The Joy of The Lord...

It was about 4:00 in the afternoon when I entered the nearby church. I had just wanted to pop in for a quick visit and say hello to the Lord, to thank him for my day and hopefully find a little refreshment for my soul while I was there.

 Once inside, I noticed a group of young children gathered together. They were in the pews up front situated close to the statue of Our Blessed Mother; they looked to be about eight years old and appeared to be very well behaved. 

A woman, who I thought might be their C.C.D. teacher, was leading them in song, an old time classic and one of my favorites, “The joy of the Lord is my strength”. When they got to the verse, “if you want joy you must SHOUT for it”, they bellowed as loudly as they could. And when they sang, “if you want joy you must JUMP for it”, they bounced up and down like little rabbits.

It looked like they had received the joy they were singing for, I know I sure did!

Joy, it is a small word with a big impact. Once you receive joy you can’t hold on to it; it cannot be contained. Joy must be shared. It is contagious and it leads us to a spirit of gratitude and praise. Joy frees us to receive grace.

When I think back to visit at the church that day, I can’t help but think of  how appropriate it was that the children were gathered close by the statue of Our Blessed Mother, for she is the cause of our joy because she has brought us the greatest joy, her son Jesus.

On July 25, 2013, Our Lady of Medjugorje, gave this message to Marija. This message was meant to be shared with the whole world.

“Dear children! With joy in my heart I call you to live your faith and to witness it with your heart and by your example in every way. Decide, little children, to be far from sin and temptation and may there be joy and love for holiness in your hearts. I love you, little children, and accompany you with my intercession before the Most High. Thank you for responding to my call.”

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us, that we may experience the joy of you have brought us in your son Jesus.

A Legacy of Faith

Mom has always had an insight as to what was really important in life and what wasn’t. One of her insights is to appreciate time well spent with those you hold dear, she calls it “making memories”. She says, “Later on in life Hun, it will be your memories that you look back on. Those memories can bring you great joy, even on a sorrowful day. So try and live each day as if you were making a wonderful memory.”

Mom is always right.

I recently lost my dad to cancer, and though my heart aches for him, I now understand why people call this time a “celebration of life”. So many friends, relatives and acquaintances have either, gathered together with us, called or written, all wanting to share the wonderful memories they have of their time spent with him.

Though their personal experiences with dad were all a little different, they all held a common thread. You see, they all mentioned that dad took the time to listen to them and that every time he gave any particular comment or piece of advice it brought them back to the realization of the love God had for each one of them.

Dad’s life was based on faith, and deeply rooted in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and his love for our Blessed Mother. He had a zeal to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and to share Our Lady’s messages from Medjugore.    This was his legacy to me, to my family, and to all whose lives he touched.

Last July, around this time, dad made his Consecration to Jesus through Mary, and though I had done this in the past, I renewed my consecration with him on August 15, the Feast of the Assumption, a memory I will never forget.

While doing a little studying up on St. Louis de Montfort during this time, I learned that he was brought up in France, in the northwest of the country called Brittany, which is known for his Celtic roots.

The Celtic warriors were notorious for their fighting spirit. Often they would wear nothing but blue battle paint, working themselves into a blood-thirsty frenzy and rushing into combat….These fierce fighting men, despite their lack of discipline, armor, and order, were extremely effective in battle because of their unmatched passion and ferocity.1

St. Louis’s dad, Jean Grignion, a descendent of these warrior, must have had some of this passion, for nobody wanted to mess with him either, and he passed this passion on to his son.  But Louis channeled his fiery passion into laboring for the greater Glory of God. He too had a zeal, a remarkable zeal that has brought, and continues to bring people to Jesus through Mary.2 This was his legacy to us all.

Have you ever wondered about what type of legacy you were going to leave behind, or what others would remember about you after you were gone? Well, I can’t honestly say that I ever had before now.

I will be renewing my Consecration to Jesus through Mary this month, and I just wanted to introduce you to a wonderful book that has been out for a short while called “33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-it-Yourself Retreat In Preparation for Marian Consecration”. This book explains Marian Consecration in a way I can relate to like I never have before. Many people who have gone through the preparation for this consecration say that it has changed their lives. I believe it does too.

A life lived for Jesus through Mary…now that’s a legacy of faith to pass on!

1 and 2 33 Days to Morning Glory, Michael E. Gaitley, MIC

Open Yourselves to Prayer

The Virgin Mary's message of June 25, given during apparition to Medjugorje visionary Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti:

“Dear children! With joy in the heart I love you all and call you to draw closer to my Immaculate Heart so I can draw you still closer to my Son Jesus, and that He can give you His peace and love, which are nourishment for each one of you. Open yourselves, little children, to prayer – open yourselves to my love. I am your mother and cannot leave you alone in wandering and sin. You are called, little children, to be my children, my beloved children, so I can present you all to my Son. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

All the Virgin Mary's messages given in Medjugorje in 2013: http://www.medjugorjetoday.tv/messages-2013/