St. Bridget 12 Year Prayer - The Seven Wounds of Jesus- A Prayer Request

My dad has a great devotion to this beautiful novena that was given to St. Bridget of Sweden on the Passion and Death of Jesus.

A few days before Christmas, dad began some internal bleeding, resulting from both a reaction to his medication and his advanced prostate and bone cancer. As we sat in the emergency room with him, waiting for admission to the hospital where he would remain until his bleeding was under control, he looked up at my mother, squeezed her hand,  and asked her to make sure that she went home to get him his pamphlet that contained this special novena; he prays it daily.

Dad is home now and and resting as comfortably as possible.  He has tried to promote this novena to the people he comes in contact with. Seeing just how firmly he believes in the power of this novena, I have started to pray it too.

If you do take the time to watch this, will you please offer it up for  my dad ; his name is Don. God be with you all...Daily Grace

Medjugorge Magazine- St. Bridget

Divine Babe

"Let us put our hands in those of the Divine Babe. Let us say our Yes to his invitation "follow me" and we will be His. The way will be clear for His divine life to become incarnate in us. This is precisely the light that comes through the darkness, a light kindled in the soul the miracle of Christmas."  St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, O.C.D (Edith Stein)

The first Christmas was certainly surrounded by wonder. 1

Zacharias wondered how he and his elderly wife could give birth to the forerunner of the Messiah. (Luke 1:18)

Mary wondered how it would be possible for a virgin to give birth to a baby. (Luke 1:34)

Joseph wondered why he and Mary had been chosen by God to be the parents of the Messiah. (Matthew 1:18-25)

The shepherds in the fields outside Bethlehem wondered about the angels that appeared in the sky, and what their message meant. (Luke 2 13-15)

Those in Bethlehem wondered about the story that the shepherds were spreading throughout the village. (Luke 2:17-18)

Mary wondered about everything that was happening at the birth of her baby. (Luke 2:19)

May the wonder of  of the Divine Babe, love incarnate, be your joy this Christmas Day and may you share His joy with all you meet.

 "Dear children, here is my Son in my arms! I would like to ask you to be a light for all in the year to come. I would like to call you again to live my messages- the messages of peace, conversion, prayer, penance, and faith.

Dear children , your Mother does not seek words from you- I ask for deeds. Your Mother will help you and she will give you the strength to preserve. And tonight I would like to tell you: Rejoice! BVM, Medjugorje, 12/25/1989

1 The 12 Ways of Christmas, David Jeremiah

Without God We Are Incomplete

 Fr. Barron make a great analogy in this short clip that, no matter what our successes or accomplishments might be, nothing on earth can satisfy us because we are wired for God. Without God we are incomplete!

Mary Immaculate And America

 

My children, it is only because many years ago you consecrated your country to Me that you have not received the destruction that is gradually coming closer to you from the outside world. But if you turn from Me now I no longer will be able to shield you."

 ~Our Lady, July 1, 1971

The above quote is from a private revelation (not sure to whom) and while we do not need to believe in private revelations, these words seem to ring very true for us today.

 In 1846,the first Council of Baltimore formally declared the Blessed Virgin Mary conceived without sin, the patroness of the United States. This formal declaration came eight years before Pope Pius IX declared the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

We in this country need to turn to Mary. As patroness of this country she is also a protector. This country comes closer every day to the destruction referred to in the quote. 

Our Lady's sole desire is to bring us closer to her Son. If we turn to her, she will surely do this, not just individually but as a nation.

We pray to our patron saints for guidance and protection in our lives. Let us pray, as one nation under God, to Our Lady under the title of the Immaculate Conception for guidance and protection. She will lead us to Jesus who is our ultimate Savior and Protector.

Prayer Entrusting the United States to Mary Immaculate

Most Holy Trinity, we put the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present the country to you. Through her we wish to thank you for the great resources of this land and for the freedom which has been its heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in America. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our President and on all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy, born of justice and charity. Have mercy on capital and industry and labor. Protect the family life of the nation. Guard the precious gift of many religious vocations. Through the intercession of our Mother, have mercy on the sick, the tempted, sinners—on all who are in need.

Mary, Immaculate Virgin, our Mother, patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and give ourselves to you. Protect us from every harm. Pray for us, that acting always according to your will and the will of your divine Son, we may live and die pleasing to God.
Amen.

