Speak About The Glory of God

Our Lady Queen of Peace of Medjugorje’s April 2, 2013 Message
Given to Mirjana on the Day for Non-Believers

“Dear children; I am calling you to be one with my Son in spirit. I am calling you, through prayer, and the Holy Mass when my Son unites Himself with you in a special way, to try to be like Him; that, like Him, you may always be ready to carry out God’s will and not seek the fulfillment of your own. Because, my children, it is according to God’s will that you are and that you exist, and without God’s will you are nothing. As a mother, I am asking you to speak about the glory of God with your life because, in that way, you will also glorify yourself in accordance to His will. Show humility and love for your neighbor to everyone. Through such humility and love, my Son saved you and opened the way for you to the Heavenly Father. I implore you to keep opening the way to the Heavenly Father for all those who have not come to know Him and have not opened their hearts to His love. By your life, open the way to all those who still wander in search of the truth. My children, be my apostles who have not lived in vain. Do not forget that you will come before the Heavenly Father and tell Him about yourself. Be ready! Again I am warning you, pray for those whom my Son called, whose hands He blessed and whom He gave as a gift to you. Pray, pray, pray for your shepherds. Thank you.”

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord, All praise is Yours, all glory, all  honour and all blessings.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong, and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name. ~St. Francis of Assisi

He is Lord, He is Lord,
He is risen from the dead
And he is Lord.
Every knee shall bow,
Every tongue confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord.~ Author Unknown

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

The Song of Trust

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. Matthew 10:16




I hear your words, and I take them to heart.

Like a loving parent, you have taken me under your wing and taught me,

You have prepared me for the journey that lies ahead.

Though my sin is heavy before me, and my weakness is more than I can bear,

I trust in your mercy……your mercy is what I cling to… it shall be my strength in the days to come.

And when I stand before those that hold me in contempt, it will be your face that I see, not theirs, it will be your voice that I hear, not theirs.

Your love is all I need and your promises are truth and I shall sing your praises all the days of my life.

Pass it on...

In the days of your prophet Deborah,

You saved Israel by the hand of a woman.

In quiet wisdom she stood beneath her tree,

Guiding the searching ones in your Law.

She saw the threat of tyranny to her simple people.

She came to you for help and you answered her.

She listened.

Miryam of Nazareth, Woman of Strength & Wisdom, Ann Johnson, Ave Marie Press


Like Deborah beneath her tree, quiet time with the Lord refreshed my soul. Thankfully, we have a neighboring church close by that has an adoration chapel; I love to visit it often.

I can’t help but notice when I am there the number of women present, it’s a wonderful sight. Many have their rosary beads in hand, a few have open bibles, some just sit quietly with eyes closed, and others hold journals on their laps, with pen in hand.

Like Deborah, they bring their cares and their gratitude to the Lord. They come to Him for help, in their union with God, He hears them and answers. His gentle spirit embraces them as it does mine; together we are strengthened for what lies ahead.

I am thankful for the holy women that God has put in my life, especially those in my own family. Like the women in the chapel, their faith, courage and strength, have been such an inspiration to me. I only pray that I can pass it on.

Who do you have in your life to be thankful for? Who has been a blessing in your life? Please let them know, it is up to us to pass it on.

The Gift of Faith

To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.

To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit;
to another faith by the same Spirit…..1Cor.12:7-10




Lately, I have been thinking about the gift of faith. Throughout my life I have met several people that have a strong gift of faith. I have also met those people that struggle a great deal with their faith; some have lost their faith and some have never had the gift of faith to begin with.


My grandpa was one of those people that lost his faith. Whether or not his faith was ever strong to begin with, I will never know.


Grandpa was in WWII, in fact, he was one of the original soldiers on Iwo Jima to help raise the American flag. He told me that his experiences in the war lead him to believe that God could not possibly exist because if he did he would not have allowed such inhuman tragedy to take place. I have heard comments like his before from other people, you probably have too.


An interesting fact about grandpa’s loss of faith however, was that he spent the rest of his life trying to find someone that would convince him that God did exist and that faith was real. Hard as our family tried, he claimed that we still hadn’t proven it to him, and he struggled with this until his dying day.


The family spent much time in intercessory prayer for grandpa and I strongly believe that he is now resting in the arms of Divine Mercy, that he is finally at peace.


