Tuesday, March 30, 2010

AFROCENTRIC PROPHECY MEDITATIONS



Medjugorje Day By Day Apr 01 - May you be the hope and joy of mankind



FOR THE LITURGICAL CHURCH



One day St Faustina asked for a soul for every stitch she made while knitting.
Jesus granted her request



ASK FOR A SOUL for every Hail Mary you say on your Rosary on Good Friday
and also on every Rosary you say from now on.



I sent this to a friend and she said ask for a soul for every word!
So this is what I am doing now.



Our Lady said she needs us, Needs our prayers.



God has all the Grace we need. All we have to do is ask for them.



Don't limit God



"Mankind will not have



"Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy," Jesus
told St. Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament, "Adore, in the Blessed
Sacrament, My Heart, which is full of mercy." "I want Adoration to take place . . .
for the intention of imploring Mercy for the world." (Divine Mercy Diary,
300, 1572, & 1070)



Mother Teresa -
"The cross is the proof that He loved us and the Tabernacle is the proof that He loves us now with tender compassion".



The Cross is a thorny fruit which outside is most pungent. After the thorns and bark are removed, one finds a precious and savory fruit, that only she who has the patience to endure the annoyance of the punctures, can come to discover the secret of the preciousness and the taste of that fruit. And only she who has come to discover this secret keeps it with love. And all the others look at it with contempt and despise it.



Meditations by Padre Pio -
Apr 1 Doesn't the Holy Spirit tells us that when the soul approaches God it must be prepared for temptations? Courage, therefore, courage my good daughter. Fight valiantly and you will receive the prize of strong souls (Letters III, p. 427).



Archbishop Fulton Sheen -
The Passion of Love and Hate
"The root of all passions are love and its opposite, hate. Hence our passions are either for the pursuit of what we love, or escape from what we hate."



St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
Jesus, lover of human salvation, draw all souls to the divine life. May the greatness of Your mercy be praised here on earth and in eternity. O great lover of souls, who in Your boundless compassion opened the salutary fountains of mercy so that weak souls may be fortified in this life's pilgrimage, Your mercy runs through our life like a golden thread and maintains in good order the contact of our being with God. For He does not need anything to make Him happy; so everything is solely the work of His mercy. My senses are transfixed with joy when God grants me a deeper awareness of that great attribute of His; namely, His unfathomable mercy. (1466)



Jesus, hide me in Your mercy and shield me against everything that might terrify my soul. Do not let my trust in Your mercy be disappointed. Shield me with the omnipotence of Your mercy, and judge me leniently as well. (1480)



MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.



APRIL 1 - MAY YOU BE THE JOY OF MANKIND



The Blessed Virgin speaks of joy today:



"Dear Children, persevere in prayer so that your hearts may be filled with joy. Dear children, may you be the hope and joy of mankind, But you can only achieve this through prayer. Pray, pray! (Visionary Prayer Group May 3rd, 1986).



In his prayer to the Father, Jesus speaks of conveying his joy to his disciples:



While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded the, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves (Jn17:12-13)



Reflection:



Joy is a unique quality of the Christian life. It seems to be born of trust in God's love for us and for all aspects of our lives. Fr. Slavko Barbaric, spiritual director to the visionaries, recently gave a sermon on Our Lady's messages of prayer and joy.



Here, in part, is what he said:



Normally, after meeting someone, you need time to get to know him, tell him about yourself, exchange views, and so forth. However, if our prayer only consists of an occasional "hello" to someone who only occupies a corner of our lives, then we probably aren't going to experience great joy.



The problem is that we all want joy but we're not willing to follow the path that leads to its source: prayer from the heart. That is why Our Lady asks us so urgently to, "pray, pray!" It is the means to happiness.



Application:



Today the Mother of God asks that we make our hearts, "joyful through the means of prayer." To this end, try to extend and deepen your prayer so that you will more fully experience that joy.
Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 31 - Open your hearts to the Holy Spirit



Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity, Carmelite Nun (1880-1906) France:
Bl. Elizabeth wrote, "When Our Lord was on earth, the Gospel says `a secret power went out from Him,' at His touch the sick recovered their health, the dead were restored to life. Well, He is still living! living in the tabernacle in His adorable Sacrament." "When you are close to the tabernacle in which love incarnate dwells, there is no distance."



Mother Teresa -
We must say, " I belong to you. You can do whatever you like. "
And this is our strength and this is the joy of the Lord.





Meditations by Padre Pio -
Accept all the suffering and incomprehension that comes from Above. In this way you will perfect and sanctity yourself (FSP, 119).



Archbishop Fulton Sheen -
Passion is not unconscious!
"The eye has a reflex action when someone is about to thrust his finger into it, but passion is a conscious affair; it is something that happens to a creature endowed with reason and free will."



St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
After I had gone into the refectory, during the reading, my whole being found itself plunged in God. Interiorly, I saw God looking at us with great pleasure. I remained alone with the Heavenly Father. At that moment, I had a deeper knowledge of the Three Divine Persons, whom we shall contemplate for all eternity and, after millions of years, shall discover that we have just barely begun our contemplation. Oh, how great is the mercy of God, who allows man to participate in such a high degree in His divine happiness! At the same time, what great pain pierces my heart [at the thought] that so many souls have spurned this happiness. (1439)



Write, speak of My mercy. Tell souls where they are to look for solace; that is, in the Tribunal of Mercy [the 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 [hope of] restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full. Oh, how miserable are those who do not take advantage of the miracle of God's mercy!... (1448)



MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY



Mar 31 - OPEN YOUR HEARTS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT



The Holy Spirit is the topic of Our Lady's message today:



"Dear Children, during these days I call you to especially open your hearts to the Holy Spirit, who is working through you. Open your hearts and surrender your lives to Jesus so that he can work through your hearts and strengthen you in faith (Weekly Message May 23, 1985).



And from Acts:
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon yon; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).



Reflections:



Jesus wishes to give us the power of the Holy Spirit, and the Blessed Mother asks us to be open to receive his power. With faith and openness, then let us pray to the Spirit using The Sequence of the Holy Spirit, one of the loveliest prayer-poems of the church:



Holy Spirit, Lord of light, from the clear celestial height Thy pure beaming radiance give. Come, thou Father of the poor, Come, with treasures which endure; Come, thou light of all that live!
Thou, of all consolers best, Thou, the soul's delightful guest, Dost refreshing peace bestow; Thou in toil art comfort sweet; Pleasant coolness in the heat; Solace in the midst of woe.



Light immortal, light divine, Visit thou these hearts of thine, And our inmost being fill: If thou take thy grace away, Nothing pure in man will stay; All his good is turned to ill.



Heal our wounds, our strength renew; On our dryness pour thy dew; Wash the stains of guilt away; Bend the stubborn heart and will; Melt the frozen, warm the chill; Guide the steps that go astray.




Thou, on us who evermore Thee confess and thee adore, With thy sevenfold gifts descend: Give us comfort when we die; Give us life with thee on high; Give us joys that never end.



Application:



Make it a habit to pray to the Holy Spirit each day, as the Virgin asks of us.



Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 30 - REFLECT ON JESUS PASSION



"The privileged place where we can find this Jesus 'in agony until the end of the world' is the Eucharist. Jesus instituted it immediately before going to the Garden of Olives so that his disciples would be able, in every age, to make themselves 'contemporary' with his Passion. If the Spirit inspires in us the desire to be one hour at the side of Jesus in Gethsemane this Lent, the simplest way to achieve it is to spend, on Thursday afternoon, one hour before the Blessed Sacrament" (Father Raniero
Cantalamessa, March 17, 2006).



"This practice of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, repeatedly praised and recommended by the Magisterium, is supported by the example of many saints. Particularly outstanding in this regard was Saint Alphonsus Liguori, who wrote: `Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest after the sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us'.



The Eucharist is a priceless treasure: by not only celebrating it but also by praying before it outside of Mass we are enabled to make contact with the very wellspring of grace. A Christian community desirous of contemplating the face of Christ . . . cannot fail also to develop this aspect of Eucharistic worship, which prolongs and increases the fruits of our communion in the body and blood of the Lord."



"Like the woman who anointed Jesus in Bethany, the Church has feared no `extravagance', devoting the best of her resources to expressing her wonder and adoration before the unsurpassable gift of the Eucharist" (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, Pope John Paul II, 25 and 48





Mother Teresa -
Our yes to God is without any reservations.

We are at Jesus' disposal.

If He wants you to be sick in bed,

if He wants you to proclaim His word in the street,

that's all right, everything is all right.



Meditations by Padre Pio -
. I am extremely pleased to hear that the Lord is always generous with His caresses towards your souls. I know you are suffering, but isn't this suffering a sure sign that God loves you? (Letters III, p. 707).



Archbishop Fulton Sheen-
Passion is blind without knowledge



"Passion is not a reflex like the watering of a dog's mouth in the presence of food. It is true that there are many similarities between passion in animals and passion in man, but it must never be forgotten that in man, passion cannot operate unless something is known."



St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
When I entered the chapel for a moment in the evening, I felt a terrible thorn in my head. This lasted for a short time, but the pricking was so painful that in an instant my head dropped onto the communion rail. It seemed to me that the thorn had thrust itself into my brain. But all this is nothing; it is all for the sake of souls, to obtain God's mercy for them. (1399)




Christ, give me souls. Let anything You like happen to me, but give me souls in return. I want the salvation of souls. I want souls to know Your mercy. I have nothing left for myself, because I have given everything away to souls, with the result that on the day of judgment I will stand before You empty-handed, since I have given everything away to souls. Thus You will have nothing on which to judge me, and we shall meet on that day: Love and mercy... (1426)



Today during confession, breaking the wafer with me spiritually, he [my confessor] gave me the following wishes: "Be as faithful as you can to the grace of God; secondly, beg God's mercy for yourself and for the whole world, because we are all in great need of God's mercy." (1432)



MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY



Mar 30 - REFLECT ON JESUS' PASSION



The Blessed Virgin speaks of the cross and prayer today:



Dear children, here is my second message for Lent. Renew your prayer before the cross. Dear children, I offer you special graces and Jesus offers you the extraordinary merits of the cross. Accept them and live! Reflect on Jesus ` passion. Unite your life to his (Weekly Message February 20, 1986).



