Notes from Vicka Talk and Medjugorje

and you yourself a sword will pierce...

This post is for information only from a recent talk given by fellow Medjugorje pilgrims. It is important to note the important high lights of the call from the Mother of God to her children.

Dear Family of Mary!

“Dear Children! I am with you and I bless you all with my motherly blessing. Especially today when God gives you abundant graces, pray and seek God through me. God gives you great graces, that is why, little children, make good use of this time of grace and come closer to my heart so that I can lead you to my son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (June 25, 2001)

This is definitely a time of unparalleled graces. Our Lady has said this many times over the past 30 years. We have only to make good use of this time and open our hearts to accept them.

Denis has returned from his short trip to Medjugorje, and brings with him reports of those graces! He went to inspect the TV facility, and found it in very good shape. Everything is now finished and ready to be used, except for our studios. As soon as the Lord provides the funds, we will finish those studios and begin streaming and broadcasting! Amazing!!

While he was in Medjugorje last week, Denis was able to attend a short talk given by Vicka. He took some notes, based on the English translation by Miki Musa, which I want to share with you. Vicka’s words are full of hope and wisdom. She gives us again the way to open ourselves to the graces Our Lady speaks of:

“Vicka said that the Rosary protects us from Satan. She said that parents should pray the Rosary with their children. Satan cannot do any harm to us if we pray. Our Lady also advises that we carry blessed religious objects with us. Our Lady also tells us to put Holy Mass at the first place in our life, to adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and to go to Confession once a month.

“Vicka also said that young people find themselves in a very, very difficult situation. We can help them only with our love and prayer with the heart. Our Lady says: ‘Dear young people! Today’s world is passing!’ Satan is using every free moment for himself, working through young people to destroy our families.

“Vicka continued: ‘This time is a time of great graces. She calls us to be carriers of her peace and to prepare for peace in the world. First, pray for peace in our own heart, then peace in our family, community, then will come peace in the world. If we pray for peace in the world and don’t have peace in our hearts, that doesn’t make any sense!’

“Vicka stated: ‘Gospa needs our prayers for the realization of her and God’s plans. Our Lady invites us to read the Holy Bible every day, to read a few lines and to try to live that every day. Gospa asks us to pray for the Pope, bishops and priests, the whole church needs prayers. In a special way pray for one plan that is supposed to be realized soon. Our Lady has been stressing recently that young people and families are in a very, very difficult situation. Our Lady prays for peace and asks us to help her in this same intention with our prayers.

“Tonight, Vicka said, she will recommend all of us to Our Lady. ‘You, too, at 5:30 pm open yourself and your heart and tell her all your wishes and intentions,’ she added.” (Short talk by Vicka Mijatovic given in Medjugorje on April 4, 2011)

We can see all the basic elements of Our Lady’s messages in Vicka’s comments: prayer, especially the Rosary, peace, conversion, the Bible, Holy Mass, Confession, the family, and Our Lady’s special plan. If we live these things, really live them, we will receive all the graces that are being poured out upon us in these days. I especially like Vicka’s advice to open our hearts to Our Lady at apparition time, and to ask for all we need then. If we ask, we will receive!

Let me conclude with this little prayer to Our Lady written by St. Faustina:

“O sweet Mother of God,
I model my life on You;
You are for me the bright dawn;
In You I lose myself, enraptured.

“O Mother, Immaculate virgin,
In You the divine ray is reflected,
Midst storms, ‘Tis You who teach me to love the Lord,
O my shield and defense from the foe.” (Diary 1232)
Truly, Mother Mary is our mother, the one who is here to help us draw close to God and receive His grace. Thank you, dear Mary, for coming again today for us!

In Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan

Week 5-Lenten Exercise “Lord Grant Us Perseverence”

The Bride must resemble her betrothed...

The Lord has asked me to slow down for this week, as there are many who are struggling with being able to keep up with this exercise. DO NOT GIVE UP, PRESS ON ALL THE MORE AND KEEP YOUR FOCUS. For this reason the gift we will work on is the gfit of Fortitude and the strength to carry the cross all the way to calvary.

