: A time for miracles: When Artie Boyle, the father of thirteen children from Boston, Massachusetts, was diagnosed with deadly lung cancer, he and his family were ...
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Mary's Image Has Lasting Impact
9-9-2014
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Excitement over Mary's image has lasting impact at Presentation Church
NORTH PROVIDENCE - The rush of fervent faithful was unlike anything ever seen in this town, backing up traffic for miles.
It's been a year since the claimed sighting of an image of the virgin Mary in a cross caused a days-long traffic jam from one end of town to the other, but the effects of that event a year ago are still being felt at the Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Mineral Spring Avenue, according to its leader.
The Rev. Edward Cardente, who kept pretty quiet as the scene at the church unfolded, said this week that the fervor over the claimed image of Mary left a lasting impact on his church. The claimed image of Mary still looks exactly as it did a year ago, said Cardente, and visitors are still leaving candles out in front of the church, located just up Mineral Spring Avenue from the intersection with Rte. 146.
Cardente, who serves as pastor of Presentation Church and St. Anthony Church in North Providence, as well as St. Edward Church in Providence, said that many parishioners at St. Anthony ended up transferring just up the road to the Presentation Church after the events a year ago. Presentation Church didn't see a "big surge in attendance" from the outside after the sighting, he said, but did see a bump from parishioners switching churches "out of curiosity."
Since Cardente conducts Masses at all three churches, and all three are under the same leadership umbrella, he said the exodus from St. Anthony wasn't seen as a negative thing.
Cardente said he tried to minimize the sighting of Mary when it was first revealed, but maintained all along that "anything is possible" when it comes to God revealing himself. If God has worked in someone's life as a result of seeing the image, who is he to question that, said Cardente.
A Breeze story a year ago detailed how Presentation Church parishioner and employee Brian Trambowicz said he saw what appeared to be an image of Mary in the cross on top of the Presentation Church. WPRO talk show host John DePetro then helped fuel a rush from across the region, urging listeners to go see the image for themselves.
Many Catholics who visited the church saw the image on the cross as a sign that the mother of Jesus was watching over them directly, some saying they believed that she would heal them or provide them with a new job.
Cardente said many people both in his church and beyond its walls continue to be touched by the image on the cross. If they've been impacted by the image, he would "never say anything" to diminish that, said Cardente.
"God is in everything," he said. "I have nothing negative to say about any of that."
Source: The Valley Breeze
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Fr. Peter M. Rookey Has Died
Fr. Peter M. Rookey, OSM, passes away
9/10/2014 12:00 AM
Fr. Peter M. Rookey, OSM, died peacefully in his sleep in the overnight hours of September 9-10, 2014, at Our Lady of Sorrows Monastery, Chicago, IL. The friars of the community had gathered around his bed to offer prayers.Born in Superior, WI, October 12, 1916, he was ninety-seven years of age. He entered the Order at Hillside, IL, in 1930 and was a priest for seventy-three years.
Services for Fr. Peter are as follows:
Services for Fr. Peter are as follows:
Saturday, September 13, 2014:
4:00pm - A concert in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows in the Basilica
5:30pm - Visitation for Fr. Peter Rookey until 9:00pm.
8:00pm - Recitation of the Servite Rosary
Sunday, September 14, 2014
3:00pm - Visitation for Fr. Peter Rookey until 8:00pm
7:00pm - Recitation of the Servite Rosary
Monday, September 15, 2014, Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
8:30am - Viewing until time of Funeral Mass
10:30am - Morning Prayer - Office for the Dead
11:00am - Mass of Christian Burial
A reception will follow in the Parish Hall. Private interment.
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Fr. Peter Mary Rookey
Probably one of the most well-known priests of the Servite order is Fr. Peter Mary Rookey. Although a number of interesting books have been written about Fr. Rookey and his charism of healing, when asked about his gift, Father simply says, “It is God’s work, not mine - He does all the healing, I just pray.”
In 1948, after having been healed miraculously from blindness, Fr. Peter Mary Rookey formed the Servite Order in Ireland. Father has traveled the world using his charism, including many trips to Medjugorje. Although Father does not travel as much now, in 2006 at the age of 90, Fr. Rookey made a pilgrimage to Medjugorje.
Fr. Rookey shares what he calls a Miracle Prayer and tells us that if we mean each word fully with all of our heart, that we will experience something spiritually good.
THE MIRACLE PRAYER>>>
Lord Jesus, l come before You, just as I am. I am sorry for my sins, I repent of my sins, please forgive me. In Your name, I forgive all others for what they have done against me. I renounce Satan, the evil spirits and all their works. l give You my entire self, Lord Jesus, now and forever. I invite You into my life, Jesus. I accept You as my Lord, God and Saviour. Heal me, change me, strengthen me in body, soul and spirit.
Come Lord Jesus, cover me with Your precious blood, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I love You, Lord Jesus. I praise You, Jesus. I thank You, Jesus. I shall follow You every day of my life. Amen.
Mary my mother, Queen of Peace, St. Peregrine, the cancer saint, all you angels and Saints please help me. Amen.