Scripture and Reflection:



In view of Our Lady's message today, it might be well for us to simple meditate on the Passion of her Son, rather than engage in commentary St. Thomas a Kempis emphasized this as well when he wrote, "Take comfort in the Passion of Christ, and dwell willingly in his sacred wounds. Endure with Christ, suffer for him, if you wish to reign with him."



As you meditate on the passion narrative of St. Mark, read the lines unhurriedly, and pause in silent prayer if a phrase or word strikes you, for this is the Holy Spirit at work.



Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.



…Then they brought Jesus to the placed called Golgotha (which means the place of the skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them. Casting lots to decide what each should take.



…When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi. Lema sabachtani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"



When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, «Listen, he calling for Elijah." And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down."



Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last breath. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way be breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was God's Son!" (Mk 15:16-20, 22-24, 33-39).



Application:



Today, spend five minutes in meditation before the cross.
Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 29 - Wipe the tears from my face



"The Way of the Cross is thus a path leading to the heart of the Eucharistic mystery: popular piety and sacramental piety of the Church blend together and become one" (Pope Benedict XVI).



"O my Holy Jesus, give me an upright and just heart, that I may love Thee, the King of Jerusalem, and wait for Thy coming, and feed upon the Bread of God. Jesus, teach me the hidden secrets of Thy love" (Fr. Frederick A. Reuter, K.C.B.S.).



Mother Teresa -
The first step to becoming holy is to will it. St. Thomas says, " Sanctity consists in nothing else than a firm resolve, the heroic act of a soul abandoning himself to God. By an upright will we love God, we choose God, we run toward God, we reach Him, we possess Him."



O good, good Will which transforms me into the image of God and makes me like Him! We will be in Steubenville the next few days, so have posted 6 days of Mother Teresa's words of wisdom for everyone. God bless each of you. We must know exactly when we say yes to God what is in that yes.



Yes means " I surrender," totally, fully, without any counting the cost, without any examination, " Is it all right? Is it convenient?"



Meditations by Padre Pio -
Bearing physical and moral ailments is the worthiest offering you can make to He who saved us through suffering (Letters III, p. 487).



Archbishop Fulton Sheen -
Passion is merely the echo of knowledge!
"Passion has its seat in the body or the animal nature of man. It is the echo of the knowledge in our physical structure but it is not knowledge. Passion implies sensible changes, such as the flushing of the cheeks, the dilating of the pupils and the tensing of many muscles."



St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -



As I was praying before the Blessed Sacrament and greeting the five wounds of Jesus, at each salutation I felt a torrent of graces gushing into my soul, giving me a foretaste of heaven and absolute confidence in God's mercy. (1337)



O merciful God, You do not despise us, but lavish Your graces on us continuously. You make us fit to enter Your kingdom, and in Your goodness You grant that human beings may fill the places vacated by the ungrateful Angels. O God of great mercy, who turned Your sacred gaze away from the rebellious Angels and turned it upon contrite man, praise and glory be to Your unfathomable mercy, O God who do not despise the lowly heart. (1339)v
My Jesus, let my sacrifice burn before Your throne in all silence, but with the full force of love, as I beg You to have mercy on souls. (1342)



MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY



Mar 29 - WIPE THE TEARS FROM MY FACE



The following message from the Queen of Peace is her lengthiest—and one of the most important. Along with a short passage from scripture, it will serve as our reading and reflection for this Lenten day.



My Dear Children! I came to you in order to lead you to purity of soul and then to God. But how did you receive me? At first with disbelief, fearful and suspicious of the children I had chosen. Later on, most of you received me in your hearts and began to live your Mother's messages. But that did not last for long.



Whenever I come to you my Son comes with me, but so does Satan. You unwittingly permitted him to influence you and now he drives you on. It is up to you to recognize when your behaviour is displeasing to God, but you often stifle the thought.



Do not give in, dear children. Wipe from my face the tears that I shed when I see you acting like this. Rouse yourselves. Take the time to meet God in your church. Come into your Father's house. Take time for family prayer so you can receive God's grace. Remember your deceased; give them joy by offering a Mass for them.



Do not be scornful of those who beg you for a piece of bread. Do not turn them away from your overladen tables. Help them and God will help you. Perhaps this is the way in which God will hear you and bestow upon you blessings in thanksgiving.



You have forgotten all this, my children, under Satan's influence. Be wary! Pray with me! Do not deceive yourselves in thinking, "I am good, but my brother next door is not." You would be wrong. Your Mother loves you and so I warn you.



People do not know the secrets, my children, but when they learn of them it will be too late. Return to prayer! Nothing is more important. I wish the Lord would permit to enlighten you a little more about the secrets, but the graces you have already received are great enough.



Think how much you have offended him What have you given him of yourself? When was the last time you gave up something for the Lord? I do not want to reprimand you further, but to call you once again to prayer, fasting, and penance. If you wish to obtain a special grace from God by fasting, then let no one know you are fasting. If you wish to obtain a certain grace from God through a gift to the poor, then keep your almsgiving a secret between you and the Lord.



Listen to me, my children! Meditate on my message in prayer (Special Message January 28, 1987).



And from the Acts of the Apostles, this quote from Isaiah echoes Our Lady's words:



For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn—and I would heal them (Acts 28:27).



Application:



Simply heed the Gospa's advice in the last sentence of her message today: "Meditate on my message in prayer."



Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 28 - Encounter the living God



Message of March 25, 2006



"Courage, little children! I decided to lead you on the way of
holiness. Renounce sin and set out on the way of salvation, the way which my Son has chosen. Through each of your tribulations and sufferings God will find the way of joy for you. Therefore, little
children, pray. We are close to you with our love. Thank you for
having responded to my call."



Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord:



"In an instant the Holy Spirit overshadows her [Mary], making her a living ciborium privileged to bear within herself for nine months the Guest who is the Host of the world" (Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen).



"Our Father Who are in Heaven in the heaven of the Eucharist . . . may we in all humility and zeal make You known, loved and adored by all men in the Holy Eucharist . . . Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Eucharistic Kingdom. Rule Thou alone forever over us for Your greater glory through the power of your love" (St. Peter Julian Eymard).



Mother Teresa -
We obtain grace in proportion to our sanctity, to our fervor, and to our degree of union with our Lord.



Meditations by Padre Pio -
The angels are jealous of us for one reason only; they are not able to suffer for God. Only through suffering can a soul say the certainty, "My God, You see I do love You!" (FM, 166).



Archbishop Fulton Sheen -
If we don't know about something we can't get passionate about it!
"Passion cannot operate unless we have an idea about something. A woman will not `get mad' at a bargain counter, unless she knows that someone is getting the better selection. We speak of people becoming `enthused' about some idea - and an idea is knowledge. No one undergoes the passion of sadness without first having a knowledge of a loss or a disaster."



St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -



You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. (1319)



At three o'clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world. I will allow you to enter into My mortal sorrow. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion.... (1320)



As I was meditating on the sin of the Angels and their immediate punishment, I asked Jesus why the Angels had been punished as soon as they had sinned. I heard a voice: Because of their profound knowledge of God. No person on earth, even though a great saint, has such knowledge of God as an Angel has. Nevertheless, to me who am so miserable, You have shown Your mercy, O God, and this, time and time again. You carry me in the bosom of Your mercy and forgive me every time that I ask Your forgiveness with a contrite heart. (1332



MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY





MARCH 28 - ENCOUNTER THE LIVING GOD



Our Lady speaks of encountering the Lord today:



"Dear Children, today I wish to call you to prayer so that you may encounter the living God. He offers and give himself to you, asking only that you freely answer his call.
Therefore, little children, set aside a special time each day when you pray in peace and humility, meeting with God the Creator. I am with you and intercede to God for you. Be alert that your prayer truly be a joyful encounter with God. (Monthly Message November 25, 1988)
In this passage, Paul gives us an example of intercessory prayer:



For this reason, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding… (Col 1: 9)



Reflection:



As Our Lady stresses today, prayer is the most essential component of our lives, for it is a direct encounter with the living God.



Elsewhere, the Madonna asks that we pray for a number of her intentions (peace, conversion of sinners, the sick, etc.), as well as our own. As this array of prayer intentions can sometimes be difficult to remember or fit into one day, the following suggestions may help.



First, you many wish to write down on an index card the intentions you wish to pray for every day. Place the card in your wallet or purse (or in a prayerbook you use each day). Consult it as you pray the rosary, offering one decade for each intention; this will allow you to pray for 5 to 15 intentions each day.



Second, just as a priest normally has an intention for each Mass he offers, so you too can offer the Masses you attend for one or more special intentions. The same can be done for other prayer forms which the church offers us, such as the Stations of the Cross, litanies, and of course novenas.



Another form is conversational prayer with God. Here we simply speak to the Lord about our prayer intention, describing it and lifting it up, so to speak, for him to see and bless. But the most beautiful form of prayer may be that of sheer praise and gratitude, with the Lord himself searching our hearts for our special needs and intentions.



Application:



If advisable, write down your prayer intentions today. Remember that they can be prayed for in a variety of ways. It is our faithfulness that is most important.



Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 27 - Honor the wounds of my Son



Message of March 25, 2006



"Courage, little children! I decided to lead you on the way of
holiness. Renounce sin and set out on the way of salvation, the way
which my Son has chosen. Through each of your tribulations and
sufferings God will find the way of joy for you. Therefore, little
children, pray. We are close to you with our love. Thank you for
having responded to my call."



The air that we breathe, the bread that we eat, the heart which throbs in our bosoms, are not more necessary for man that he may live as a human being, than is prayer for the Christian that he may live as a Christian. - St. John Eudes
"My soul, if you wish to be intimate with Mary, let yourself be carried between her arms and nourished with her blood . . . . Let this ineffable, chaste thought accompany you to the Banquet of God and you will find in the Blood of the Son the nourishment of the Mother" (St. Albert the Great).



Mother Teresa -
A day alone with Jesus is apt to spur us on in the vigorous pursuit of holiness through personal love for Jesus.



Jesus desires our perfection with unspeakable ardor. " For this is the will of God, your sanctification. " We are but instruments that God deigns to use; these instruments bring forth fruit in the measure that they are united to God......