Living the life of Jesus and the way of the cross is not easy, but it comes with a triumph in the end. If we do not believe this, then meditate on the death and passion of the Lord. He has risen and is fully alive today and in our midst. But we must see with the eyes of faith, and firmly believe that Jesus makes all things new!

We are coming to the end of this Lenten journey in just a mere couple of weeks. Review and look back to see how far you have come. Where are the areas of growth for you and reflect about what you have experienced thus far with this walk through the desert with Jesus and Mary, and what gift of grace the Lord has prepared for you. Keep your focus on the vision of the plan of God for you. Do not be dismayed if this plan is not exactly the way you imagined it would be, for all too often we put our human expectations and emotions in the plan.

God seeks only our salvation. And His plan will acheive that end in its perfection, and is contrary to our own way of thinking. IF YOU HAVE NOT MADE IT TO CONFESSION YET THIS MONTH, DO SO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO PREPARE YOUR HEART FOR THE RISEN LORD TO ENTER.

Throughout this week pray for a deep gift of fortitude to continue the journey.

REMEMBER PRAY TO THE HOLY SPIRIT BEFORE WORKING ON THE DAILY EXERCISES

Daily Meditation:

“Dear children! I invite you to reflect about your future. You are creating a new world without God, only with your own strength and that is why you are unsatisfied and without joy in the heart. This time is my time and that is why, little children, I invite you again to pray. When you find unity with God, you will feel hunger for the Word of God and your heart, little children, will overflow with joy. You will witness God’s love wherever you are. I bless you and I repeat to you that I am with you to help you. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (1/25/97)

Day 1
“Dear children! Also today I am with you and I again call all of you to come closer to me through your prayers. In a special way I call you to renunciation in this time of grace. Little children, meditate on and live, through your little sacrifices, the passion and death of Jesus for each of you…” (2/25/98)

“My daughter, I am always with you. I have given you the opportunity to practice deeds of mercy which you will perform according to obedience. You will give me much pleasure if each evening you will speak to me especially about this task.” (Jesus – Diary #1267)

Jn. 10:17-18, Jn. 15:5, Rom. 8:29, 1 Jn. 4:18

Day 2
“…Only if you come closer to Jesus will you comprehend the immeasurable love He has for each of you. Through prayer and your renunciation you will become more open to the gift of faith and love toward the Church and the people who are around you. I love you and bless you. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (2/25/98)

“…suffering will be a sign to you that I am with you…” (Jesus-Diary #869)

Is. 40:31, Ps. 18:1-2, Mt. 27:39-42

Day 3
“Dear children! Also today I call you to fasting and renunciation. Little children, renounce that which hinders you from being closer to Jesus. In a special way I call you; pray, because only through prayer will you be able to overcome your will and discover the Will of God even in the smallest things. By your daily life, little children, you will become an example and witness that you live for Jesus or against Him and His will.” (3/25/98)

“…It is in My Passion that you must seek light and strength…Fear nothing, I am with you.” (Jesus – Diary #654-55)

1 Cor. 13:4-8, Jn. 19:26, Mt. 16:21, Jn 13:37

Day 4
“….Little children, I desire that you become apostles of love. By loving, little children, it will be recognized that you are mine. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (3/25/98)

“Do not fear anything. I am with you. These matters are in My hands and I will bring them to fruition according to My mercy, for nothing can oppose my will…I am always in your heart; not only when you receive Me in holy Communion, but always.” (Jesus-Diary #573, 575)

Jn. 21:18, Jn. 21:19, Jn. 20:19, Acts 4:29-31

Day 5

“Dear children! Today I invite you to come still closer to me through prayer. Little children, I am your mother, I love you and I desire that each of you be saved and thus be with me in Heaven. That is why little children, pray, pray, pray until your life becomes prayer. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (8/25/98)

“…My delight is to be united with you. With great desire, I wait and long for the time when I shall take up My residence sacramentally in your convent. My spirit will rest in that convent and I will bless its neighborhood in a special way. Out of love for you all, I will avert any punishments which are rightly meted out by My Father’s justice…I have inclined my heart to your requests…” (Jesus – Diary #570)