(Excerpt from a prayer attributed to Archbishop John Carroll, first bishop of the United States)

Thank you Karinann, Daughter of the King, for sharing this beautiful blog today.

Take Time, Slow Down, Be Still

"Take time to be aware that in the very midst of our busy preparations for the celebration of Christ’s birth in ancient Bethlehem, Christ is reborn in the Bethlehems of our homes and daily lives. Take time, slow down, be still, be awake to the Divine Mystery that looks so common and so ordinary yet is wondrously present. Edward Hays, A Pilgrim’s Almanac, p. 196

 We love to walk together in the evening. It’s a nice way to unburden our minds, to be together and talk about our day before we settle in for the night. Sometimes our conversations are light and cheerful; sometimes they are more on the serious side, depending on what the day has brought us.

Lately, I have been bringing my Rosary bracelet on these walks and after we talk for a while I ask him, “Would you like to say the rosary with me”. He smiles and says, “of course”.

By the time we get home, no matter what the day has given us, we feel strengthened in mind and spirit.

Jesus, the great comforter, is always inviting us to give it all to him, to surrender every fear, every worry, every concern.

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

  

"Dear children; Today I am praying here with you that you may gather the strength to open your hearts and thus to become aware of the mighty love of the suffering God. Through this His love, goodness and meekness, I am also with you. I invite you for this special time of preparation to be a time of prayer, penance and conversion. My children, you need God. You cannot go forward without my Son. When you comprehend and accept this, what was promised to you will be realized. Through the Holy Spirit the Kingdom of Heaven will be born in your hearts. I am leading you to this. Thank you." December 02 2010 Message to Mirjana

Only honest eyes can see the way........

He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”Jeremiah 17:8

"Dear children, As a mother I am with you so that with my love, prayer and example I may help you to become a seed of the future, a seed that will grow into a firm tree and spread it's branches throughout the world. For you to become a seed of the future, a seed of love, implore the Father to forgive you your omissions up to now. My children, only a pure heart, unburdened by sin, can open itself and only honest eyes can see the way by which I desire to lead you. When you become aware of this, you will become aware of the love of God - it will be given (as a gift) to you. Then you will give it (as a gift) to others as a seed of love. Thank you."BVM, Medjugorje, Message of December 02, 2011

A loving mother never stops caring for her child no matter how old that child is. She brings that child before the Lord and lovingly places her[him] into his hands.In constant prayer she pleas for her[him]. She never gives up hope.

Advent is a time of hope, of spiritual awakening, a time to prepare our souls for Immanuel.. Our Lady is asking us to open our eyes, to recognize the things that keep us from coming ever closer to her son. Will we be ready to receive the precious gift which the Lord wants to share with us.Will we be able to say with pure hearts, "come let us adore him"........

Mother Mary, thank you for always interceding for me.

Her Amazement at Her Only Child

Light piercing, gradually, everyday events;                
a woman's eyes, hands
used to them since childhood.
Then brightness flared, too huge for simple days,
and hands clasped when the words lost their space.

In that little town, my son, where they knew us together,
you called me mother; but no one had eyes to see
the astounding events as they took place day by day.
Your life became the life of the poor
in your wish to be with them through the work of your hands.
I knew: the light that lingered in ordinary things,
like a spark sheltered under the skin of our days -
the light was you;
it did not come from me.

And I had more of you in that luminous silence
than I had of you as the fruit of my body,  my blood.

Karol Wojtyla
(Pope John Paul II)

Open Your Hearts

"The world is not as just, not as loving, not as whole as we know it can and should be. But the coming of Christ and his presence among us—as one of us—give us reason to live in hope: that light will shatter the darkness, that we can be liberated from our fears and prejudices, that we are never alone or abandoned. 1

God, in His Supreme Mind, knew the faults mankind.

He saw our weakness, and loving Father that He is, still sought the way of our redemption.

He could have chosen any means to do this; however, He chose a spotless womb, a new Eve to aid humanity from falling, to lead us on the path of holiness, purity, charity and virtue. She would be the God-Bearer, the perfect temple, the Ark of the Covenant. Her name would be Mary, conceived without sin, the Immaculate.

From the moment she said “yes” to God, she has been our Co-Redemptress, tirelessly working to lead us toward her Son, continually asking us to open our hearts to Him.

Today she is still calling us to open our hearts, to become the change we seek in the world. She has given us a way to do this through prayer, fasting, the Holy Bible, confession, and attending Holy Mass .