I am very grateful to have been blessed with the gift of faith. It is something that I have always had since childhood. And, though I loved playing outside and being with friends the same as the other children did, I was just as content to read my favorite bible stories like “Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors” or “Moses in the Land of Egypt” or to watch movies like “Our Lady of Fatima” and the “Robe”. These were always more than just stories or entertainment for me: they were examples of hope and faith in a loving God that never would abandon His people.


With each passing year, even in the midst of trial, I feel my faith grow stronger. I see the hand of the Almighty constantly reaching out to me, wanting to draw me closer.  His love is ever present and I find myself wanting to spend more and more time with Him.


Thank you Lord for the gift of faith which you have so generously blessed me with, may it always be used for your glory…. In Jesus Name..

Lift Me Up, Oh Lord

 "When he perceived how strong the wind was, becoming frightened, he began to sink." –Matthew 14:30

How often Lord, have I been like Peter,

ready to step out in faith.

I look into the gentle beauty of your eyes,

Your arms stretched out,

our fingers almost touch,

almost intertwine.

Then I take my eyes off you,

I lose focus 

only to hear the howling of the wind

and feel the cold, strong churning of the sea.

Fear takes over faith

and I begin to slowly sink.

"Lord, save me!", I cry.

But your focus, Oh Lord,

does not waver like mine

and your eyes remain upon me always.

Lovingly, you reach out for me

and lift me up to safety.

"O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

 

“Dear children! God wants to make you holy. Therefore, through me He is inviting you to complete surrender. Let holy mass be your life. Understand that the church is God's palace, the place in which I gather you and want to show you the way to God. Come and pray. Neither look at others nor slander them, but rather, let your life be a testimony on the way of holiness. Churches deserve respect and are set apart as holy because God, who became man, dwells in them day and night. Therefore, little children, believe and pray that the Father increase your faith, and then ask for whatever you need. I am with you and I am rejoicing because of you conversion and I am protecting you with my motherly mantle. Thank you for having responded to my call. ”
BVM, Medjugorje, April 25, 1988

God Has Shown Me The Better Part

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.

She had a sister named Mary (who) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me."
The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her." Luke 10 38:42


The alarm clock goes off before the sun has finished its morning yawn. We hit the snooze button and role over for just ten more minutes of slumber before we jump into the showers, then rush over and pour that first cup of coffee. Awe caffeine, what a wonderful stimulant you can be! Back to the daily routine of traffic, deadlines and time is of the essence contracts to fulfill. In a word I am referring to “obligations”.

Vacation has come to an end and it is such a bittersweet. Although I love my home and have become accustom to my daily “normal”, what a treat it has been to have seventeen days of vacation time in the Eastern Sierra Mountains, in the cabin my husband and I have been building for the past three years. Ten of these treasured vacation days being spent with loved ones, my children and grandchildren, my parents, and a nephew; a truly full house!

I have always had a tendency in life to be a little hard on myself, always trying to be a good parent, but always wondering if I really was a good one or thinking to myself, “If I only knew what I know now, I would have done so many things differently”. Thank God for my Christian faith and thank God for giving me every new day to start over again.

I live very close to my children and grandchildren, but I had never spent so many days in a row with my children and their families under one roof, observing their interactions with one another and seeing what my children were passing on as values to their own children. It was a time of treasure and delight!

As our days of fun and adventure came to an end, my children packed their families for the long journey home. No more campfire nights with my dad playing his harmonica and grandchildren eating smores. No more little feet running on hardwood floors, "Grandma, tell me another story about bears!"   My husband and I waved them all goodbye; tears of joys filled my eyes.

Arm and arm, we walked back into our cabin, picked up Mrs. Potato Heads earring and purse off our sofa as we sat down, looked at one another and smiled.

I thank God for all the blessings in my life, for every moment that lead to this precious time together as family. God had shown me the better part, and I am forever grateful.

Children, have you caught anything?

Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?" They answered him, "No."

So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something." So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. (John 21:5-6)

Hearing our Savior refer to the disciples as children brings to mind thoughts of my parents. They are always loving, supportive, nurturing and available whenever I need them. Their love is unconditional and no matter how old I am I will always be their child. I guess I would say that they are my first experience of God’s great love for me; and this thought fills me with joy and expectation of what is yet to come.