Ex. 14:13-14, Eph. 6:11-13, Lk. 4:18, 2 Cor. 1:22

Day 6
“Dear children! Today I call you to become my witnesses by living the faith of your fathers. Little children, you seek signs and messages and do not see that with every morning sunrise, God calls you to convert and to return to the way of truth and salvation. You speak much little children, but you work little on your conversion. That is why, convert and start to live my messages, not with your words but with your life. In this way, little children you will have the strength to decide for the true conversion of the heart. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (9/25/98)

“…Your assignment and duty here on earth is to beg for mercy for the whole world. No soul will be justified until it turns with confidence to My mercy, and this is why the first Sunday after Easter is to be the Feast of Mercy. On that day, priests are to tell everyone about My great and unfathomable mercy….tell the confessor that the Image is to be on view in the church and not within the enclosure in that convent. By means of this image I shall be granting many graces to souls; so let every soul have access to it.” (Jesus – Diary 570)

Is. 53:5-6, Jn. 16:33, Rev. 2:10-11, Mt. 7:13

Day 7 – Review

April 2, 2011 Message to Mirjana

Medjugorje Message to Mirjana – April 2, 2011

Dear children,with motherly love I desire to open the heart of each of you and to teach you personal unity with The Father. To accept this, you must comprehend that you are important to God and that He is calling you individually. You must comprehend that your prayer is a conversation of a child with The Father; that love is the way by which you must set out – love for God and for your neighbor.

That is, my children, the love that has no boundaries, that is the love that emanates from truth and goes to the end. Follow me, my children, so that also others, in recognizing the truth and love in you, may follow you. Thank you.

[Once again Our Lady called us to pray for our shepherds, our priests, and said: “They have a special place in my heart. They represent my Son.”]

Week 4-Forty Days in the Desert-Lord Quench My Thirst

Lord quench my thirst for you...

Pray this week in a special way for the gift of an open and receiving heart, as a bride who receives her bridegroom in love and mercy.

Remember to begin each day with the prayer to the Holy Spirit. Really take the time this week to reflect on the theme of the Catechism of the Catholic Church with the weekly reflections. The Lord is moving a step forward and calling us into deeper union with Him. Remember to keep track of the way the Lord is moving in you through your prayer journal, and the areas of growth or healing He desires to accomplish through your heart.

A quick note – work at your own pace in these exercises according to your schedule in your state in life. Some days you may not be able to rest with the Lord as you are with other days. God honors your time you give to him, and can multiply the graces all the more.

Catechism of the Catholic Church – CCC 2655-2679

“Dear children, today I thank you for every opening of your hearts. Joy overtakes me for every heart that is opened to God especially from the parish. Rejoice with me! Pray all the prayers for the opening of sinful hearts. I desire that, God desires that through me. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (4/18/85)

Day 1

“Dear children, today I want to tell you to begin to work in your hearts as you are working in the fields. Work and change your hearts so that a new spirit from God can take its place in your hearts…” (4/25/85)

“…My beloved daughter, you have come to know well the depths of my mercy. I will do what you ask, but unite yourself continually with my agonizing heart and make reparation to my justice. Know that you have asked me for a great thing, but I see that this was dictated by your pure love for me, that is why I am complying with your requests…” (diary 873)

Ps. 19:10, Ps. 111:10, Jn. 21:16-17

Day 2

“Dear children, today I call you to prayer with the heart, and not just from habit. Some are coming but do not wish to move ahead in prayer. Therefore, I wish to warn you like a Mother. Pray that prayer prevails in your hearts in every moment. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (5/2/85)

“It is my Passion that you must seek light and strength…fear nothing, I am with you.” (Diary 654-55)

Jn. 21:15, Jn. 13:34, 2 Cor. 5:20-21

Day 3

“Dear children, no; you do not know how many graces God is giving you. You do not want to move ahead during these days when the Holy Spirit is working in a special way. Your hearts are turned toward the things of earth and they preoccupy you. Turn your hearts toward prayer and seek the Holy Spirit to be poured out on you….” (5/9/85)