Say this prayer faithfully, no matter how you feel. When you come to the point where you sincerely mean each word, with all your heart, something good spiritually will happen to you. You will experience Jesus, and He will change your whole life in a very special way. You will see. Medjugorje Spirit
Services for Fr. Peter are as follows:
Services for Fr. Peter are as follows:
Saturday, September 13, 2014:
4:00pm - A concert in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows in the Basilica
5:30pm - Visitation for Fr. Peter Rookey until 9:00pm.
8:00pm - Recitation of the Servite Rosary
Sunday, September 14, 2014
3:00pm - Visitation for Fr. Peter Rookey until 8:00pm
7:00pm - Recitation of the Servite Rosary
Monday, September 15, 2014, Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
8:30am - Viewing until time of Funeral Mass
10:30am - Morning Prayer - Office for the Dead
11:00am - Mass of Christian Burial
A reception will follow in the Parish Hall. Private interment.
Fr. Peter Mary Rookey-The Healing Priest.
Fr. Peter Mary Rookey
Probably one of the most well-known priests of the Servite order is Fr. Peter Mary Rookey. Although a number of interesting books have been written about Fr. Rookey and his charism of healing, when asked about his gift, Father simply says, “It is God’s work, not mine - He does all the healing, I just pray.”
In 1948, after having been healed miraculously from blindness, Fr. Peter Mary Rookey formed the Servite Order in Ireland. Father has traveled the world using his charism, including many trips to Medjugorje. Although Father does not travel as much now, in 2006 at the age of 90, Fr. Rookey made a pilgrimage to Medjugorje.
In Medjugorje, Father was asked to bless a young boy in a wheelchair, and after having blessed the young boy, Father ordered the boy to stand up. The boy stood up and walked to Fr. Rookey and fell sobbing with joy into his arms!
Perhaps one of the most well known healings through Fr. Rookey was the physical and spiritual healing of David Parkes.
Perhaps one of the most well known healings through Fr. Rookey was the physical and spiritual healing of David Parkes.
Fr. Rookey shares what he calls a Miracle Prayer and tells us that if we mean each word fully with all of our heart, that we will experience something spiritually good.
THE MIRACLE PRAYER>>>
Lord Jesus, l come before You, just as I am. I am sorry for my sins, I repent of my sins, please forgive me. In Your name, I forgive all others for what they have done against me. I renounce Satan, the evil spirits and all their works. l give You my entire self, Lord Jesus, now and forever. I invite You into my life, Jesus. I accept You as my Lord, God and Saviour. Heal me, change me, strengthen me in body, soul and spirit.
Come Lord Jesus, cover me with Your precious blood, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I love You, Lord Jesus. I praise You, Jesus. I thank You, Jesus. I shall follow You every day of my life. Amen.
Mary my mother, Queen of Peace, St. Peregrine, the cancer saint, all you angels and Saints please help me. Amen.
Say this prayer faithfully, no matter how you feel. When you come to the point where you sincerely mean each word, with all your heart, something good spiritually will happen to you. You will experience Jesus, and He will change your whole life in a very special way. You will see. Medjugorje Spirit
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Fr. Peter Rookey has gone to his eternal reward...
Dear Friends, Our dear and holy Fr. Peter Rookey has gone to his eternal reward. Father passed away in his sleep last night at the Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows in Chicago. Father is the reason Our Sorrowful Mother’s Ministry was born. It's necessary to get a bit of background information to help you better understand. Everyone has a Fr. Rookey story; this one is ours. Our reversion journey was ramped up considerably when we began to care for Fr. Rookey as he came to St. Louis every month for First Saturday. We had attended a couple of his healing masses when we were approached by his worker at the time and asked if we take over her job as it was too much for her. She was getting advanced in age and just knew that we were the ones to fulfill the role. Many people were not happy with us for assuming this role as we were newbies AND we lived 90 minutes away. There were many long standing faithful followers of Fr. Rookey who had been attending the services for years who lived right in St. Louis. Wouldn’t it make more sense to ask one of them...? But no, Our Lady and Her Spouse, the Holy Spirit, chose us through their servant, Geneva Davis. Every First Saturday Father would celebrate mass at the Basilica in Chicago in the morning and would then fly into St. Louis Saturday evening. He would then go to St. Norbert’s in north county and have another mass and healing service and then on Sunday go to Mary, Queen of the Universe in south county to celebrate another healing mass in the afternoon and then return back to Chicago. With that being said, we would go to St. Norbert’s on Saturday early evening and set up all of the items for sale from Father’s ministry; 7 Sorrows CDs, his books, rosaries, etc. We would be in the vestibule of the church greeting everyone who came for the healing mass and attending to their purchases and donations. Mass would be celebrated with a healing service and witnessing to the miracles that took place. We would then try to protect Father from the throngs and whisk him off to south St. Louis to Seven Holy Founders Rectory for him to spend the night. We would come home to Vandalia that night and then go back the next morning and have coffee with him in the rectory. From there, we started our rounds of the many people who had called to have Father come and bless them, pray for them and hope for a miracle. So off we would go to people's homes, hospitals & emergency rooms for Father to anoint the many sick and suffering. We would then take him to south St. Louis to pray the Servite Rosary and celebrate mass and have the healing service. We would set up the same things in their vestibule to sell for Father’s ministry. After the healing service and witnessing was complete, we would scoop him up again and take him to the airport to fly back to Chicago Sunday night. Each time at the airport we would get out of the vehicle to say goodbye and afterward he would “tuck us in”(close the car doors for each of us)and then say to us, “You kids go straight home now!” He would then stand at the drop off point at the departing flights and wave with two fingers until we were out of sight. This was forever known as “Fr. Rookey Weekend”. Our families knew that when the First Saturday of the month came, we were not going to be home. In the years that we did this, we only missed one weekend due to a family emergency.