Few things make my parents happier that to be able to cook for me, and like a parent, Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast." (John 21:12) And he shares with them the intimacy of a meal. Tonight, we gathered together, grandparents, grandchildren, children and siblings, together in prayer, sharing a meal, sharing the grace of the gift of family, sharing the love of God.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."


He then said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."


He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." (Jesus) said to him, "Feed my sheep. (John 21: 15-17)

Like a parent knows his or her child, the Lord knows everything about us; he knows that we love him and he asks us to pass that love on to those we meet, to be builders of the faith, fishers of men.

“Children, have you caught anything...”….. "Follow me.”


Like Peter, may we all be strong witnesses to the faith we received through the
life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and may we forever praise the glory of his name. Amen

The Scourging at the Pillar

The Second Sorrowful Mystery.

Posted by dad.

They bound you to a post in Pilate's court and scrounged you mercilessly. Following each strike, wounds remained. Your blood flowed; you were loosing your strength and were in pain. You offered all this for us in order to free us from evil and sin.

How does one identify with this kind of suffering? Even if you tried you would come up miserly short. When I was asked to reflect on this decade of the rosary I found myself despairing because it brought to mind the greatest sorrow in my own life, the loss of my 3 year old son who was struck down by a station wagon in front of our home. The driver came around the corner of our street with a load of 2x4’s hanging out his rear window. My son and a young neighborhood boy were out front at the time. The neighbor boy took my son by the hand to take him across the street to play. The driver was watching the shifting lumber that was not tied down in his car and he did not see the boys crossing the street. At that instant our lives were forever dramatically changed. I could not forget or forgive that person.

For years I wished that moment would be taken away; my anger grew and this affected the rest of my family. The only thing that kept me going was to know my son was in a better place with his heavenly Father and that some day I would be with him in heaven.

Thank you Lord for giving us your son Jesus so that we may all be united together in
Heaven.

Lord, I offer my prayers for those who, in their hearts, carry the wounds they receive in their lives. Jesus, break those wounds that may cause them to fall into new evils, scourging themselves and others. Jesus, break the chains of evil and sin so that your peace, love and forgiveness may come to dwell in every heart. I offer my prayers to you for parents who have scourged their children with drunken behavior, faithlessness, drugs, gambling, fights and divorces. Please free families from these evils. Grant that all of their wounds be healed so that we may experience peace, joy and both spiritual and physical health. Amen. 1

1 Fr. Slavko Barbaric, O.F.M

Fire of Your Love

Desire, discipline, perseverance and self-control; these are just some of the words that come to mind as I watch the athletes perform at this years Winter Olympic Games.

Each one of these athletes has endured rigorous training schedules over the course of many years in preparation to compete in these games. Each athlete has encountered various trials that have strengthened their fighting spirit and perseverance. Each athlete has one common goal and one common dream; they each want to win the “Gold Medal”.


St. James tells us “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters,

when you encounter various trials,

for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

And let perseverance be perfect,

so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Jas 1:2-4


Lord, I know that you have not called us all to be great Olympian athletes. However I do know that you have called us each by name. Your desire for us is to preserver in faith and to grow in holiness that we may be perfect and complete, as you oh Lord are perfect and complete.

Grant us  Lord, the wisdom and courage we need to overcome all the obstacles in our lives that are displeasing to you. May the fire of your love burn brightly within us, warming the hearts of all you send our way.

Seeds of Faith

"Dear children! May this time be a time of personal prayer for you, so that the seed of faith may grow in your hearts; and may it grow into a joyful witness to others. I am with you and I desire to inspire you all: grow and rejoice in the Lord who has created you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

January 25, 2010 Message


Reflecting on Our Lady’s message, I started thinking about my time alone with the Lord.


Being an early riser, I find that hour before the sun comes up each morning to be a peaceful time to be with the Lord; it is my most precious time of the day.


This hour is devoted to prayer, daily scripture readings, and praise. And I always wish it could last a little longer.


But, Our Lord is always calling us to personal time with Him. He invites us to spend time with Him in Eucharistic adoration. He invites us to partake of His precious body and blood in the celebration of daily mass. He offers us peace and forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation. His loving arms are always open and everyday He invites us to spend personal time with Him so that the seed of faith may grow in our hearts.

Thank you Holy Mother for always reminding us of the love your Son has for us all.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13