“…My omnipotent mercy is active here. Happy the soul that takes advantage of this grace. What joy fills my heart when you return to me. Because you are weak, I take you in My arms and carry you to the home of my Father…” (diary 1486)

Rom. 8:19, Lk. 24:47, Acts 9:31

Day 4

“…I am calling you to more active prayer and attendance at Holy Mass. I wish your Mass to be an experience of God. I wish especially to say to the young people; be open to the Holy Spirit because God wishes to draw you to Himself in these days when satan is at work…” (5/16/85)

“…You have a special claim on my mercy. Let it act in your poor soul; let the rays of grace enter your soul; they bring with them light, warmth and life. My child, all your sins have not wounded my heart as painfully as your present lack of trust does; that after so many efforts of my love and mercy you shouldn’t doubt my mercy…” (Diary 1486)

2 Cor. 4:10-12, 1 Jn. 4:19, Jn. 15:12-13

Day 5

“Dear children, these days I call you especially to open your hearts to the Holy Spirit. Especially during these days the Holy Spirit is working through you. Open your hearts and surrender your lives to Jesus so that He works through your hearts and strengthens you in faith…” (5/23/85)

“Here soul, are all the treasures of my heart. Take everything you need from it. Tell me all, my child, hide nothing from me because My loving heart, the Heart of your best friend is listening to you.”

Matt. 9:11-13, Matt. 11:29-30, Is. 45:3

Day 6

“Dear children, I call you again to prayer with the heart. Let prayer, dear children be your everyday food in a special way when your work in the fields is so wearing you out, that you cannot pray with the heart. Pray, and then you shall overcome even every weariness. Prayer will be your joy and your rest. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (5/30/85)

“Poor soul, I see that you suffer much and that you do not have even the strength to converse with me. So I will speak to you. Even though your sufferings were very great, do not lose heart or give in to despondency. But tell Me my child, who has dared to wound your heart? Tell me about everything; be sincere in dealing with Me, reveal all the wounds of your heart. I will heal them, and your suffering will become a source of your sanctification…do not be discouraged. I know your boundless trust in me; I know you are aware of my goodness and mercy. Let us talk in detail about everything that weights so heavily upon your heart..talk to me simply as a friend to a friend. Tell me now, my child what hinders you from advancing in holiness?”

Rev. 21:3-5, 1 Jn. 1:3-4, Jn 3:16, Jer. 1:5-8

Day 7 Review

“I Desire to SEE Your Yes…”

Dear children, I am with you and I pray for you before my Son...

“Dear children! In a special way today I desire to call you to conversion. As of today, may new life begin in your heart. Children, I desire to see your ‘yes’, and may your life be a joyful living of God’s will at every moment of your life. In a special way today, I bless you with my motherly blessing of peace, love and unity in my heart and in the heart of my Son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (3/25/2011)

Whew, it does not seem to be enough hours in the day these days. But I’ve been feeling Our Lady tugging my heart for these recent words she spoke to the world about.

As we seek wisdom with the Holy Spirit in this holy time of Lent, our Lady is reminding us what Lent is all about… “conversion of heart.” To experience conversion of heart we enter into a new birthing so to say; a new life in Christ in a new way.

Our Lady is here today very near to us. As the scripture says, “the Kingdom of God is at hand…” Our Lady brings to us her Son Jesus. He is the Kingdom in fullness.

Blessed Mother wants to obtain for us the graces we need to go deeper into our conversions. She asks us to press tightly to her motherly heart as an infant child would; who would want to be comforted, held and loved with the warmth of her embrace.

We are in the spring time of season…Our Lady desires a new life to come forth from our hearts. She has repeated this in her message of 2/25/2011. As with all of God’s creation on earth, the buds are coming forth and so are the flowers beginning to sprout from the earth. It is the same for us. These are signs for us to seek anew the beauty of God’s creation in the human being and the dignity of another.