"Dear children; Today I am praying here with you that you may gather the strength to open your hearts and thus to become aware of the mighty love of the suffering God. Through this His love, goodness and meekness, I am also with you. I invite you for this special time of preparation to be a time of prayer, penance and conversion. My children, you need God. You cannot go forward without my Son. When you comprehend and accept this, what was promised to you will be realized. Through the Holy Spirit the Kingdom of Heaven will be born in your hearts. I am leading you to this. Thank you."BVM 12/02/2010 to Mirijana

“May this Advent season be a time for bringing hope, transformation and fulfillment into the Advent of our lives."2  

1,2  CONNECTIONS, 11-28-93

reprint from the archives 

Recognizing Greatness

  We like Bethlehem, are too tiny to imagine the greatness within us: 1

You Bethlehem-Eprathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule my people Israel.  Micah 5:1-2

Be alert,

stay awake,

be prepared,

for grace flows down from above.

Will my heart be open,

will my eyes bear witness,

or will I fail to even see.

A simple yes from one who loves,

this heart will know great sorrow.

She reaches down into the manger bed

and cradles our hope for the morrow.

Oh Bethlehem, town so small,

in you salvation came to sing.

And, forever will history recall  that

you cared for Christ our King.

May we recognize the greatness and love of Christ in our small everyday life during this Advent season and always.

God bless

1. Radical Grace, Daily Meditations by Father Richard Rohr

Prepare the way of the Lord.

   “A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
   make straight paths for him.
Every valley shall be filled in,
   every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
   the rough ways smooth.
And all people will see God’s salvation.’” Luke 3: 4-6

Advent is a time of preparation as we wait for the coming of the Christ Child. During this time we will  decorate our homes and prepare our  shopping lists, we will prepare our special projects select our favorite recipes to share with family and friends. From all outside appearances everything will look as it should. But, will we have taken the time we needed to prepare our hearts and our souls for his coming. Will we have used this time for prayer and reflection? Will we have prepared the way of the Lord? Will we be ready to receive his grace?


Joy, hope, peace and love.
May these be the gifts we give and receive this advent season.

 "Dear children! Today I desire to give you hope and joy. Everything that is around you, little children, leads you towards worldly things but I desire to lead you towards a time of grace, so that through this time you may be all the closer to my Son, that He can lead you towards His love and eternal life, for which every heart yearns. You, little children, pray and may this time for you be one of grace for your soul. Thank you for having responded to my call." BVM, Medjugorje,Message of November 25, 2011

Today let us give praise and honor to the Lord

 In God's Company 2

Honor Your Father And Your Mother

I came across this video clip today and it spoke volumes to me because there have been a few times recently where I have witnesses adult children speaking harshly to their aging parents either at a mall or at the grocery store.Perhaps they don't realize how they come across. Perhaps they harbor resentment from the past. On occasion I have wanted to voice my opinion, but have not wanted to cause the elderly parent any further embarrassment. Rather, I have offered up prayer for both of them, remembering Christ's words "Father forgive them for they know not what to do". 

 "Dear children! Today, in a special way, I invite
you to take the cross in the hands and to meditate on the wounds
of Jesus. Ask of Jesus to heal your wounds, which you, dear
children, during your life sustained because of your sins or the
sins of your parents. Only in this way, dear children, you will
understand that the world is in need of healing of faith in God
the Creator. By Jesus' passion and death on the cross, you will
understand that only through prayer you, too, can become true
apostles of faith; when, in simplicity and prayer, you live faith
which is a gift. Thank you for having responded to my call."

BVM, March 25, 1997, Medjugorje

I Will Not Leave You Orphaned

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them. John 14: 15-21

These sweet words of Jesus speak directly to our hearts, for he knows our deepest fears, our deepest challenges, our loneliness and our areas of vulnerability.  Through these trying times, these many seasons of our lives, he promises “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you”

What immeasurable love the Father has for us; a love freely given and undeserved.

 Father Richard Rohr, O.F.M. says it perfectly when he says, “God doesn’t love us because we are good, God loves us because God is good.”1  His love is a gift of pure grace poured out and overflowing for all of  us.  And he asks so little of us in return. He just wants us to love him and to share our love for him to a world that neither sees him nor knows him, to a world that has lost its way. 

True love cannot be kept to itself, it must be shared in order to grow. Our love of God must be the same.It must be shared with others, it must shine so brightly that it illuminates the way for others.