Meditations by Padre Pio -
The God of Christians is the God of metamorphosis; you throw your sufferings into His bosom and you draw out peace; you throw in despair and you see hope coming to the surface (FM, 166).



Archbishop Fulton Sheen -
Why do we put so much credence on what `they' say?



"Many live under the illusion that their rejection of religious faith is a proof that they are immune from credulity. The truth is that they too accept authority, but it is the vague, vaporous, anonymous authority of `they.' `They' are wearing green, and the like. Who are `they'? The person of faith at least knows the One Whose guidance he accepts."



St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -



When I make the Way of the Cross, I am deeply moved at the twelfth station. Here I reflect on the omnipotence of God's mercy which passed through the Heart of Jesus. In this open wound of the Heart of Jesus I enclose all poor humans... and those individuals whom I love, as often as I make the Way of the Cross. From that Fount of Mercy issued the two rays; that is, the Blood and the Water. With the immensity of their grace they flood the whole world.... (1309)



O my Jesus, now everything is clear to me, and I understand all that has just happened. I somehow felt and asked myself what sort of a poor man is this who radiates such modesty. From that moment on, there was stirred up in my heart an even purer love toward the poor and the needy. Oh, how happy I am that my superiors have given me such a task! I understand that mercy is manifold; one can do good always and everywhere and at all times. An ardent love of God sees all around itself constant opportunities to share itself through deed, word and prayer. Now I understand the words which You spoke to me, O Lord, some time ago. (1313)



MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY



Mar 27 - HONOR THE WOUNDS OF MY SON



Today the Gospa gives a Lenten message on the passion of Christ:



"Dear Children, in a special way this evening, I am calling you during Lent to honor the wounds of my Son, which he received from the sins of this parish. Unite yourselves with my prayers for the parish so that his sufferings may be bearable." (Weekly Message March 22, 1984).



In the prophet Isaiah we find the image of the suffering servant:
Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ---Isaiah 53:4-6



Reflection:



Both the Blessed Virgin and Isaiah speak of the Savior who suffered for our sins: "By his wounds are we healed," the prophet writes. No one in Isaiah's day would have dreamed that God would choose to save the world through a suffering servant, rather than a messianic king. The idea was contrary to human pride and logic. True, the Israelites offered animals as sacrifices for their sins. But a human being? The Messiah himself?



He was the Lamb of God, the sinless servant who offered himself in sacrifice for the sins of mankind; the Anointed One who suffered in place of the guilty.



How can we fathom such love? Today the Virgin tells us it is through prayer: "Honor the wounds of my Son. …Unite yourselves with my prayers." The Holy Spirit will give us insight into these deep currents of love which can be understood in no other way.



Application:



From The Imitation of Christ: "Take comfort in the passion of Christ, and dwell willingly in his sacred wounds. Endure with Christ, suffer for him, if you wish to reign with him."
Today, with a crucifix in your hands, offer the Lord's Prayer in honor of each of the Savior's wounds, concluding with your own prayer of dedication.



Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 26 - See How He Was Martyred



"The Hail Mary is completely impregnated both with a Trinitarian and a Eucharistic sense. The first words were dictated by the Father to the Angel when He sent him to announce the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word: `Hail [Mary] full of grace, the Lord is with thee.'



You are full of grace because in you dwells the fountain of grace, and also because of your union with the most Blessed Trinity. Moved by the Holy Spirit, St. Elizabeth said: `Blessed art thou among women, and Blessed is the Fruit of they womb [Jesus].'" (Sr. Lucia of Fatima)



"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. AMEN." (Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great)



Mother Teresa -
Let Jesus use you without consulting you, and you will be holy because you belong to Him.



Meditations by Padre Pio -
. Life is a Calvary; but we must climb it cheerfully. Crosses are the jewels of the Bridegroom and I am jealous of them. My sufferings are pleasing. I suffer only when I have nothing to suffer (CE, 22).



Archbishop Fulton Sheen-
Faith is fathomless




"Faith in a human being is not like sawdust in a doll. You cannot rip it open, shake out the sawdust on a couch, analyze its tree origins, put it back and make a new creature."



St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -
When I make the Way of the Cross, I am deeply moved at the twelfth station. Here I reflect on the omnipotence of God's mercy which passed through the Heart of Jesus. In this open wound of the Heart of Jesus I enclose all poor humans... and those individuals whom I love, as often as I make the Way of the Cross. From that Fount of Mercy issued the two rays; that is, the Blood and the Water. With the immensity of their grace they flood the whole world.... (1309)



O my Jesus, now everything is clear to me, and I understand all that has just happened. I somehow felt and asked myself what sort of a poor man is this who radiates such modesty. From that moment on, there was stirred up in my heart an even purer love toward the poor and the needy. Oh, how happy I am that my superiors have given me such a task! I understand that mercy is manifold; one can do good always and everywhere and at all times. An ardent love of God sees all around itself constant opportunities to share itself through deed, word and prayer. Now I understand the words which You spoke to me, O Lord, some time ago. (1313)



MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY



Mar 26 - SEE HOW HE WAS MARTYRED



Asked by the visionaries why she showed them heaven, Our Lady responded:
"I did so that you could see the happiness which awaits those who love God." During the same apparition, Jesus appears to the seers with injuries covering his body, wearing a crown of thorns. The Virgin says: "Do not be afraid. It is my Son. See how he was martyred. But despite it all, he was joyful and endured all with patience. (Then Jesus himself says:) See how I was wounded and martyred! But in spite of all, I have won the victory. My angels, you also be persevering in your faith and pray that you may overcome every obstacle (First Years November 2, 1981).
In his letter to the Romans, Paul speaks of Christ's blood as the price of our redemption and forgiveness:



For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith…(Rom 3:22-25).



Reflection:



Paul speaks of the Passion and death of Christ as effecting two great miracles: redemption indicated the price paid to gain freedom for a slave (Lv25:47-54). Through his death, Jesus paid the price to release us from slavery to sin. Forgiveness was granted in ancient Israel on the basis of the shedding of animals' blood in sacrifice (Lv17:11). Now we are forgiven on the basis of the shedding of Jesus' blood, for he died as the perfect and final sacrifice.
The mystery of redemption holds the secret of unimaginable love, which can be penetrated only through prayer. Thus Jesus says today: "Persevere in your faith---and pray…."



Application:



Today, holding a crucifix in your hands, reflect of the love of Christ as expressed in his redemptive Passion and death.


Monday, March 29, 2010

DIVINE MERCY PETITIONS AND GRACES

DIVINE MERCY NOVENA



(For extraordinary graces, and helps. Starts on Good Friday, but can start on any day)



(Yeshua) Jesus told St. Faustina, a Polish nun:



"On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy ... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls."



The different souls prayed for on each day of the novena are:



DAY 1 (Good Friday) - All mankind, especially sinners



DAY 2 (Holy Saturday) - The souls of priests and religious



DAY 3 (Easter Sunday) - All devout and faithful souls



DAY 4 (Easter Monday) - Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him



DAY 5 (Easter Tuesday) - The souls of separated brethren



DAY 6 (Easter Wednesday) - The meek and humble souls and the souls of children



DAY 7 (Easter Thursday) - The souls who especially venerate and glorify Jesus' mercy




DAY 8 (Easter Friday) - The souls who are detained in purgatory;




DAY 9 (Easter Saturday) - The souls who have become lukewarm.



The Chaplet of Divine Mercy may also be offered each day for the day's intention, but is not strictly necessary to the Novena.





First Day:
"Today bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners,
and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me."



Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.



Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.



Second Day



"Today bring to Me the Souls of Priests and Religious,
and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind."



Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service,* that they may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven.



Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company of chosen ones in Your vineyard -- upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen.



* In the original text, Saint Faustina uses the pronoun "us" since she was offering this prayer as a consecrated religious sister. The wording adapted here is intended to make the prayer suitable for universal use.



Third Day



"Today bring to Me all Devout and Faithful Souls,
and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were a drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness."



Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It. We beg this grace of You by that most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely.



Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.



Fourth Day



"Today bring to Me those who do not believe in God and those who do not know Me,
I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy."



Most compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who do not believe in God and of those who as yet do not know You. Let the rays of Your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol Your wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart.



Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who do not believe in You, and of those who as yet do not know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Draw them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness it is to love You. Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.



*Our Lord's original words here were "the pagans." Since the pontificate of Pope John XXIII, the Church has seen fit to replace this term with clearer and more appropriate terminology.

Fifth Day



"Today bring to Me the Souls of those who have separated themselves from My Church*,
and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is, My Church. As they return to unity with the Church My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion."



Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it of You. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Church. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy.



Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Son's Church, who have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces by obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your own Son and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart. Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen.



*Our Lord's original words here were "heretics and schismatics," since He spoke to Saint Faustina within the context of her times. As of the Second Vatican Council, Church authorities have seen fit not to use those designations in accordance with the explanation given in the Council's Decree on Ecumenism (n.3). Every pope since the Council has reaffirmed that usage. Saint Faustina herself, her heart always in harmony with the mind of the Church, most certainly would have agreed.



When at one time, because of the decisions of her superiors and father confessor, she was not able to execute Our Lord's inspirations and orders, she declared: "I will follow Your will insofar as You will permit me to do so through Your representative. O my Jesus " I give priority to the voice of the Church over the voice with which You speak to me" (497). The Lord confirmed her action and praised her for it.



Sixth Day
Today bring to Me the Meek and Humble Souls and the Souls of Little Children,
and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels, who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence.



Most Merciful Jesus, You yourself have said, "Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart." Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into ecstasy and they are the heavenly Father's favorites. They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy.



Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls, upon humble souls, and upon little children who are enfolded in the abode which is the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son. Their fragrance rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight You take in them: Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.



Seventh Day



Today bring to Me the Souls who especially venerate and glorify My Mercy*,
and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over my Passion and entered most deeply into My spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death.



Most Merciful Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the greatness of Your mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God Himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward, confident of Your mercy; and united to You, O Jesus, they carry all mankind on their shoulders. These souls will not be judged severely, but Your mercy will embrace them as they depart from this life.



Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate Your greatest attribute, that of Your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands are full of deeds of mercy, and their hearts, overflowing with joy, sing a canticle of mercy to You, O Most High! I beg You O God:



Show them Your mercy according to the hope and trust they have placed in You. Let there be accomplished in them the promise of Jesus, who said to them that during their life, but especially at the hour of death, the souls who will venerate this fathomless mercy of His, He, Himself, will defend as His glory. Amen.



*… the first prayer directed to Jesus, Who is the Redeemer, it is "victim" souls and contemplatives that are being prayed for; those persons, that is, that voluntarily offered themselves to God for the salvation of their neighbor (see Col 1:24; 2 Cor 4:12). This explains their close union with the Savior and the extraordinary efficacy that their invisible activity has for others. In the second prayer, directed to the Father from whom comes "every worthwhile gift and every genuine benefit,"we recommend the "active" souls, who promote devotion to The Divine Mercy and exercise with it all the other works that lend themselves to the spiritual and material uplifting of their brethren.



Eighth Day



"Today bring to Me the Souls who are in the prison of Purgatory,
and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice."



Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of Purgatory, that there, too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated.




Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. Amen.



Ninth Day



"Today bring to Me the Souls who have become Lukewarm,
and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy."



Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power.



Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen.



THREE OCLOCK PRAYER



(Divine Mercy-- can be said any day)



You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.



O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelope the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us (Diary 1319).



And then, three times,



"O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus, as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You (Diary 84)."



AND PRAYERS OUR LORD HAS ASKED FOR- CAN BE SAID ANYTIME
WITH MANY GRACES AND HELPS ATTACHED



Gracious and beloved Lord,

At the beginning of this time of prayer,

I lift up to you

My heart overflowing with gratitude

For the many gifts and blessings

That you have given me.



I dedicate this time of worship and prayer,

And the graceful energy that shall flow

Outward from the altar of my heart

As an offering for the welfare of all your children.



May your Holy Spirit take me by the hand

And lead me deep into the center of my heart,

Into your Holy of Holies. Amen.



Lord Jesus,

you came into the world

to save man

from his own sin.



You defeated the temptations

of the evil one

in the garden

in order for mankind

to have eternal life.



By your power

we ask

that you cast away

the evil

that lingers

to destroy the mission

you have given us to do.

By saying your name JESUS

we ask this. Amen.


Friday, March 26, 2010

AFROCENTRIC CHRISTIAN PROPHECY MEDITATIONS

The Medjugorge message given by Our Lady to the Medjugorge visionary Mirjana during her annual apparition on March 18th, 2010, so we present it here again:

“Today I call you to love with all your heart and with all your soul. Pray for the gift of love, because when the soul loves it calls my Son to itself. My Son does not refuse those who call Him and who desire to live according to Him.

Pray for those who do not comprehend love, who do not understand what it means to love. Pray that God may be their Father and not their Judge. My children, you be my apostles, be my river of love. I need you. Thank you.”



The Rev. Fr. Melvin Doucette, M.Afr./ 1704 Palmer Road, RR 2
Tignish, PE (Prince Edward Island) C0B 2B0 / CANADA
Tel: 902-882-2004 / Email: melvin.douce...@pei.sympatico.ca

Friday, March 19, 2010

"I bless all those with a humble heart"

Dear Friends,

The Cleansing of the Temple

Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those engaged in selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And he said to them, "It is written: 'My house shall be a house of prayer,' but you are making it a den of thieves." The blind and the lame approached him in the temple area, and he cured them. When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wondrous things he was doing, and the children crying out in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant and said to him, "Do you hear what they are saying?" Jesus said to them, "Yes; and have you never read the text, 'Out of the mouths of infants and nurslings you have brought forth praise'?" And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany, and there he spent the night. (Matthew 21:12-17)

We had another fine day yesterday but around noon we had a shower. It did not last long but a lot of snow disappeared. The temperature was around seven or eight degrees Celsius.

I spent the day yesterday preparing for the weekend. I packed my suitcase and all the things I will need for the three days in Tignish. I will leave this afternoon so I can get ready to begin in the evening after supper. I will be back home on Sunday afternoon where I will give a talk in the Little Shrine about Our Blessed Mother. Then I will get ready to go to Charlottetown on Monday afternoon in order to be on the spot to take the plane at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday for Las Vegas going via Toronto, Canada.

Below is the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Joseph. Jesus spoke to him these words,

"Today is the Feast day of St. Joseph, My foster father, who is the Patron Saint of the Church. I call you all to honor him today.

I was very angry when I came to the Temple in Jerusalem one day and many people were selling all kinds of things there. I took a rope and I drove them all out of the Temple, as this building was the house of God.

I might do the same thing today because many people who go to church act as if they are at the marketplace. They talk and laugh in a holy place where all should be silent for prayer. They are not conscious that I am there present in the Tabernacle. Many pass by the Tabernacle and they do not as much as bow their head. Is it not the custom to genuflect as you pass by Me? If you believe in your Lord and Savior, you will acknowledge His presence and bend the knee before Him. Those who do not show reverence show a lack of faith. I bless all those with a humble heart. I love you."

Father Melvin



Thursday, March 18, 2010

"I bless you all"

Dear Friends,

The Entry into Jerusalem

...Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tethered, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them here to me. And if anyone should say anything to you, reply, 'The master has need of them.' Then he will send them at once." This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: "Say to daughter Zion, behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden." The disciples went and did as Jesus had ordered them. They brought the ass and the colt and laid their cloaks over them, and he sat upon them. The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest." And when he entered Jerusalem the whole city was shaken and asked, "Who is this?" And the crowds replied, "This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee." (Matthew 21:1-11)

Yesterday morning I celebrated Holy Mass at the Little Shrine of Our Lady of Prince Edward Island and in the evening I was at the prayer meeting at our church. We prayed for the people of Haiti and Chile who are suffering very much because of the huge earthquakes that struck these countries. Tomorrow I will go to Tignish Heritage Inn until Sunday afternoon for the weekend retreat or growth weekend. Then on Tuesday morning I will take the plane from Charlottetown and fly to Las Vegas, Nevada, for a nine-day novena for world peace. I will only be back on the 2nd of April.

Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Redeemer given to Joseph. Jesus spoke to him these words,

"Every year the Church celebrates My solemn entry into Jerusalem on an ass and this day is called Palm Sunday. I entered Jerusalem as their King and many people were present to welcome Me. The people in the crowd carried palm branches in their hand and they sang the song "Hosanna to the Son of David."

This entry into Jerusalem shows you that I am the Lord, the Messiah, entering the city of God. This is the place where I will offer My great sacrifice for the salvation of all the people of the world for which I was born. In a few days I will carry My cross through this city and this cross is the symbol of all the sins of the world. I will be nailed to it in great suffering for all to see and upon the cross I will offer to My Heavenly Father the oblation that takes away the sins of the world. This supreme act of love will change the world forever.

I call you all to join Me during these days as I live My last days on earth. Join the crowds at My entry into Jerusalem and during the way of the cross. I bless you all."

Father Melvin

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

"Give your 'yes' to Me today"

Dear Friends,

The Healing of the Two Blind Men

As they left Jericho, a great crowd followed Jesus. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, "Lord, Son of David, have pity on us!" The crowd warned them to be silent, but they called out all the more, "Lord, Son of David, have pity on us!" Jesus stopped and called them and said, "What do you want me to do for you?" They answered him, "Lord, let our eyes be opened." Moved with pity, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight, and followed him. (Matthew 20:29-34)

We had a beautiful sunny day yesterday and the snow is fast disappearing. The temperature reached 5 degrees Celsius. All are thanking God for giving us such wonderful weather.

I was at the Immaculate Conception Church, Palmer Road, yesterday evening for Eucharistic Adoration. Then I went to Miscouche for a meeting at the Acadian (French) Museum there, which lasted two hours. This morning I will celebrate Holy Mass at the Little Shrine of Our Lady of Prince Edward Island and I will offer it for all those who are inscribed in the Book of Remembrance. Holy Mass is offered for them every Wednesday. This evening I will go to our church for the prayer meeting. I will be in Tignish this weekend for the retreat starting on Friday evening and ending on Sunday at noon.

Below you will find the message of Our Lord, the Son of God, given to Joseph. Jesus spoke to him these words,

"My friends, sickness, suffering and death do not come from God. They are the result of sin. The Father created Adam and Eve in such a way that they would never suffer any sickness and they would not die. It is because of their horrible sin against the Father that all these things came to be.

I always have pity on all the people who suffer in any way. When I saw these two blind men shouting for help one day as we were leaving Jericho, I asked them what they wanted. They asked to be able to see. I placed My hand on their eyes and immediately they were healed. It was a great joy for Me to see them so happy once their sight was restored. They were men of faith. The crowd who saw this miracle was touched indeed. In showing them this great power, they would come to accept that I was the Messiah, the Savior, who had come into the world to save them.

As you know, I used suffering and death as the means to save you from your sins and to open heaven for you. In My Passion, which you will celebrate soon, I was able to offer Myself in sacrifice to the Father for your redemption. Come now and accept Me as your Savior and My blood will wash you clean. You will be renewed by the Holy Spirit and become the beloved of the Father. Give your 'yes' to Me today and every day."

Father Melvin



Tuesday, March 16, 2010

"I want you with Me"

Dear Friends,

The Workers in the Vineyard

"The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.' So they went off. He went out again around noon, and around three o'clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o'clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.' When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.' When those who had started about five o'clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, "These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us.' He said to one of them in reply, 'My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Am I not free to do as I wish with my money? ... Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last." (Matthew 20:1-16)

We had another beautiful day yesterday with the sun the whole day. I was at the Manor in Alberton yesterday afternoon to celebrate Holy Mass with the people there. We lost one resident, Margaret Doucette, who will be buried today.

Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Joseph Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words,

"All the people of the world are asked to enter My Kingdom. Some enter as babies, others as youth, still others as adult and even some during their last days on earth. You are never too late to enter the Kingdom. Now is the appropriate time for you to be a full member of My Kingdom. This is what the story of the workers in the vineyard is all about.