She said in the above message, “Children, I desire to see your ‘yes’, and may your life be a joyful living of God’s will at every moment of your life…”

There is no play on words here. She did not say I desire to “hear your yes”. But she desires to see our yes. When we give her our hearts and we consecrate ourselves to her, she wants to see us take action. She wants to see we really mean what we say to her.

Now I am a mother. When my child makes a promise to me that they will do something, I have a level of expectation that they will complete what they have promised to do. If we say I give you everything of myself dear Mother, but I do not love my neighbor, or I go on committing the same sins, then I have fallen, and I must show that I am remorseful for the wrong I have done.

Can we make a promise to the Mother of God, and underneath our breath say no way, I’m not going to do that. She may be asking us to carry a burden or a cross that may help us to grow more in holiness. This cross may birth new graces for others to help them in their conversion.

Intercession is a powerful tool to obtain graces for others. It is the mission of Jesus in the most personal and intimate way, and the highest form of prayer to offer of oneself in the body through a simple word, “yes”.

If we say yes to our dear Mother in heaven for our crosses, then she is able to take us with seriousness, and pass our deeds of mercy on to her Son, who can multiply those graces to where ever they need to go.

For example, I had a recent experience through some dreams I have been having. They seem to be of the same meaning, but they’ve come in different ways. Most prominent was the one I just had last night. The Lord will often use dreams in our subconscience to convey to us what He wants to bring to conscience for us, or what He wants us to do for Him.

In this particular dream I saw two people, they seemed to be Japaneese in my dream, at least I awoke thinking this. But these two people were sinking in a mud pit, reaching out for help. Now in hindsight I would say the recent tsunami victims, at least I felt this in my heart. When I took this to prayer, the Lord was showing me, these were souls in Purgatory who are in need of prayer. So I understood they were souls crying out for prayer in their suffering state. So through the holy Mass today, with Our Lady I prayed for the poor souls.

Our Lady often says, “dear children, you are all important in this plan…with out you I cannot fullfill my plans….” If you are willing and you give your yes to her, when things such as dreams or inspirations come forth our prayer becomes one with the will of God, and the prayer is answered.

Isn’t that logical? If we know what God wants us to pray for, then the prayer will be answered? We must always be quiet to listen for those promptings of the Holy Spirit.

I get numerous requests from people who ask me to pray to God for discernment for themselves. My response always is, “I cannot discern anything for you that you don’t already know, because the Kingdom of God is within.” The problem is we are not listening, and we are deaf to His Word. I will pray with the one who asks, but in truth the discernment is between God and the one discerning.

The Lord will use the voice of others to confirm something we are discerning, the voice of His Church or his prophets. The ones who are open, who say “yes” to be empty vessels of the Holy Spirit, are the ones hearing the voice of the Lord. These are the ones who are being stripped of everything from worldly standards, and allowing more of the spirit of Jesus to dwell within. Remember, God is Spirit. He desires to be in full Spirit in the human being made in His image and likeness. We have to desire this, and work for this. That means sin has to go!

How are we living her call as being that joyful witness of living God’s call in our life? Are you ready to go to the cross if that be the will of God for you, in joy?

Living God’s will is not always easy. That means our will has to go. We have to pray as Jesus prayed, “not my will but yours be done in me.” This by the way was a prayer while Jesus was in the Garden in Agony. He layed down His will as much as He was suffering, and surrendered it all to the Father, because He had the full vision of the plan of God, knowing what He was going to endure was not in vain. In your prayer, beg God for the vision to help you press into the time of trial and not run from that cross.

That is the prayer that will be answered. Suffering always has redemptive value. But when we surrender to the perfect will of God, the pain of the suffering is lessened, and we are able to drink the chalice and go on.

This is the grace Jesus received from the angel. His surrender to the will of the Father strengthened Him to say yes every step of the way. It is the same for us. We have to say yes every step during our way of the cross, no matter how hard, how difficult or how many times we may fall. It is YES LORD, YES LORD, YES, YES, YES!!! This is when the grace comes, this is when the healing comes. With every crucifixion there is a resurrection and triumph.