Lord, let our love for you burn so brightly that it might lead others to your goodness. Let our voices join in with the Psalmist, inviting others to, “Taste, and see, the goodness of the Lord “(Psalm 34:8). 

"Dear children, the Father has not left you to yourselves. Immeasurable is His love, the love that is bringing me to you, to help you to come to know Him, so that, through my Son, all of you can call Him 'Father' with the fullness of heart; that you can be one people in God's family. However, my children, do not forget that you are not in this world only for yourselves, and that I am not calling you here only for your sake. Those who follow my Son think of the brother in Christ as of their very selves and they do not know selfishness. That is why I desire that you be the light of my Son, that to all those who have not come to know the Father - to all those who wander in the darkness of sin, despair, pain and loneliness - you may illuminate the way and that, with your life, you may show them the love of God. I am with you. If you open your hearts, I will lead you. Again I am calling you: pray for your shepherds. Thank you." BVM, Medjugorge,11/02/2011

1Fr. Richard Rohr

At least 532 have been healed in Medjugorje

At least 532 have been healed in Medjugorje
by Jakob Marschner on Nov 3, 2011

On the average, next to one million Holy Communions were distributed per year in each of Medjugorje’s first 30 years of apparitions. More than 500 people think of Medjugorje as the place where they were healed from oftentimes incurable or even terminal disease, and about as many priests ascribe their vocation to a visit.

Key statistics of Medjugorje’s first 30 years of apparitions are revealing a parish not quite like most other parishes about the size of 4,000 parishioners.

27 million Holy Communions were distributed.

540,000 visits were registred from Cardinals, Bishops, priests and nuns.

532 healings were medically documented.

520 men became priests as a result of a visit.

123 women became nuns as a result of a visit.

First passed on by a Franciscan priest during the Medjugorje conference in Irvine, California, on October 21-23, last week these numbers were published on websites and blogs, and the numbers are indeed correct as of the 30th anniversary, Medjugorje parish archivist Marija Dugandzic confirms to Medjugorje Today.

With the number of clerical visits and distributed Holy Communions being the surest and most exact ones, an unknown number of healings and vocations have gone un-reported, and so the real number in both categories would be bigger, was it possible to know them.

The measures of the fruits of Medjugorje's
 first 30 years are now being confirmed
 by parish archivist Marija Dugandzic.

 Photo: childrenofmedjugorje.com

Barbara Camenga reported from Medjugorje
http://is.gd/9cXHey

Thank you Ed Sousa Sr. for sharing this post

A Time For Change

The real risk that we run in calling upon the living God, is not that we might wake God up. Rather, the danger is that God might awaken us. [We] might open our eyes to the ways that God is ever present with us. [He] has been right under our noses, waiting for us to notice. 1

Life seems like a ride in the fast lane with the radio on loud. Pedal to the floor, two hands on the wheel; if we take time to check our blind spot before making that lane change we congratulate ourselves for driving defensively. 

Our cars become our homes away from home. And, if we slow down just a moment to look around the inside of our highway homes we might have to admit that the surroundings reflect the messy, disarray of how we are living our lives.

Half drank soda cans, fast food wrappers, jacket, sports uniforms and gym bags, are just a small part of the rubble inside. 

We are all so busy being busy.

Texting has replace phone conversation with family and friends. And, Facebook supposedly gives us the feeling that we are in touch with one another.

There are many times, exhausted and empty, that we cry out to the Lord to help us. But, we think he is going to answer us as quickly as we operate our lives and when he does not, we easily  become discouraged and continue on in the same manner that lead us to this emptiness in the first place.

Nothing changes. 

Last weekend, my husband and I attended the Medjugorje Peace Conference in Irvine, CA. During the Eucharistic Liturgy on Friday evening, Fr. Joe Grbes, OFM, asked how many of us attended the conference last year. Many peoples raised their hands. Then he asked us, “How have you changed? Are you different than you were last year?”  If you had not changed, what prevented you from changing, and why did you come back this year? What is it going to take to make you change?

His comments made me stop and think, as I looked around, I saw many expressions that lead me to believe that other people might be asking themselves the same question.

God is ever present to us all the time. He is trying to wake us up. He is trying to get us to slow down long enough to take a look at our lives. He is calling us to change. He calls us to union with him, it's up to us to give him our "yes", our "fiat".