You enter the Kingdom during your years on earth and you receive your reward when you enter heaven. All those who enter heaven receive the same reward, which is everlasting happiness in heaven. There are different degrees of happiness but all are filled to the brim once they are in heaven. In heaven you see the Father, the Holy Spirit and I, the Son, together with My Blessed Mother and all the angels and saints. There in this holy place you are filled with joy forever. In heaven, there is no sickness, injury, tiredness, hunger or thirst. There is no death and nothing negative. Everything is positive and full of light. Heaven is the home for which the Father has created you. Do not let the things of this world turn you away from your primary goal but keep it always before you. My grace is always there ready for you if you ask for it. I want you with Me."

Father Melvin



Monday, March 15, 2010

"You need Me"

Dear Friends,

The Rich Young Man

Now someone approached Jesus and said, "Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?" Jesus answered him, "Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." He asked him, "Which ones?" And Jesus replied, "You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 19:16-23)

We had another fine day yesterday although the temperature was a few degrees lower. It was sunny the whole day and we should have sun again today.

Yesterday morning I celebrated Holy Mass at the Church of the Assumption in the village of Miminegash and a good group of people attended. Today I will go to the Manor in Alberton to celebrate Holy Mass with the residents and to give Holy Communion in their rooms to those who are bedridden.

Below you have the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Joseph. Jesus spoke to him these words,

"It is very difficult for rich people to enter heaven because they are attached to their possessions. Many of them want to follow the commandments and would like to follow Me but they cannot get rid of their riches. They believe they need their possessions for their security. They do not realize that what they need is strong faith and the graces to follow Me on earth and to be united with Me forever in heaven.

It is the same for so many people that are addicted to all kinds of things. How difficult it is for an alcoholic or a drug addict to stop taking liquor or drugs! It is the same for those who smoke; even if they need to stop smoking because it is ruining their health, they do not have the strength to do so. However, if they believe in Me and ask Me for the help they need with their addiction, I will give them the grace to stop and get rid of the problem. If their faith is weak, they need to see a person of great faith who can pray for them to receive the grace they need to liberate them.

I am calling you all, My brothers and sisters, to get rid of all that is blocking your relationship with Me. If you turn to Me, I will help you so that your faith may be strong and our relationship will grow every day. You need Me if you want success in your life and to reach heaven one day. Come and I will give you My peace and My love."

Father Melvin



Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 24 - The vigil of the Annunciation




"In the sacrament of Eucharistic love He still abides in littleness to stay with us always" (St. Katharine Drexel).



"After partaking of the Living Bread, remember what our Lady must have felt when the Holy Spirit overpowered her, and she who was full of grace became full with the body of Christ" (Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta).



Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 24 - The vigil of the Annunciation



"In the sacrament of Eucharistic love He still abides in littleness to stay with us always" (St. Katharine Drexel).



"After partaking of the Living Bread, remember what our Lady must have felt when the Holy Spirit overpowered her, and she who was full of grace became full with the body of Christ" (Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta).



"As a child, Mary was presented to the Lord in the temple by her parents, Anne and Joachim. Mary gave herself completely to do the Father's will. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the womb of the Virgin Mary became the first tabernacle of adoration for Christ the King!" (From our November 2003 "Could you not watch one hour with Me?" newsletter. The entire text may be viewed at the Newsletters section of our website at www.ACFP2000.com).



Mother Teresa -

The aim of taking a retreat is to advance in the knowledge and love of God, to purify ourselves, and to reform and transform our lives according to the life of our model, Jesus Christ.
It is not so much a looking back on the achievements and failures of the past, as a looking forward to a more generous imitation of our Lord Himself.

Meditations by Padre Pio -

Always love suffering, which, besides being the work of Divine Wisdom, reveals the work of His love to us even more (ASN, 43).

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Without Faith it's all psychobabble!

"When religion is strong, it purges the unconscious mind of all those fears and anxieties, those worries and psychoses which psychoanalysis tries to expunge in the soul without faith."

St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -



Eighth Day

Today bring to Me the souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice. (1226)

Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of the purifying fire, that in that place, too, the power of Your mercy may be praised.

From that terrible heat of the cleansing fire
Rises a plaint to Your mercy,
And they receive comfort, refreshment, relief
In the stream of mingled Blood and Water.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. (1227)

MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY



These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.

Mar 24 - THE VIGIL OF THE ANNUNCIATION

On this vigil in 1985 Our Lady said:

"Today I invite all of you to confession, even if you have already gone a few days ago. I wish that you would live my feast in your hearts. You are not able to, if you do not abandon yourselves completely to the Lord, It is for this reason that I call you to reconciliation with the Lord". (First Years March 24, 1985).

This reconciliation to God is possible because of the redeeming sacrifice of Christ on Calvary:

For in (Christ) all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him… (Col 1:19-22).

Reflection:

On this vigil of the Annunciation, Our Lady says that, "I wish that you would live my feast in your hearts." This may sound puzzling until we reflect on the core message of the Annunciation, which is Mary's complete abandonment to God's will, signified by her unequivocal yes to all he asked of her. Thus the Blessed Mother wishes us to experience this same surrender to God in our own hearts, this same yes to God that consecrates us entirely to him. Thus her feast day, her yes, is experienced within us.

The fruit of this abandonment in our lives is a profound trust and confidence in the Lord, the same trust that Mary possessed. She longs to share it with us.

The one obstacle is sin, and so it follows that Our Lady would end her message by saying, "Therefore, I call all of you to reconciliation with God." Our reading from St. Paul resounds with the same advice. Mary invites everyone to confession, where our sins are forgiven and can no longer separate us from God. We can therefore abandon ourselves to the Lord like trusting children, joining our yes to God with that of hers.

Application:

If you have not received the sacrament of reconciliation within the last month, make a firm commitment to do so this week, as Our Lady urges in her message today.

Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 23 - Renounce those things which are hur



"Aside from the Blessed Virgin, Saint Joseph was the first and most perfect adorer of our Lord." "Among the graces which Jesus gave to His foster-father—and He flooded him with graces attached to every one of His mysteries—is that special to an adorer of the Blessed Sacrament. That is the one we must ask of Saint Joseph. Have confidence, strong confidence in him. Take him as the patron and the model of your life of adoration." "Saint Joseph, first and most perfect of adorers, obtain for me the grace to love, adore, and serve Christ Eucharistic as you did." (St. Peter Julian Eymard)



"Before whom am I? You are, Holy Church answers me, in the presence of Jesus Christ, your King, your Savior, and your God . . . . Adore Him therefore, O my soul, with the faith of the kings of Bethlehem. Offer Him the incense of your adoration, as to your God; the myrrh of your mortification, as to your Savior; the gold of your love and the tribute of dependence, as to your King!" (St. Peter Julian Eymard).





Mother Teresa -

Who Is Jesus to Me?
Jesus is the Hungry to be fed.
Jesus is the Thirsty to be satiated.
Jesus is the Naked to be clothed.
Jesus is the Homeless to be taken in.
Jesus is the Sick to be healed.
Jesus is the Lonely to be loved.

Who Is Jesus to Me?
Jesus is the Love to be loved.
Jesus is the Joy to be shared.
Jesus is the Sacrifice to be offered.
Jesus is the Peace to be given.

Who Is Jesus to Me?
Jesus is the Word to be spoken.
Jesus is the Truth to be told.
Jesus is the Way to be walked.
Jesus is the Light to be lit.
Jesus is the Life to be lived.

Meditations by Padre Pio -

The lot of chosen souls is to suffer. God, the author of all grace and of every gift leading to salvation, has decreed that glory will be ours on condition that we endure suffering in a Christian spirit (Letters II, p. 262).

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Without the Face of Love you have the mask of evil

"If there is not one great Face of Love that bends over mankind, its troubled mind will fill it with a thousand horrible masks."

St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -



Seventh Day

Today bring to me the souls who especially venerate and glorify My mercy, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over My Passion and entered most deeply into My Spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death. (1224)

Most Merciful Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the greatness of Your mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God Himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward, confident of Your mercy. These souls are united to Jesus and carry all mankind on their shoulders. These souls will not be judged severely, but Your mercy will embrace them as they depart from this life.

A soul who praises the goodness of her Lord
Is especially loved by Him.
She is always close to the living fountain
And draws graces from Mercy Divine.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate Your greatest attribute, that of Your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands are full of deeds of mercy, and their spirit, overflowing with joy, sings a canticle of mercy to You, O Most High! I beg You O God: Show them Your mercy according to the hope and trust they have placed in You. Let there be accomplished in them the promise of Jesus, who said to them, I Myself will defend as My own glory, during their lifetime, and especially at the hour of their death, those souls who will venerate My fathomless mercy. (1225)

MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY

These thoughts for a day are taken from a daily meditation book based on the Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje by Father Richard J. Beyer, Ave Maria Press.

MARCH 23 - RENOUNCE THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE HURTING YOU

During Lent of 1990 Our Lady spoke of attachments:

"Dear Children, I invite you to surrender to God. In this season of Lent, I ask you to especially renounce those things to which your are attached but which are hurting you and your spiritual life. Therefore, little children, decide completely for God, and do not allow Satan into your life through those things that hurt both you and your spiritual life.

Little Children, God is offering himself totally to you, but you can discover and recognize him only in prayer. Therefore, make a decision for prayer! (Monthly Message Feb. 25, 1990).

St. Paul also warns of worldly attachments:

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil 3:17-20).

Reflection:

St. Paul criticizes the self-indulgent Christians of his day, for although they claim allegiance to Christ, they ignore his model of servanthood and sacrifice.

They seem to satisfy their own desires even before thinking about the needs of others; to their detriment, they are "set upon the things of this world."

Our Lady of Medjugorje points to the same danger:«I ask you to especially renounce," she says, "those things to which you are attached, but which are hurting you and your spiritual life."

Application:

Today, take the time to identify those attachments or addictions that hurt your spiritually. They could include alcohol, drugs, shopping, television, status seeking, power games, manipulation of others, and materialism in many forms. After you identify your own harmful attachments, isolate one and consciously work on moderating or even eliminating it for one week. At the same time, pray to the Blessed Mother for the special grace you will need; she will generously provide it.





Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 22 - I have been appealing for renewal





"We all have in him [St. Joseph] a model and a protector. As adorers of the Sacramental Jesus, we continue near the Blessed Sacrament his service, his adoration and his love. He will watch over us and give us his spirit and virtues. Leading us to Jesus, he will say to Him: 'I cannot be on earth any longer to watch over You and serve You, but bless these adorers who are replacing me; give them the graces You gave me, so that their service may recall and replace mine.' How happy St. Joseph is to see us crowding about Jesus in His Sacrament, feeble, abandoned, persecuted, more in need of defenders and servants than in His Infancy . . . . Saint Joseph, be my protector, my model, and my father in my service of Jesus Eucharistic" (St. Peter Julian Eymard).



"Our Eucharistic faith tells us that Christ the King is himself here present, the tabernacle serving equivalently as his throne of grace. In this context, then, we may aptly apply the inspired and inspiring words: 'Let us come boldly before the throne of grace, to meet with mercy and win that grace which will help us in our needs'" (Heb. 4:16). (Fr. Richard Foley, S.J.)





Mother Teresa -

Our ideal is no one but Jesus.
We must think as He thinks,
love as He loves,
wish as He wishes;
we must permit Him to use us to the full.



Meditations by Padre Pio -

True servants of God have always preferred adversity as being more in conformity with the way taken by our Head, Who worked out our salvation by means of the cross and humiliations (Epist. IV, p. 148).



Archbishop Fulton Sheen

The empty soul feeds Satan's needs

"Whence came the millions to accept the superstition of Nazism, Fascism, and Communism if it were not from an emptiness of soul brought about by a loss of faith? The essence of political superstition is the identification of the laboring class and Messianism."

St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -



Sixth Day

Today bring to me the meek and humble souls and the souls of little children, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels, who would keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. Only the humble soul is able to receive My grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence. (1220)

Most Merciful Jesus, You yourself have said, "Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart." Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into ecstasy and they are the heavenly Father's favorites. They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy. (1221)

A truly gentle and humble soul
Already here on earth the air of paradise breathes,
And in the fragrance of her humble heart
The Creator Himself delights. (1222)

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls, upon humble souls, and upon the souls of little children who are enfolded in the abode which is the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son. Their fragrance rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight You take in them: Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen. (1223)



MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY



Mar 22 - I HAVE BEEN APPEALING FOR RENEWAL

The Madonna is firm in her call to Lenten renewal and prayer :

" Dear Children, day after day I have been appealing to you for renewal and prayer in the parish, but you are not responding. Today I am calling you for the last time. This is the season of Lent, and you as a parish should out of love, be moved to live my messages. If you do not, I do not wish to continue giving them. God is permitting me that. Thank you for responding to my call." Weekly Message Feb. 21, 1985

Psalm 38 is a repentant call to God :

For I am ready to fall, And my pain is ever with me. I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.

Those who are my foes without cause are mighty. And many are those who hate me wrongfully.

Those who render me evil for good Are my adversaries because I follow after good. Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, do not be far from me; Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation. ---Psalm 38 ;17-22

Reflection :

Both Our Lady and the psalmist today call us to repentance, to acknowledge our sin, neglect, or indifference in the sight of God.

Because we have a tendency to sin or to be spiritually lethargic, repentance is the true measure of spiritual sensitivity. It means asking the Lord to forgive us and then abandoning our sinful or lethargic ways. But we cannot do this sincerely unless we are truly sorry for our misdeeds and then commit ourselves to positive action.

This is the Virgin's wish today, that we take to heart her call to renewal and prayer. It is a serious matter for all of us.

Application :

Review your spiritual life today. Has Lent been a time of prayer and renewal for you? If not, make a fresh start today.

Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 21 - Give up something dear



"The Way of the Cross is thus a path leading to the heart of the Eucharistic mystery: popular piety and sacramental piety of the Church blend together and become one" (Pope Benedict XVI).





"The swaddling clothes of an infant hid the Son of God in Bethlehem, and the appearance of bread and wine hides the Reality of Christ" (Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen).



Mother Teresa -

Believe in Jesus trust in Him with blind and absolute confidence because He is Jesus. Believe that Jesus and Jesus alone is life and sanctity is nothing but that same Jesus intimately living in you; then His hand will be free with you.
Give yourself unswervingly, conforming yourself in all things to His holy will.
Love Jesus generously.
Love Him trustfully, without looking back and without fear. Give yourself fully to Jesus. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your weakness.

Meditations by Padre Pio -

Yes, I love the Cross, the Cross alone; I love it because I see it always on Jesus' shoulders (Letters I, p. 377).

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

We have our divine priorities askew

"At the end of the twentieth century [and now in the 21st] we find ourselves living in an era of superstition in which minds believe everything as fanatics and quacks become shrines of worship and objects of adoration."

St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html

There is a series of graces which God pours into the soul after these trials by fire. The soul enjoys intimate union with God. It has many visions, both corporeal and intellectual. It hears many supernatural words, and sometimes distinct orders. But despite these graces, it is not self-sufficient. In fact it is even less so as a result of God's graces, because it is now open to many dangers and can easily fall prey to illusions. It ought to ask God for a spiritual director; but not only must it pray for one, it must also make every effort to find a leader who is an expert in these things, just as a military leader must know the ways along which he will lead [his followers] into battle. A soul that is united with God must be prepared for great and hard-fought battles.

After these purifications and tears, God abides in the soul in a special way, but the soul does not always cooperate with these graces. Not that the soul itself is not willing to work, but it encounters so many interior and exterior difficulties that it really takes a miracle to sustain the soul on these summits. In this, it absolutely needs a director. People have often sown doubt in my soul, and I myself have sometimes become frightened at the thought that I was, after all, an ignorant person and did not have knowledge of many things, above all, spiritual things. But when my doubts increased, I sought light from my confessor or my superiors. Yet I did not obtain what I desired. (121)

MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY

Mar 21 - GIVE UP SOMETHING DEAR

The Blessed Mother speaks of sacrifice today :

"Thursday (day of the Eucharist), may each one find his way to fast; he who smokes, may abstain from smoking; he who drinks alcohol, have him not drink. Have each one to him. May these recommendations be conveyed to the parish." Special Message Mar 1, 1984

From the prophet Isaiah :
Seek the Lord while he may be found, Call upon him while he is near; Let the wicked forsake their way, And the unrighteous their thoughts; Let them return to the Lord, that he may have Mercy on them, And to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. ---Isaiah 55 :6-7

Reflection :
The concept of sacrifice and repentance reaches far back into the Old Testament. In the ancient rites of animal sacrifice, a person who had sinned brought an unblemished animal to the Temple priest. The individual then placed his hand on the head of the animal while it was killed, symbolizing his identification with the animal as his substitute. He symbolically transferred his sins to the animal, and thus his sins were taken away (atonement). Finally the animal was burned on the altar, signifying the person's complete dedication to God.


But the Lord required more than a sacrifice. He also asked the sinner to be truly repentant of his sins. The outward symbol (the sacrifice) and the inner change (repentance) were to work together in seeking the forgiveness of God. In our own day, sacrifices such as Our Lady recommends (foregoing alcohol, television, smoking, etc.) also serve as outward signs of repentance, but they also speak of dedication and reverence for the Lord, for they involve the whole person, soul and body, Words of love are easy, but backing them up with sacrifice adds creditability and power to our prayer.

Acts of self-denial also keep us focused on the Lord and help build character, in that we learn not to jump at every stray impulse. Involved here are some forgotten truths, brought to light again by the Blessed Virgin.

Application :
Our Lady is very specific in her message today. Let us simply heed her advice.

Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 18 - Be thankful in front of the cross



"Among the graces which Jesus gave to His foster-father—and He flooded him with the graces attached to every one of His mysteries—is that special to an adorer of the Blessed Sacrament. That is the one we must ask of St. Joseph.
Have confidence, strong confidence in him. Take him as the patron and the model of your life of adoration" (St. Peter Julian Eymard).





"As a child, Mary was presented to the Lord in the temple by her parents, Anne and Joachim. Mary gave herself completely to do the Father's will. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the womb of the Virgin Mary became the first tabernacle of adoration for Christ the King!" (From our November 2003 "Could you not watch one hour with Me?" newsletter. The entire text may be viewed at the Newsletters section of our website at www.ACFP2000.com).



"Christian piety has rejoiced to learn from the Book of Acts that Mary was present at the first gatherings of the faithful, when they broke bread together as brothers and spent long hours in prayer. And modern art has often portrayed the heavenly Mother in the act of receiving from the hand of St. John, the beloved disciple, the Communion of the Body and Blood of her Son . . . . When we say that in the Eucharist we have the Son and in Mary we have his Mother, have we not said all?" (Bl. Pope John XXIII).

The Cross is the food of Hope.



Mother Teresa -

Am I convinced of Christ's love for me and mine for Him? This conviction is like sunlight which makes the sap of life rise and the buds of sanctity bloom. This conviction is the rock on which sanctity is built.
What must we do to get this conviction?
We must know Jesus, love Jesus, serve Jesus.
I must not attempt to control God's actions; I must not count the stages in the journey He would have me make. I ask Him to make a saint of me, yet I must leave to Him the choice of that saintliness itself and still more the choice of the means which lead to it.

Everything of you should be sweetness and peace



Meditations by Padre Pio -

If you suffer with resignation in doing His will, you do not offend Him but love Him. And your heart will find great comfort in remembering that in your hour of pain Jesus Himself suffers in you and for you. He did not abandon you when you fled from Him; why should He abandon you now that you are proving your love for Him by the martyrdom of your soul? (GF, 174).

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

America is spoiled because she expects too much!

"The discontent is far greater among the over-privileged than the underprivileged. The rich need the psychoanalysts more than the poor. Few European minds cracked under two wars. Many American minds have. The first learned not to expect anything. This lesson America has yet to learn."

St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -



Second Day

Today bring to me the souls of priests and religious, and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave Me the strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them, as through channels, My mercy flows out upon mankind. (1212)

Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service, that we may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven.