Our Lady concludes her message with her blessing. Here is our consolation and hope. Remember the movie the The Passion of the Christ? Focus on this movie if you watch it again. Notice every time Jesus fell, and where was Our Lady in the scene? He looked at her, and he found strength to go forward. We are in Lent in this time. Our Mother is with us, as Jesus is becoming more incarnate in us. She is here to encourage us, to love us, and to help us gain strength for the sake of our salvation, and win the victory.

With her blessing, contains a tremendous gift and grace from God. Our Mother comes every day to bless the world. Every day you are getting blessed and you do not even know it.

Take it to prayer sometime and ask what this blessing really means and how often we take it for granted when we get blessed. Something happens to our souls in this blessing my friends. We should stop every day, and welcome her and her blessing in our hearts, to receive it with love and in fullness of the gift she is bringing us from heaven. It is a blessing she has obtained from the Father and the Son, fully packed with the Holy Spirit.

Let us all continue on with open hearts to her maternal love. And please thank God every day for this great gift that we are able to grow up with her, just like Jesus did in Nazareth.

There is a great mystery in this gift of our Nazareth years with the Mother of God. But remember, it came a time when Jesus was ready for his public mission and made His way to the Cross. We do not know how long the Father will permit her to be with us, but many of us feel the days are numbered my friends. Continue on and work all the more harder on the conversion of heart, so we are ready for the day that comes.

Ave Maria!

“For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war, for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly; but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguements and every proud obstacles to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete!” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)

Santa Cruz Media Statement for Fr. John Corapi

Keep praying for priests!

Statement of Santa Cruz Media, Inc. Relative to Fr. Corapi’s Suspension

Santa Cruz Media, Inc. is the owner of all of Fr. John Corapi’s intellectual property and the DVDs, CDs, and books that flow from it. We are a secular corporation and not affiliated with the Catholic Church in any way. As such, we are not under the jurisdiction of any bishop or other official in the Catholic Church, although we have the utmost respect for Church authority.

We fully support Rev. John Corapi in this terrible trial, not surprisingly having begun on Ash Wednesday. Through the sacrifice and struggle of the desert and all of the dark moments that this entails, we are confident that the glory of the risen Lord will shine forth from the power of the Resurrection and Easter.

We have consulted with a number of canon lawyers. They have assured us that the actions of the Bishop of Corpus Christi, Texas are, on several points of canon law, illicit. It is our fervent hope that The Dallas Charter will be changed because of false accusations like this. There is no evidence at this time that Fr. Corapi did anything wrong, only the unsubstantiated rant of a former employee, who, after losing her job with this office, physically assaulted me and another employee and promised to “destroy” Father Corapi. We all continue to pray for this person, and we ask you to do the same.

We sincerely believe that the work Fr. Corapi has done is of greatest value to the Church, hence hated by the devil. We fully intend to make Fr. Corapi’s material available as a service to the Church and the world for as long as we possibly can.

The Church provides no financial support to Fr. Corapi. He has to pay for his own legal representation, medical costs, food, housing, etc. We have never accepted donations or charitable contributions of any kind. We are supporting Father’s efforts to defend himself. Your purchase of products from Santa Cruz Media helps provide the funding for Father’s continued work as well as the legal expenses he continues to incur as a result of these malicious allegations.

Father Corapi and all of us here at Santa Cruz Media, Inc. greatly appreciate your kindness, support, and prayers. Please continue to pray for Father Corapi and his accuser, as well as all priests who find themselves in this unfortunate situation.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Bobbi Ruffatto
Vice President of Operations
Santa Cruz Media, Inc

March 25, 2011 Medjugorje Message

“Dear children! In a special way today I desire to call you to conversion. As of today, may new life begin in your heart. Children, I desire to see your ‘yes’, and may your life be a joyful living of God’s will at every moment of your life. In a special way today, I bless you with my motherly blessing of peace, love and unity in my heart and in the heart of my Son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Week 3-Forty Days in the Desert-An Oasis of Peace

Through prayer become friends with Jesus

It’s been a little harder this week to get this post out. Seems there have been some technical difficulties taking place with the host company. There must be some good fruit coming. I hope the Lord is touching your hearts as He is with us and our family.