“Dear Children! I am looking at you and in your hearts I don not see joy. Today I desire to give you joy of the Risen One, that He may lead you and embrace you with His love and tenderness. I love you and I am praying for your conversion without ceasing before my son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.” BVM, Medjugorje, October 25, 2011.

Notes.1In The Sanctuary of Women, Jan L Richardson

Exposed

Adam and Eve

"Then the eyes of both were opened" (Genesis 3:7). They were exposed. When they heard the voice of God on the evening breeze, Eve and Adam hid themselves. From the One who had formed them, from the One who had given them life, they fled. 1

In their shame, in their sin, they hid their faces and refused to look upon the One who had created them, thus distancing themselves from God.2

Much like Eve and Adam, we have all experienced the shame of sin in our lives. This shame leads us to distancing ourselves from God and from one another. This shame leads us to sew  our own fig leaves together and to hide our selves from the life God has planned for us, from the gifts He wants to share with us.

Yet, we know that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God except our own refusal to acknowledge our sinfulness and to turn away from it.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and did not hide my iniquity; I said I will confess my sins to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilty of my sin.

Therefore, let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them. ~Psalm 32: 5-6

 "Dear children! My prayer today is for
all of you who seek the grace of conversion. You knock on the
door of my heart, but without hope and prayer, in sin, and
without the Sacrament of Reconciliation with God. Leave sin and
decide, little children, for holiness. Only in this way can I
help you, hear your prayers and seek intercession before the Most
High. Thank you for having responded to my call."    BVM, Medjugorje, Message of May 25, 2011     

Notes: 1,2,   the In the Sanctuary of Woman, A Companion For Reflection and Prayer, Jan L. Richardson

Simple Stones

The Philistine army had gathered for war against Israel. For forty days they taunted King Saul and his army. They were all terrified. But the faith and courage of one young boy changed what could have been a dreadful outcome.

David, son of Jesse, you slew Goliath with nothing but a sling shot and a bag of stones. As the 9 foot Philistine approached you, jeering at you and ridiculing you with his enormous size and mighty strength, you feared not! You, a simple shepherd boy, filled with trust and faithfulness to the God of Israel, took a stone from your side pouch, loaded your sling shot, aimed and launched the stone that ended his life and destroyed your enemy.

Our Lady has given us weapon to use against the attacks of the wicked enemy, Satan. These weapons are like the stones used by David to slay Goliath. They are prayer (daily Rosary), fasting, the Bible, monthly confession, and Holy Communion.

Since 1214, when the Church first received the Rosary from St. Dominic, given to him by Our Blessed Mother, the Rosary has been a powerful weapon for the conversion of sinners and a form of protection against the enemy.

To recite the Rosary is to be with Jesus and Mary, meditating on the mysteries of their lives. When we are daily linked with them by such meetings, then the joy of victory over death and sin is guaranteed to us with them. The gifts of the Spirit and the final triumph in heaven are assured us. 1

Sometimes, it is easy to say the Rosary in a hasty manner, rushing to finish it and off to start something else. But, we should try to say the Rosary like we were talking to a friend, enjoying the time we spend together, nurturing the moment and the relationship.

“Dear children! Today I invite you in a particular way to enter the battle against Satan by means of prayer. Satan wants to battle more, now that you are aware of his activity. Dear children, put on therefore, your armor against Satan, and with the Rosary in your hands, you will defeat him. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (August 8, 1985)

1  Pray with the Heart! Medjugorje Manual of Prayer, F. Slavko Barbaric, O.F.M.

21st  Medjugorje Peace Conference

October 21, 22 & 23, 2011         Bren Events Center, UCI Campus, Irvine, California

Located 40 miles south of Los Angles, CA

INVATATION

"Today I call you to have your life be
connected with God the Creator."
(Our Lady’s message at Medjugorje)

We cordially you, your family and your friends to this conference in Irvine to hear our Blessed Mother's messages and seriously consider living the conversion to which she is ardently calling us.

The Conference Program includes Speakers, Testimonies,
Sacraments of Reconciliation, Medjugorje Holy Hour, Healing Service, Daily Rosary, and Daily Holy Mass

      In June of 1981, six young people in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Hercegovina, were stunned by the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary and by her impassioned messages given for the salvation of the world: “Dear children, I am your Mother, the Queen of Peace…God sends me to you out of love that I may help you comprehend that without Him there is no future or joy and above all, there is no eternal salvation. ...I call you to have your life be connected with God the Creator.”