The fountain of God's love
Dwells in pure hearts,
Bathed in the Sea of Mercy
Radiant as stars, bright as the dawn.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company [of chosen ones] in Your vineyard-upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen. (1213)

MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY

Mar 18 - BE THANKFUL IN FRONT OF THE CROSS

Our Lady reminds us of her message of March 13th, and speaks of gratitude:

"Dear Children, remember the four things you have to do during Lent. Tonight when you go home, I ask you to be thankful in front of the cross for all that you fell you should be grateful for; thank Jesus for what you have. My Son will hear you (Visionary Prayer Group February 13, 1989).

Second Corinthians also speaks of gratitude:

Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God (2 Cor 4:15)

Reflection:

The Virgin speaks many times of gratitude in her messages, for it is a form of love of God. Poets and writers have searched for words beautiful enough to express their thanks for such great gifts, but none have succeeded so well as St. Francis of Assisi. May his Canticle of the Sun be our own hymn of thanksgiving today:

O most high, almighty Lord God, To You belong praise, glory, honor and all Blessings. Praise to my Lord God with all his creatures, And especially our brother the sun, who brings Us the day and who brings us the light; Fair is he who shines with such great splendor;

O Lord, he signifies You to us! Praise to my Lord for our sister the moon and For the stars. Which he has set clear and lovely in heaven. Praise to my Lord for all those who pardon One another for his love' s sake, And who endure weakness and tribulation; Blessed are they who peaceably shall endure; For You, O God, shall give them a crown! Praise to my Lord for our sister, the death Of the body from which no man escapes. Woe to him who dies in mortal sin! Blessed are they who are found walking in Your most holy will, For the second death shall have no power To do them harm. Praise and bless the Lord and give him thanks, And serve him with great humility.

Application:

Offer one decade of your rosary today simply in thanksgiving to God For all his gifts. In addition, review Our Lady's message of March 13th, as she has requested today.





Mother Teresa -

The aim of taking a retreat is to advance in the knowledge and love of God, to purify ourselves, and to reform and transform our lives according to the life of our model, Jesus Christ.
It is not so much a looking back on the achievements and failures of the past, as a looking forward to a more generous imitation of our Lord Himself.

Meditations by Padre Pio -

Always love suffering, which, besides being the work of Divine Wisdom, reveals the work of His love to us even more (ASN, 43).

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Without Faith it's all psychobabble!

"When religion is strong, it purges the unconscious mind of all those fears and anxieties, those worries and psychoses which psychoanalysis tries to expunge in the soul without faith."

St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -



Eighth Day

Today bring to Me the souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice. (1226)

Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of the purifying fire, that in that place, too, the power of Your mercy may be praised.

From that terrible heat of the cleansing fire
Rises a plaint to Your mercy,
And they receive comfort, refreshment, relief
In the stream of mingled Blood and Water.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. (1227)

MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY

Mar 24 - THE VIGIL OF THE ANNUNCIATION

On this vigil in 1985 Our Lady said:

"Today I invite all of you to confession, even if you have already gone a few days ago. I wish that you would live my feast in your hearts. You are not able to, if you do not abandon yourselves completely to the Lord, It is for this reason that I call you to reconciliation with the Lord". (First Years March 24, 1985).

This reconciliation to God is possible because of the redeeming sacrifice of Christ on Calvary:

For in (Christ) all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him… (Col 1:19-22).

Reflection:

On this vigil of the Annunciation, Our Lady says that, "I wish that you would live my feast in your hearts." This may sound puzzling until we reflect on the core message of the Annunciation, which is Mary's complete abandonment to God's will, signified by her unequivocal yes to all he asked of her. Thus the Blessed Mother wishes us to experience this same surrender to God in our own hearts, this same yes to God that consecrates us entirely to him. Thus her feast day, her yes, is experienced within us.

The fruit of this abandonment in our lives is a profound trust and confidence in the Lord, the same trust that Mary possessed. She longs to share it with us.

The one obstacle is sin, and so it follows that Our Lady would end her message by saying, "Therefore, I call all of you to reconciliation with God." Our reading from St. Paul resounds with the same advice. Mary invites everyone to confession, where our sins are forgiven and can no longer separate us from God. We can therefore abandon ourselves to the Lord like trusting children, joining our yes to God with that of hers.

Application:

If you have not received the sacrament of reconciliation within the last month, make a firm commitment to do so this week, as Our Lady urges in her message today.

Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 20 - Pray before the crucifix



St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, Spouse of the Bl.
Virgin Mary:


"We all have in him [St. Joseph] a model and a protector. As adorers of the Sacramental Jesus, we continue near the Blessed Sacrament his service, his adoration and his love. He will watch over us and give us his spirit and virtues. Leading us to Jesus, he will say to Him: 'I cannot be on earth any longer to watch over You and serve You, but bless these adorers who are replacing me; give them the graces You gave me, so that their service may recall and replace mine.' How happy St. Joseph is to see us crowding about Jesus in His Sacrament, feeble, abandoned, persecuted, more in need of defenders and servants than in His Infancy . . . . Saint Joseph, be my protector, my model, and my father in my service of Jesus Eucharistic" (St. Peter Julian Eymard).



"Jesus seems continually to exclaim from the altar: Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you (Matthew 11:28).
Come, He says, come you who are poor; come, you who are infirm; come, you who are afflicted; come, you who are just and you who are sinners, and you shall find in me a remedy for all your losses and afflictions. This is the desire of Jesus Christ: to console every person who calls upon Him" (St. Alphonsus Liguori).



"O Jesus of the Eucharist! O consecrated Host! O envied Monstrance! O blessed Ciborium, beloved of my heart! The Tabernacle is my Treasure and, far or near, my eyes never lose sight of it, for it contains the God of Love" (Concepcion Cabrera de Armida).

The Cross is that solid wood that preserves and maintains always enkindled the fire of Charity.



Mother Teresa -

To be able to do all these, pray lovingly like children, with an earnest desire to love much and make loved the Love that is not loved.

Food without substance, is worth nothing. They swell the stomach. So are works without an internal spirit and without the right intention. Emptied of Divine Substance, they are worth nothing and serve only to inflate the person, who receives more harm than good.



Meditations by Padre Pio -

Keep strongly and constantly united to God, consecrating all your affections, torments, and your entire self to Him, patiently awaiting the return of that beautiful sun, whenever the Spouse is pleased to visit you through trials of aridity, desolation and darkness of spirit (Letters III, p. 674.)

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

No mystery as to why we have missed the Mystery

"When minds abandon their concern about final destiny, they substitute for the mystery of what happens after death, the mystery of how someone was murdered. But mystery there must be."

St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -

Novena - http://www.marian.org/divinemercy/novena.html



THIRD DAY

"Today bring to Me ALL DEVOUT AND FAITHFUL SOULS, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought Me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were that drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness."

Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It. We beg this grace of You by that most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.


FOURTH DAY

"Today bring to Me THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD* AND THOSE WHO DO NOT YET KNOW ME. I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy."

Most compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who do not believe in God and of those who as yet do not know You. Let the rays of Your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol Your wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who do not believe in You, and of those who as yet do not know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Draw them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness it is to love You. Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of Your mercy for endless ages.

Amen.

*Our Lord's original words here were "the pagans." Since the pontificate of Pope John XXIII, the Church has seen fit to replace this term with clearer and more appropriate terminology.


FIFTH DAY

"Today bring to Me THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO HAVE SEPARATED THEMSELVES FROM MY CHURCH,* and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is, My Church. As they return to unity with the Church, My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion."

Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it of You. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Church. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Son's Church, who have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces by obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your own Son and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart. Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen.

*Our Lord's original words here were "heretics and schismatics," since He spoke to Saint Faustina within the context of her times. As of the Second Vatican Council, Church authorities have seen fit not to use those designations in accordance with the explanation given in the Council's Decree on Ecumenism (n.3). Every pope since the Council has reaffirmed that usage. Saint Faustina herself, her heart always in harmony with the mind of the Church, most certainly would have agreed. When at one time, because of the decisions of her superiors and father confessor, she was not able to execute Our Lord's inspirations and orders, she declared: "I will follow Your will insofar as You will permit me to do so through Your representative. O my Jesus " I give priority to the voice of the Church over the voice with which You speak to me" (497). The Lord confirmed her action and praised her for it.



MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY



Mar 20 - PRAY BEFORE THE CRUCIFIX

On this day in 1989, the Blessed Virgin said to the prayer group:

"From tonight I ask you to pray even more. Meditate on the wounds of Jesus. Pray as much as you can in front of the crucifix." (Visionary Prayer Group March 20, 1989).

1 Corinthians also speaks of the cross:

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God…For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength (1 Cor 1:18; 22-25)

Reflection:

Once Our Lady said to the seers, "If you knew how much I loved you, you would weep for joy." In much the same way, prayer before a crucifix can bring the same tears, for it is the greatest evidence of God's love in the universe.

This is the reason why Mary asks us to contemplate the wounds of Christ, for they speak so clearly of his love. Christ's entire life, and especially his passion, were one unequaled act of divine love. He would go to any extreme to win us back; he would endure any suffering to save us; he would give anything, even his life. It is hard to fathom such an all-consuming love, but the more we ponder it, the more we realize its astonishing depth. This is Mary's wish.

On the surface, the Lord's crucifixion was an abhorrent and terrifying event---a man tortured to death by degrees. But what motivated Jesus to endure the unthinkable, his intense love for us, is the key to understanding what the world calls "the folly of the cross." Yet believers know that the cross is the inscrutable wisdom of Love seeking its surest proof, its fullest expression for the sake of the beloved.

The mystery of the cross, for truly it is a mystery of the deepest currents of love, can only be comprehended through prayer, and then only by degrees. Hence Our Lady's request today.

Application:

Spend time in prayer today before a crucifix, contemplating the wounds of Christ and the love they signify for you.

Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 19 - Today we honor St. Joseph



St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, Spouse of the Bl.
Virgin Mary:


"We all have in him [St. Joseph] a model and a protector. As adorers of the Sacramental Jesus, we continue near the Blessed Sacrament his service, his adoration and his love. He will watch over us and give us his spirit and virtues. Leading us to Jesus, he will say to Him: 'I cannot be on earth any longer to watch over You and serve You, but bless these adorers who are replacing me; give them the graces You gave me, so that their service may recall and replace mine.'