The beauty of this is to see my children dialoging with the Lord and the scriptures. Not only do we encourage relationships and build unity in the family, but we encourage them to have a heart to heart relationship with their eternal family.

Remember the Holy Spirit is the author of the Word. Never begin your prayer without the help of the Holy Spirit.

Also be sure to make a conscious effor to get to the sacrament of reconciliation during this time to fortify your strength for the continued journey and refresh your soul in the ocean of mercy. Remember our Lady just said, it is through the priests that she will triumph. Really ponder these words for her purpose for coming into the world.

Catechism of the Catholic Church References: 737-741, 797-98, 1472-74, 1502

Daily Reflection:

“Dear children, tonight your Mother is happy, joyful together with you. I would like to extend happiness to you. I would like to give you love, so you can bring this love and spread it to others. I would like to give you peace, so you can give this peace to others, so you can give this peace especially to families where hatred exists. I would like you, dear children to renew the family prayer, all of you. I would like you to encourage others to renew this prayer. Your Mother will help you.” (10/17/88)

Day 1

“Dear children, with motherly perseverance and love I am brining you the light of life to destroy the darkness of death in you. Do not reject me, my children. Stop and look within yourselves and see how sinful you are. Be aware of your sins and pray for forgiveness…” (11/2/10)

“…It should be of no concern to you how anyone else acts; you are to be My living reflection through love and mercy.” (St. Faustina replied, ‘Lord but they often take advantage of my goodness.’) “That makes no difference, My daughter. That is no concern of yours. As for you, be always merciful toward other people, and especially toward sinners.” (Diary 1446)

Jn. 11:1-4, Mt. 10:8, Mk. 14:12-15, Jn. 20:20-23

Day 2

“…My children you do not desire to accept that you are weak and little, but you can be strong and great by doing God’s will. Give me your cleansed hearts that I may illuminate them with the light of life, my Son. Thank you.” (11/2/10)

“…Oh how painful it is to me that souls so seldom unite themselves to Me in holy Communion. I wait for souls and they are indifferent toward Me. I love them tenderly and sincerely, and they distrust Me. I want to lavish my graces on them, and they do not want to accept them. They treat me as a dead object, whereas my Heart is full of love and mercy. In order that you may know at least some of my pain, imagine the most tender of mothers who has great love for her children, while those children spurn her love. Consider her pain. No one is in a position to console her. This is but a feeble image and likeness of my love.” (Diary 1447)

2 Cor. 10:3-6, Rev. 21:2-4, Acts 3:16-23, 4:10-12

Day 3

“Dear children! Today I call you to come closer to my Immaculate Heart…” (10/25/98)

“…Tell souls where they are to look for solace; that is in the Tribunal of Mercy. (Sacrament of Reconciliation). There the greatest miracles take place and are incessantly repeated. To avail oneself of this miracle, it is not necessary to go on a great pilgrimage or to carry out some external ceremony; it suffices to come with faith to the feet of My representative and to reveal to him one’s misery, and the miracle of Divine Mercy will be fully demonstrated. Were a soul like a decaying corpse so that from a human standpoint, there would be no restoration and everything would have already be lost. It is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that souls in full. Oh how miserable are those who do not take advantage of the miracle of God’s mercy. You will call out in vain, but it will be too late…” (Diary 1448)

Lk. 8:43-47, Prov. 3:1-12, Ez. 36:26, Act 4:16-20

Day 4

“….I call you to renew in your families the fervor of the first days when I called you to fasting, prayer and conversion. Little children, you accepted my messages with open hearts, although you did not know what prayer was. Today, I call you to open yourselves completely to me so that I may transform you and lead you to the heart of my Son Jesus, so that He can fill you with His love. Only in this way, little children, will you find true peace – the peace that only God gives you. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (10/25/98)