      For thirty years, out of love for each one of us, Our Blessed Mother continues to speak to the world through these six visionaries: “Now is a time of grace… I wish to be with you to reconcile the world through prayer, fasting, faith, conversion and peace…God is sending me to show you the way…Give your hand to me…and permit me to lead you.” Yes, now is a time to break free from our old ways of thinking, reasoning, judging and living—a time to embrace conversion of heart and true love for our neighbor, a time to pray and a time to fast.

      At this conference we are encouraged to ponder this invitation from Our Blessed Mother who copiously fills our cup with graces to help us stay connected with God the Creator. We have but to drink from it.

      “I am your Mother, I love you…God has permitted me to obtain graces for you… Realize that all the earthly things are not important for you, that only heaven is that for which it is necessary to strive.”

“I beg of you…to live my messages
and relate them to whomever you meet.”

© Copyright 2011 Medjugorje Peace Conference.

 

If you have any special intentions you would like brought to the conference you may either leave them in the comment box or email them to me and I will include them in the basket of intentions that will be lifted up at the mass and healing service Saturday evening.

 

Please keep the conference in prayer this weekend.

God bless you all,

 

Daily Grace

Medjugorje: Souha's Most Beautiful Confession

Souha’s most beautiful confession. A group came from the Middle East to spend a few days in Medjugorje, wanting to make a holy pilgrimage. Among them was Souha, a married woman whose husband is a doctor. She came without him because he was working.

Souha had a secret that left her without peace. Soon after her arrival, she went to see a priest from her group and confided to him that she had an abortion. The child that she was expecting was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome, and she and her husband did not want him. They decided together to have him removed from the womb and had an abortion performed. Her heart was still restless however and Souha asked the priest, “It’s not a sin, is it?” The priest answered, “But yes, my daughter, it is a sin! A grave sin! You must go to confession!”

Souha was not convinced and she shut herself within her denial. Yet she asked the Blessed Mother for a sign to know whether she should confess this act.

In the evening, at the apparition of the Gospa on the hill with Ivan, Souha was with her group. As soon as the Blessed Mother arrived, Souha unexpectedly bent over with her nose on the ground. She remained like this for a while and when she came back up after the apparition, her friends saw her crying. She told them, “Please call a priest, I must go to confession right away!”

I do not know what happened to her during the apparition, her friends respected her secret, but Our Mother acted.

In tears, Souha made the most beautiful confession of her life. Yes, she touched the horror of sin and it made her cry. She accepted God’s mercy towards her. Her inner peace was at last restored. Now she is free! What a contrast on her face! What light! She witnesses to her friends that she feels a deep joy, as never before in her life.

In Medjugorje, some pilgrims groups have a fine tradition. The guide suggests that each pilgrim receives the responsibility of praying for a particular person of the group during the whole pilgrimage. Thus the first or second night, each one must draw from a little basket the name of another pilgrim. That evening, out of the 150 people in the group, who received the name of Souha and the call to pray for her? A young woman with Down’s syndrome!

That same night, Souha’s husband called, and after hearing his wife’s story, tells her, “You know, I am calling you because I find it strange that you are over there praying to God, while I am here performing abortions. It is not right! Today, I have decided not to that anymore.” He also was crying over the phone. The whole day, he had the feeling that something was happening to his wife and he was ready to take this giant step professionally. Souha could not believe her ears.

This happened last August. Now Souha, her husband and their children are living differently, they put God in the first place. They practice the sacraments and go to Mass almost everyday. They give testimonies. After this memorable pilgrimage, they were wondering how to make reparation for such a past when they suddenly received a call from an orphanage needing help. Sisters were asking them to care for an orphaned child. They saw this as the answer from God, they were grateful to Him and decided to do everything in their power for the child.

And what has become of the aborted baby? In Medjugorje, Mary says of these unborn children, “They are with me”. This child is certainly praying for his parents and for all his little companions who, today, are programmed never to see the sun.

I am asking myself the question: did the baby really have Down’s syndrome? For I see more and more examples of wrong diagnostics: many mothers decide to keep their child whatever the handicap, and often, the child is born perfectly normal. Bizarre! To be meditated!

But God is wonderful! For this family, He changed evil into good. Now hundreds of children (perhaps even thousands) will never be aborted by this doctor who now fights for life.