How happy St. Joseph is to see us crowding about Jesus in His Sacrament, feeble, abandoned, persecuted, more in need of defenders and servants than in His Infancy . . . . Saint Joseph, be my protector, my model, and my father in my service of Jesus Eucharistic" (St. Peter Julian Eymard).



"Jesus seems continually to exclaim from the altar: Come to me, all you who work hard and who carry heavy burdens and I will refresh you (Matthew 11:28).
Come, He says, come you who are poor; come, you who are infirm; come, you who are afflicted; come, you who are just and you who are sinners, and you shall find in me a remedy for all your losses and afflictions. This is the desire of Jesus Christ: to console every person who calls upon Him" (St. Alphonsus Liguori).

The Cross is the torch of working Faith.



Mother Teresa -

Trust in the good God who loves us, who cares for us, who sees all, knows all, can do all things for my good and the good of souls. One thing Jesus asks of me: that I lean upon Him; that in Him alone I put complete trust; that I surrender myself to Him unreservedly. Love Jesus with a big heart.
Serve Jesus with joy and gladness of spirit, casting aside and forgetting all that troubles and worries you.

If you peal back the veil of humanity, you should see the Divinity



Meditations by Padre Pio -

Let us not spare ourselves on our ascent to Calvary for love He Who sacrificed Himself for love of us and let us patient, certain of our flight for Tabor (ASN, 42).

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Think about what has filled our void today!

"An age without faith is an age of superstition. Religious belief is so essential to the heart that once it is cast aside, some false form is called in to fill the void. Unless the house is tenanted with goodness, seven devils worse than the first come in to dwell there."



MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY

Mar 19 - ST. JOSEPH, HUSBAND OF MARY

As St. Joseph is the patron of workers, it is appropriate today that we hear Our Lady's special message on this topic:

"Dear Children, always pray before your work and end it with prayer. If you do that, God will bless you and your work. These last days, you have prayed little and worked very much. Pray more. In prayer, you will find rest (Weekly Message (July 5, 1984).

In his second letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul also takes up the theme of work:

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, and we did not eat anyone's bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat (2 Thes 3:7-10)

Reflection:

Today we honor St. Joseph, the great guardian and protector of God's greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son, and Mary, our Mother. St. Bernadine of Siena, a Franciscan of the 15th century, once wrote, "In Joseph the Old Testament finds its fitting close.

He brought the noble line of patriarchs and prophets to its promised fulfillment. What God had offered as a promise to them, he held in his arms."

Joseph is also the patron saint of workers, which is the subject of our readings today, He taught the skills of carpentry to Jesus, who gave labor an intrinsic dignity. From the Vatican II document "The Church Today": "We hold that by offering his labor to God, a man becomes associated with the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, who conferred an eminent dignity on labor when, at Nazareth, he worked with his own hands." In the words of Kahlil Gibran, "work is love made visible"; today we celebrate this love in the person of St. Joseph.

Application:

In her message, Our Lady calls us to "always pray before your work, and end your work with prayer." Today let us do exactly that, beginning a practice that will hopefully evolve into a habit.



Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 16 - MANY LIVE IN SIN

"In the Eucharist the Church is completely united to Christ and his sacrifice, and makes her own the spirit of Mary. This truth can be understood more deeply by re-reading the Magnificat in a Eucharistic key. The Eucharist, like the Canticle of Mary, is first and foremost praise and thanksgiving. When Mary exclaims: 'My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour', she already bears Jesus in her womb. She praises God 'through' Jesus, but she also praises him 'in' Jesus and 'with' Jesus. This is itself the true 'Eucharistic attitude'" (Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 58).

The Cross is that beneficent water that not only purifies me, but provides the nourishment for the virtues in me. It makes them grow in me. And then it leaves me, when it brings me back to Eternal Life.

Mother Teresa -

Jesus has chosen us for Himself; we belong to Him. Let us be so convinced of this belonging that we do not allow anything, however small, to separate us from this belonging from this love.

"The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass gives boundless honor to the Most Blessed Trinity because it represents the passion of Jesus Christ and because through the Mass we offer God the merits of Our Lord's obedience, of His sufferings and of His Precious Blood. The whole of the heavenly court also receives an accidental joy from the Mass.



Several doctors of the Church—together with St. Thomas Aquinas—tell us that, for the same reason, all the blessed in Heaven rejoice in the communion of the faithful because the Blessed Sacrament is a memorial of the passion and death of Jesus Christ, and that by means of it men share in its fruits and work out their salvation" (St. Louis de Montfort).



You must be attentive to everything that may not be sweetness and peace if you do not want to dishonor me.



Meditations by Padre Pio -

Suffering has been loved joyfully by great souls. It is the auxiliary of creation after the unfortunate fall; it is a most powerful lever to raise man up again, it is the helping hand of Infinite Love for our regeneration (ASN, 42).

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

God helps those who help themselves for His sake

"Contentment is not inconsistent with our endeavor to have our condition improved. We do everything we can, as if all depended on us, but we trust in God as if everything depended on Him."

St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -



Jesus, I trust in You.

Novena to The Divine Mercy

which Jesus instructed me to write down and make before the Feast of Mercy. It begins on Good Friday.

I desire that during these nine days you bring souls to the fountain of My mercy, that they may draw from them strength and refreshment and whatever grace they need in the hardships of life, and especially at the hour of death.

On each day you will bring to My Heart a different group of souls, and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy, and I will bring all these souls into the house of My Father. You will do this in this life and in the next. I will deny nothing to any soul whom you will bring to the fount of My mercy. On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My bitter Passion, for graces for these souls.

I answered, "Jesus, I do not know how to make this novena or which souls to bring first into Your Most Compassionate Heart." Jesus replied that He would tell me which souls to bring each day into His Heart. (1209)

MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY

Mar 16 - MANY LIVE IN SIN

The visionaries say that the Virgin is usually happy when she appears to them, but in giving today's message she was in tears:

"There are so many men who live in sin. Here there are likewise among you some people who have offended my heart. Pray and fast for them (Locution Jelena & Mirajana March 21, 1984).

Reflection: Although sin is a tragic reality of our world, as the Gospa reminds us today, so is the limitless mercy and forgiveness of God, who has reconciled us to himself through the Cross.

As St. John writes:

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world (1 Jn2:1-2).

The grace of God's forgiveness is freely given to all who acknowledge their sin with a repentant heart; indeed, the church gives us the season of Lent for this very purpose. From Psalm 51, the Prayer of Repentance:

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; In the greatness of your compassion wipe out My offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt And of my sin cleanse me. For I acknowledge my offense, And my sin is before me always: "Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight" That you may be justified in your sentence, Vindicated when you condemn. A clean heart create for me, O God, And a steadfast spirit renew within me. ---Psalm 51:1-6; 12 (NAB)

Repentance always touches the heart of God, and he embraces us with tender forgiveness. The Blessed Mother not only calls us personally to repentance today, but asks us to pray and fast for the many souls who are hardened in sin. In fact, throughout her many messages this is a major theme. In engaging in this ministry of prayer for the conversion of sinners, we are going that extra mile in living Our Lady's messages.

Application:

Today offer the Sorrowful Mysteries for the conversion of sinners, and perhaps your fasting or other sacrifice on Friday.

Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 15 - Read the Bible



"When I am before the Tabernacle, I can say only one thing to Our Lord: 'My God, you know that I love you.' And I feel my prayer does not tire Jesus; knowing the helplessness of His poor little spouse, He is content with her good will" (St. Therese, The Little Flower).

The Cross is the noble seat of uncreated Wisdom that teaches me the most high doctrines, subtle and sublime. Therefore, the Cross alone will unveil to me the most secret mysteries, the most hidden things, the most perfect perfection, hidden to the most learned and wise of the world.



Mother Teresa -

Love begins at home.
Everything depends on how we love each other. Do not be afraid to love until it hurts, for this is how Jesus loved.



Each suffering that the soul endures, is one more dominion which she attains over herself.



Meditations by Padre Pio -

He who begins to love, must be ready to suffer (CE, 25).



Archbishop Fulton Sheen

The greater our love for God, the less our needs in this world

"Contentment is based on the idea that `our sufficiency is not from ourselves but from God.' The soul does not desire or lack more than what God has supplied him. His will suits his state after he has exhausted his resources and his desire does not exceed his power. Hence everything that happens is judged to be as good and worthy of Divine appointment. As Socrates observed: `He is nearest to God who needs the fewest things.'"



St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -



O Lord, my Love, I thank You for this day on which You have allowed me to draw a wealth of graces from the fountain of Your unfathomable mercy. O Jesus, not only today, but at every moment, I draw from Your unfathomable mercy everything that the soul and body could want. (1178)

Jesus. From all My wounds, like from streams, mercy flows for souls, but the wound in My Heart is the fountain of unfathomable mercy. From this fountain spring all graces for souls. The flames of compassion burn Me. I desire greatly to pour them out upon souls. Speak to the whole world about My mercy. (1190)





MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY

Mar 15 - READ THE BIBLE

The Queen of Peace speaks of scripture to the prayer group:

I ask you again to multiply your prayers to prepare yourself for Easter. Also, read the Bible, especially those passages that speak of the Passion of Jesus. Prepare yourself to look at Jesus "eye to eye". Tonight when you go home, pray in front of the cross in thanksgiving for all the graces you have received (Visionary Prayer Group March 17, 1989).

In Hebrews, Paul speaks of the power of scripture:

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb 4:12).

Reflection:

The American poet Timothy Dwight once said: "The Bible is a window in this prison-world, through which we may look into eternity." And yet cannot enlighten or reveal God's will to us unless we read and reflect upon it, which Our Lady calls us to do today.

In Hebrews, Paul speaks of scripture as living, life-changing, and dynamic. God's word reveals who we are and the purpose of life. It penetrates the core of our moral and spiritual life; it helps us to discern what is within us, both good and bad.

As the message of scripture becomes a part of us, it will affect our lifestyle, character, and decisions. It will begin to shape our lives.

Application:

Continue to make sacred scripture a part of your daily life. As Our Lady requests of us for Lent, begin to read the narratives of Christ's Passion, beginning today with Matthew 26:36 –27:61. The others are Mark 14:32—15:47; Luke 22:39—23:56; and John 18:1—19:42.