The miracles we witnessed and the love that Fr. Rookey embodied taught us more about ministry than we could ever hope to know. He had a relationship with the Blessed Mother that was so powerful and so strong you could feel it emanating from his very soul. We have loved Fr. Rookey since the first time our eyes fell upon his holy face of Love. Even after Father’s ministry ended in terms of public healing services and his phone ministry continued, we were always in contact. We would visit him regularly at his office and he would come to some of our retreats and
Several years ago Father gave us many of the relics of his priesthood right down to his original habit and traveling mass kit he had worn and used for fifty plus years all over the world. Father was 97 years old and a priest for 73 years. He would have been 98 in October. How special that he was taken in the month of Our Sorrowful Mother, but who would be surprised by that? Our prayer is that the Servite Order will commit his soul to Heaven on the Feast of Our Sorrowful Mother on Monday, September 15th. Please pray for this intention with us. Father loved the Sorrowful Mother and the Church more than anything in the world. He was completely faithful and was an obedient servant to a fault. He was our father, grandfather, brother and dear friend, but most of all, he was just Love from head to foot inside and out. Our ministry was borne out of his holy priesthood and we will be forever grateful and honored for this great grace that God chose to bestow upon us. We love you Father now and always. You go straight home now! Dedicated to Father Peter Mary Rookey and the sacrifices and sufferings he bore for so many. With abundant love and gratitude, Debbie & Vanessa
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Fr. Joe Whalen of the Archangel St. Raphael Holy Healing Ministry Team Retires
Father John Welch will Continue with the Ministry
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| Fr. John Welch........................... Fr. Joseph Whalen |
Father Joe Whalen retired from the ministry in June of this year. He turned 91 in July. He will continue to pray for all your intentions and we will continue to pray for his.
Father John Welch will continue with the ministry.
Fr. John Welch, M.S. was born in Clinton, Massachussets. He received his call early in life and went directly to the minor Seminary in Hartford, Connecticutt. After completing his years of education and training he was ordained to the priesthood on May 28, 1960 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Ipswich, MA. He celebrated his 50th Jubilee this past May. After a brief time as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Sorrows in Hartford, Ct, he returned to Our Lady of LaSalette Shrine in Ipswich, MA. He was appointed editor of Our Lady’s Missionary Magazine and became director of the Shrine until 1979 when he was appointed pastor of St. Mary’s in Jewitt City. He has been assigned to St. James in Danielson, Ct for 13 years, where he is noted for his inspiring missions and gift of preaching. He is also part of the Archangel St. Raphael Holy Healing Ministry team. His homilies have captivated countless numbers of Catholics. He has a special gifts for showing God’s love for each person.
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Dear Family of Mary
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Again I call you to holiness
During a mission in Padua (Italy) on Aug. 21,
Ivan received his apparition and shared the following message: "Dear children, also today again I call you to holiness. Pray, dear children, for the holiness of the family. Pray, dear children, for prayer to enter your families and become a joy for you. Rejoice in prayer, so that with prayer, dear children, you can have this full and deep peace. For with prayer, dear children, you allow the Holy Spirit to descend into your heart and bring you new strength and light in your life. Pray, pray, pray, dear children, open yourselves and you will obtain this. I pray, and I ask my Son to grant you this gift. Thank you, dear children, because also today you have responded to my call."
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Parents release Photo of daughter...
Parents release photo of daughter born at 24-week-old abortion limit saying 'She's not a foetus, she's a fully-formed human being'
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/parents-release-photo-daughter-born-4208157#rlabs=1
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/parents-release-photo-daughter-born-4208157#rlabs=1
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Renounce everything that distances you from the Lord
Medjugorje Message to Mirjana of September 2, 2011
"Dear children; With all my heart and soul full of faith and love in the Heavenly Father, I gave my Son to you and am giving Him to you anew. My Son has brought you, the people of the entire world, to know the only true God and His love. He has led you on the way of truth and made you brothers and sisters. Therefore, my children, do not wander, do not close your heart before that truth, hope and love.
Everything around you is passing and everything is falling apart, only the glory of God remains.
Therefore, renounce everything that distances you from the Lord.
Adore Him alone, because He is the only true God. I am with you and I will remain with you. I am especially praying for the shepherds that they may be worthy representatives of my Son and may lead you with love on the way of truth. Thank you.
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