*“Dear children, tonight I invite you to pray in a special way for the unborn children. Pray especially for the mothers who kill their children. Dear children, I am sad because so many children are killed. Pray that there are no more such mothers in the world.”
(To the Medjugorje Prayer group, 3- 03- 90)
Children of Medjugorje”  www.childrenofmedjugorje.com

Shared by Ed Sousa, Sr..

Day is Done

Day is done. Everyone here at the cabin has quietly settled in for the night. The house is peaceful and it’s a perfect time to pray and reflect on all that has gone by.

So much to think about, and so much to be grateful for.

Father Paul’s homily today at mass was wonderful. He spoke about “giving to God what belonged to God”.

And, He asked us, “what has God given you”, “what has God given to all of us?”

He reminded us that God has given us the gift of our lives; he tells us that God lives inside each of  us. He says that God has given us everything we possess,. God is with us in our hopes and dreams for the future. He has given us our talents, our families, our  every possessions;

God has given us so much. And, what does God want from us in return? He wants us to love him, to serve him, to be happy with him in this world and the next.1

God looks for our gratefulness.

As I sit here by the lamplight, my heart is filled with gratitude for I am given an awareness of the many blessings God has sent me this day.

Blessings came in many forms. Today my blessings came in forms of laughter shared with my Catholic community after mass. Blessings came in sharing a walk and a rosary with my husband. But most of all for  receiving Christ in the Eucharist; the nourishment of my soul. Nothing in the whole world can compare to this blessing.

I end this day with the Fifth Luminous Mystery, “The Institution of the Eucharist”, fruit of the mystery, love of our Eucharist Lord.

1. I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

2. Jesus took bread, blessed it: "Take and eat, this is My Body."

3. Taking the wine: "This cup is the new covenant in my Blood, shed for you."

4. At that Eucharistic meal, Jesus celebrated the first Mass.

5. At every Mass the sacrifice of Calvary is made present.

6. At the Last Supper Jesus instituted the sacrament of Holy Orders to perpetuate this sacrifice.

7. "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him."

8. The Eucharist is a sacrifice inasmuch as it is offered up, and a sacrament inasmuch as it is received.

9. In the Mass we offer ourselves to God, and God gives himself to us.

10. The Mass will be fruitful in the measure of our surrender to the Father.

1 Baltimore Catechism

We Are All Called

“If you will be what you should be, you will set all of Italy afire. Don’t be content with the small things: he, the Lord God, wants them great”…St. Catherine

Each and every one of us is called to a particular vocation in life.

Some of us might be called to be doctors; some of might be called to hospital ministry. Some of might be called to be teachers; some of us might be called to help out with religious education programs at our local parishes. Some of us are called to the priesthood; some of us are called to parenthood.Yes, we are all called.

Each of our callings is different from another, but every calling is unique in the eyes of God the Father that made us. And why did God make us?  God made us to know him, to love him, and to serve him in this world, and to be happy with him forever in heaven.1

Our existence is a manifestation of his love for us. Yet, the world today tries to show us that we don’t need God, that we can have societies and families without him. Little by little we push him aside, we become disconnected from God. Thinking that we know what is best for us, we put our trust in ourselves, rather than putting our trust in God that made us.

Jesus tells us, “You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk”(Luke 11:44).  Our spirituality is catching no one!

Jesus was asking the Pharisees and scholars of his days to wake up, to become what they should be. He is asking us to do the same. He wants us to set the world on fire with the love of his Holy Spirit. He wants our every action and reaction to reflect the love God has for us.

 "Dear children; Also today my motherly heart calls you to prayer, to your personal relationship with God the Father, to the joy of prayer in Him. God the Father is not far away from you and He is not unknown to you. He revealed Himself to you through my Son and gave you Life that is my Son. Therefore, my children do not give in to temptations that want to separate you from God the Father. Pray! Do not attempt to have families and societies without Him. Pray! Pray that your hearts may be flooded with the goodness which comes only from my Son, Who is sincere goodness. Only hearts filled with goodness can comprehend and accept God the Father. I will continue to lead you. In a special way I implore you not to judge your shepherds. My children, are you forgetting that God the Father called them? Pray! Thank you." BVM, Medjugorje, October 2, 2011


Mirjana said: I have never said anything before, but are you aware, brothers and sisters, that the Mother of God was with us? Each of us should ask himself: "Are you worthy of this?" I am saying this because it is difficult for me to see Her (Our Lady) in pain, because each of us is seeking a miracle, but does not want to work a miracle in himself.

1. Baltimore Catechism