“…First, do not fight against a temptation by yourself, but disclose it to the confessor at once, and then the temptation will lose all its force. Second, during these ordeals do not lose you peace; live in My presence; ask My Mother and the Saints for help. Third, have the certitude that I am looking at you and supporting you. Fourth do not fear either struggles of the soul or any temptation because I am supporting you; if only you are willing to fight, know that the victory is always on your side. Fifth, know that by fighting bravely you give Me great glory and amass merits for yourself. Temptation gives you a change to show Me your fidelity.” (Diary 1560)

Mt. 26:35, Lk. 22:33-34, Gal 2:20, Ps. 46, Jn 11:39-40

Day 5

“Dear children! Also today I am with you in a special way contemplating and living the passion of Jesus in my heart. Little children, open your hearts and give me everything that is in them; joys, sorrows, and even the smallest pain that I may offer them to Jesus; so that with His immeasurable love, He may burn and transform your sorrows into the joy of His resurrection…” (2/25/99)

“…I remind you my daughter, that as often as you heart the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking. It was the hour of grace for the whole world – mercy triumphed over justice. (Diary 1572)

Jn. 11:44, Is. 55:8-9, Jn. 2:5, Lk. 23:43

Day 6

“…I now call you in a special way, little children for your hearts to open to prayer, so that through prayer you may become friends of Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (2/25/99)

“…My daughter, try your best to make the Stations of the Cross in this hour, provided that your duties permit it; and if you are not able to make the Stations of the Cross, then at least step into the chapel for a moment and adore in the Blessed Sacrament, My heart, which is full of mercy; and should you be unable to step into the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer there where you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant, I claim veneration for my mercy from every creature, but above all from you, since it is to you that I have given the most profound understanding of this mystery.” (Diary 1572)

Jn. 15:11-17, Heb. 11:8-11, Jn. 10:27-29, Rev. 7:14-17

Day 7 Review

St. Faustina’s Prayer to be Merciful

Unless I wash you, you will not have inheritance with me

As we enter more deeply into the Spirit of Lent in this desert time, it is a good time to reflect with Jesus in our solitude how we treat our neighbors. Let this prayer be our daily bread to love God and neighbor. This is also a great reflection before going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify your mercy.

I want to be completely transformed into your mercy and to be Your living reflection O Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of your unfathomable mercy pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor.

Help me O Lord that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors souls and come to their rescue.

Help me O Lord that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings.

Help me O Lord that my tongue may be merciful so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.

Help me O Lord that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon my self the more difficult and toilsome tasks.

Help me O Lord that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor.

Help me O Lord that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor. I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May your mercy O Lord rest upon me.

You yourself command me to exercise the three degrees of mercy. The first; the act of mercy of whatever kind. The second; the word of mercy – if I cannot carry our a work of mercy, I will assist by my words. The third; prayer – if I cannot show mercy by deeds or words, I can always do so by prayer. My prayer reaches out even there where I cannot reach out physically. O my Jesus, transform me into yourself, for you can do all things.

Conclude with the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy

March 18 Annual Apparition thru Mirjana

"I desire to lead you on the way of God"

Annual Apparition to Mirjana

Today, March 18, 2011, the visionary Mirjana Soldo experienced her regular annual apparition.

In the early days of Medjugorje, when Mirjana received the tenth secret and her daily apparitions ceased, Our Lady promised that she would appear to her every year on March 18, which also happens to be Mirjana’s birthday.

Today, amidst cold and rain, Our Lady appeared to Mirjana at the Blue Cross area near the base of Apparition Hill in Medjugorje. She gave the following message:

“Dear children! I am with you in the name of the greatest Love, in the name of dear God, who has come close to you through my Son and has shown you real love. I desire to lead you on the way of God. I desire to teach you real love so that others may see it in you, that you may see it in others, that you may be a brother to them and that others may see a merciful brother in you. My children, do not be afraid to open your hearts to me. With Motherly love, I will show you what I expect of each of you, what I expect of my apostles. Set out with me. Thank you!” According to Mirjana, Our Lady asked all of us to pray for the priests, adding “Again, I emphasize that I will triumph together with them.”